The Cellar Door Stories

Coincidence? I think not.

2012-02-29T12:23:00.000-05:00

As a follow-up to yesterday's post on waiting, I wanted to share about another way I've been receiving encouragement in the adoption process. God has been so faithful. Looking back over the past several months, every time I have been in a valley, at a low point, doubting, dreading, fearing.....I haven't had to wait long before I find myself being comforted, sustained, motivated, and encouraged.

When I feel like no one is really interested.....a family member offers to do a fundraiser.
When I'm desperate for any good news at all.....a referral for a family in our group.
When I am praying and just wanting to hear from God.....I randomly open my Bible and the very first verses I see are Psalm 27:13-14.

Coincidences? Some might call them that. But I know God is sovereign and working even in the little things. Here's my latest "hug from God" that happened earlier this week....

I had a meeting at church one evening and it went pretty late. It was after 10 PM by the time I pulled back in the driveway and realized I hadn't checked the mail that day. I grabbed it, glanced at it (ugh, bills and junk) and put it on the kitchen counter to look at the next day. I got myself ready for bed and decided to check my email in an attempt to wind down.....mistake. I found out we had been bumped backwards yet again on the unofficial wait list. (Can happen when someone ahead of us changes their age request. No, they aren't big meanies for doing this. People often expand their age request as the children already in their home get older...it's just a bummer for us). Anyway, not good news to sleep on.

I woke up the next morning, got myself and the kids ready to head out the door to Bible Study (currently doing Living Beyond Yourself by Beth Moore....sooooo good!), and remembered that stack of mail on the counter. I quickly went through all the bills and junk, and saw a letter I had somehow missed the night before in my post-meeting daze. I recognized the handwriting right away - it was a letter from dear friends, so of course I opened it immediately. First I saw two sweet pictures their kids had drawn of our family - including our future kids, drawn so beautifully in preK style, even with brown marker. The drawings alone were enough to bring a smile to my face and some tears to my eyes. But when I read the letter from their sweet mama, and out fell a check.....a large check......the only larger donation we've received was from our church on Orphan Sunday.

Wow.

So then the bawl fest began, of course! (I had always thought pregnancy hormones were rough - they are nothing compared to adoption emotions!) I was so humbled and grateful that this family (who are not millionaires, by the way) would sacrifice so much to help us. Then I was again humbled and grateful for the providence of God - who had this little incident planned long ago. Had I opened the letter the night before, yes it still would have been incredible, but because I didn't see it I had something to "lift me out of the pit" that morning. Pretty cool. Thanks, God. And thanks, friends, for allowing God to use you in that way!!

And now the random totally, totally off topic.....did ya notice....2 posts in 2 days?! That's pretty much a record as of late. And it's all due to.....our new computer! Yee ha! Although we had dreamed of and seriously contemplated getting a Mac, it became all about the benjamins, and we just couldn't justify spending all of ours on a computer - beautiful and extraordinary as they may be. Plus, I'm in the middle of reading Radical and almost ready to read 7, and if those aren't convicting, I don't know what is! So I know all you Mac users are laughing at me now, because once you go Mac you never go back and all, but we ended up getting this computer. So far it's been great, and for the amount we will use it, we think it will continue to be!

Thoughts on Waiting

2012-02-28T19:45:00.001-05:00

Back in June, when we first applied to AWAA's Ethiopia program, we were so so so excited. (We still are!) As soon as we were accepted, I worked like a crazy woman to get all of the massive amounts of paperwork and documents ready and sent. It was such a relief when we received our DTE date ~ now all we would have to do was wait!

Our COMPLETED dossier!

Chuckle. All we would have to do? I wasn't necessarily thinking that waiting would be so.stinkin.hard. I mean, come on. I have a life after all. I'm busy with my two homegrown kids and husband to take care of, involved in several church ministries, and my Thirty-one business. Surely I've got enough to keep me busy. This time is gonna fly!

I wasn't expecting that I wouldn't be able to not think about my "not-yet-here" kids. (Yes, that's at least a double negative, possibly more). Will we be adopting two or one? Are they born yet? Do they know the love of a family? Do they have enough to eat tonight? What are their names? How old are they? What is their first mama going through right now? And, most often - When will they be coming home?

I cherish this point in my life, I really do. I love the ages and stages of my kids. I adore my family and the fun we have together. So don't worry, I'm not wasting away the present by dreaming about the future. :) But in all of our moments I am reminded - we are not all together yet. When my two are running around, laughing and playing, sometimes I think for a moment about the day when there are three or four all laughing together. Sometimes when we sit down for meal, my mind drifts to a future time when all of our dining room chairs are being used.

So yeah, the waiting is pretty stinky. Especially in a culture where we really don't have to wait for much of anything. (Hello? I use the Keurig to heat up water for Jackson's hot chocolate, because it's quicker than the old-fashioned way of using a microwave. Tea kettle? What's that?) But at the same time, I can choose to rejoice in the waiting.

Did she just say rejoice? Yep. Sure did. I am so thankful for a Sovereign God who is working for me and for my family, closing some doors and opening others, so one day our family - the one He designed - will be together.

"For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!" (Isaiah 64:4, NLT)

"The Lord will work out his plans for my life - for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever (Psalm 138:8)

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Romans 8:28)

And finally, a quote from Andy Stanley that I have recently found encouraging - "Waiting time is not wasted time for anyone in whose heart God has placed a vision. Difficult time. Painful time. Frustrating time. But not wasted time."

It's very likely we've got a long wait ahead of us - probably longer than we had originally thought. And it's definite that there will be some difficult, painful, and frustrating times in there. But we continue to trust in the Lord and rejoice, knowing that His ways are better than ours, and He is at work while we wait!

Marshmallow Hearts

2012-02-24T09:30:00.000-05:00

Like the terrible blogger I continue to be, I am finally getting around to posting about a cute activity Jackson & I did for Valentine's Day this year! Feel free to ignore, since it won't apply for another 51 weeks, or squirrel it away to remember for next year, or even better - pin it so you don't forget! :)

I found these strawberry heart-shaped marshmallows at the grocery store awhile back, bought them, and promptly forgot about them until the day before Valentine's Day.

I rediscovered them while searching in the pantry for something else completely. I wracked (racked?) by brain trying to come up with something to do with them, and decided on keeping it simple. Dip in melted white chocolate chips and then in sprinkles. Wonderful, festive idea right? Until I did it and saw what they looked like.

Happy Valentine's Day....here's your.....lump of pink sprinkles??

I tried dipping them in only halfway; same result. I flipped it over, and lo and behold.....cuteness! And they fit perfectly in the Valentine's mini-muffin tin liners I found last year at Target's 90% off Valentine's sale.

So....what did we do with all these fancy marshmallow hearts? We put one on each place at our Valentine's meal (in case you don't remember, our traditional Valentine's meal is a heart-shaped meatloaf or hamloaf, and lots of other heart-shaped or red or pink foods). We've also been using them in hot chocolate - adorable and tasty!

Make Ahead Smoothies

2012-02-13T11:24:00.002-05:00

Awhile ago, on Pinterest I believe, I had seen the idea of making smoothies ahead of time, freezing them in small portions, and keeping them in the freezer at-the-ready. I was in love with this idea (yay for OAMC!), but somehow didn't pin it, and in the meantime, lost it. Argh. After a LOT of searching pinterest and a few of my favorite blogs, I realized I wasn't going to find the original post. Luckily for me, there were a ton of other great ideas out there. I looked at a bunch of different ideas and then came up with my own.

Strawberry Freezer Smoothies:

Freeze yogurt in ice cube trays. For me, a 32 oz container of yogurt filled 2 ice cube trays.
Fill resealable baggies with 2 cubes of yogurt and around 3/4 cup of fruit. (I already had some strawberries frozen, so I used those. If you are putting fresh fruit in your bags, flash freeze them first so you don't end up with one big clump. To flash freeze, lay each individual piece of fruit on a cookie sheet & freeze).
Since the resealable sandwich bags I used aren't freezer bags, I put them all in one gallon sized freezer bag.....no freezer burn & it corrals them all into one place.

To serve, add milk & honey and blend until it's the texture you like.
Note: I froze individual servings because I have one of the Magic Blender knock-offs. If you are making a regular blender full, just adjust the amounts accordingly.

I also decided to try the Green Monster Smoothies I have been seeing. I am not a huge vegetable fan (AKA I despise most vegetables) and figure if I can sneak a few in here and there, it will be a huge health benefit! Now, a bright GREEN (spinach) smoothie isn't exactly hiding anything, but trust me, they taste delicious....not vegetable-y at all!

I made two different green smoothies. For my first batch, I used the basic ingredients of the recipe at NaturallyElla. I used what I had on hand - so regular milk instead of almond milk, and no flaxseed. I whipped up the smoothies and froze them in the ice cube trays. When I prepare these, I'll need to thaw them out a little first, since I won't be adding anything to them.

I also made up my own (similar) version, this time without the milk so it didn't take up so many of my ice cube trays....I can easily add the milk in the day I make them. I blended 4 large handfuls of spinach, 2 bananas, and added some canned pineapple on hand that I needed to use up, along with it's juice to make blending easier. (I did use my large blender for this). To serve, take 2 or 3 of the frozen spinach cubes, add a few yogurt cubes, some milk & honey, and blend. There you have it. A spinach smoothie. Sounds delightful, doesn't it? But seriously, folks, they are gooooood! Take a toddler's word for it.....she LOVED it so much she had two!

So easy, and if your family loves smoothies, having some ready-made packs on hand can be a huge time & money saver (have you ever priced the frozen smoothie packs at the grocery store?!) I love that you can be creative and throw in whatever fruits you have.....it's impossible to make a bad smoothie or get the recipe wrong!

Bonus: the strawberry smoothies will be perfect for my kids' Valentine's Day breakfast tomorrow! (Looking for other quick things to do for Valentine's Day? Click here!)

And the green spinach smoothie will definitely be on the menu for St. Patrick's Day!

Linking to: Craft-O-Maniac,

Coupon Chief Review

2012-02-02T14:51:00.000-05:00

I was recently contacted and asked to review an online coupon source (we're talking coupon codes for online shopping here, not manufacturer's coupons for groceries), Coupon Chief. I was intrigued, because you know how I love my coupons!!! I'm also a big fan of shopping online when I can.....I love being able to find what I want and have it shipped directly to my door, all while in my comfy sweatpants sitting in front of my fireplace! The only downside? Sometimes it's harder to find the great deals online. And ohhh, the disappointment when you find what you think is a great deal, and then when you have to add shipping & handling, it ends up being not-so-great!

Enter Coupon Chief! It is one of the fastest growing coupon sites, with over 250,000 visitors each month. Their database currently has over 50,000 coupons for over 15,000 stores!

I decided to do a little trial run and tell you about my experience. Here's some points worth noting:

Easy to navigate! The homepage is visually appealing and includes sections for featured stores, popular coupons, and new coupons. There is also a clickable search to browse by popular tag (computers, electronics, etc).
The Search Bar: Front and center, easy to find, right at the top of the homepage. You can search for a particular store (Target.com), or for a product (laptop).
Updated ~ the coupons listed are coded in green (working!), yellow (uknown), or red (not working), so you don't have to waste your time finding deals that may end up in disappointment. It even shares the success rate percentage!
Printables too! There are some printable coupons available for in-store shopping.
New to online shopping & coupon codes? There is a How It Works page that even includes a video tutorial!

Now granted, there are other coupon sites. Some of them I've used before, and typically I've had some level of success. Want to know what I think puts Coupon Chief ahead of the game? (Besides all the great stuff I've already mentioned?) The Pays-To-Share program! Basically, you sign up for an account, upload coupons, and if someone uses your coupon, you get 2% of the sales! Sweet! I don't think anybody's going to get rich from uploading coupons, but it could definitely add to a great deal.

So there you have it, folks! Add Coupon Chief to your bookmarks, and the next time you are doing some online shopping, check it out....you may score a great deal! (Or at least pay for that pesky shipping & handling fee!)

Disclaimer: I was compensated for this review, but all opinions are my own!

Coffee Bar Beginnings

2012-02-01T10:54:00.000-05:00

Well, it's far from complete, but I am deeming it "good enough" to show you what it looks like so far. Sorry in advance for the lighting of all the pictures....here's a picture of my kitchen lights so you can see what I'm working with....

....and I know, I should edit them to make them look better, but you already know the state of my computer.....let's just say I'm not sure it would last through an editing session!

Anyway, back to the coffee bar. We went to IKEA a few weeks ago, and I passed on a few buffets I liked to save some money and found a table instead. It works out perfectly! Here's what it's currently looking like in it's not-yet-finished state.

I love storing things in clear jars.....keeps it fresh and I love the look of it. On the bottom shelf in the penny-candy jar, I have teabags....

On the top, the jars are filled with coffee (for when I can't find the good deals on K-cups, and so we can keep on buying Just Love Coffee!), mini marshmallows (for the kids' hot chocolate), and sugar cubes (because they are cuter than regular sugar!)...

Still on the to-do list: a shelf above the table to hold some mugs and maybe a few more jars! (I would love to have a jar for hot chocolate mix too, but I'm already running out of room!) And how cute would a little honey pot like this one be?! And how about a mini-fridge for my creamers?? I kid, I kid!

I'm also needing a Hobby Lobby run for a little project I'm planning.....hint: Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee :)

I'm really loving this little coffee station so far. It's given me so much more room on my kitchen counters, and the shelf below gives some storage for some items I don't have room for in my cabinets!

How do you take your coffee?

Linking to: Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts

Shoe Organization

2012-01-27T11:53:00.001-05:00

We have a great little spot off the side of our laundry room where the kids sit and put on their shoes and grab their coats before they head out to the garage to get in the car. (You can check out the post about the coat rack we made here). The problem can been seen in this before picture:

And my son is currently at school, so imagine another pair of shoes, a winter coat, and a backpack added to this mess. Real nice, huh?

After some cleaning, purging, and putting away, here's the AFTER:

Yay! Much better! Most of this is thanks to our IKEA trip last weekend. I had a certain amount of Christmas money to spend, and instead of blowing it all on the sideboard I liked for my coffee bar, I found a side table instead. I then had enough money leftover to get this great shoe cabinet....

and I'm loving it! It's super thin and doesn't take up much room at all, keeps the shoes up off the floor, and looks pretty cute while doing it!

PS: Did you see yesterday's post about our latest adoption fundraiser? I'm hoping a few of you will donate items from your etsy shop or similar store to help bring our son(s) home from Ethiopia! Please contact me for more details!

Upcoming Fundraiser - Can YOU Help?

2012-01-26T07:00:00.001-05:00

Hi all....
Just a quick post to ask for your help with a little something.....our next adoption fundraiser! I'd like to do something like my friend Lindsey did here, or like The Annessa Family did here. If you aren't going to click on the links for an explanation, basically people donated stuff and do be given away when donations were received. The dollar amount donated determined the amount of tickets given, and then numbers were randomly chosen to see who won what.

To make it a successful fundraiser, I'm hoping for some really great donations! Do you have an etsy shop or work for a DS company? Would you like to make a donation? Would someone you know like to make a donation?? Your role would be pretty simple.... provide me with a picture, an approximate prize value, and then be willing to ship the prize to the winner in a timely manner. In return....I can't give much (since that would defeat the purpose of the fundraiser), but I would clearly put a link to your shop on the post. Plus you would feel so good inside, knowing you helped to bring our sweetie(s) home! :) (If you are new and have no clue what I'm talking about, check out the Adoption posts or the Our Adoption Journey tab at the top!!)

Thank you! (and never fear, there will be more fun posts coming.....I've been working on my coffee bar!)

Pinterest Love

2012-01-24T07:00:00.001-05:00

I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest. I *love* that I can find pretty much anything I want there, get loads of inspiration, and find enough recipes to eat something new for dinner for the rest of my life. I *hate* my tendency to pin a bunch of things, and then never do anything with them. Lately I've been trying to be more intentional about actually following through and making some of those DIY projects and/or billions of recipes.

Here's a few of my recent favorite Pinterest finds that I've actually done something with! (Pictures are from the original posters, unless noted....click the links to check out more of the originals!) And please, PLEASE, don't pin from this page. If you see something you want to pin, please go to the original and pin from there. It only takes 20 seconds longer, and that way the right person gets the credit!!

First up, our Christmas morning breakfast, idea courtesy of Made it on Monday - Christmas tree cinnamon rolls. I cheated and used frozen bread dough instead of making it from scratch. The kids loved it! Here's a pic of how mine turned out...

Another recent hit was Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings by BubbleCrumb. The ultimate comfort food and it was uber-easy - I didn't even have to remember to get chicken out of the freezer to thaw! (I was out of onions so I skipped them).

And here's one I'm making right now....literally I am typing and cutting an onion. Yay, multitasking! Doesn't this Chili's Copycat Salsa from Six Sisters' Stuff look so yummy?

As always, you can follow my Pinterest boards by clicking here.

What have you been pinning?

What the Hey????

2012-01-23T12:53:00.001-05:00

So I totally haven't followed through on my hopes of returning to blogdom on a regular basis. That happens when your computer looks like this:

It's not good, folks. Most days it doesn't even turn on. Luckily I do have an iPad (surprise gift from my in-laws, woohoo!!), so I can still check email and facebook, you know- the important things....but unfortunately I can't blog from there. Most days my laptop won't turn on, but today must be my lucky day because not only did I survive grocery shopping with a toddler, my laptop appears to be semi-working. Long story short....we're looking for a new laptop. Thinking about going with a Mac. Thoughts?

But my computer woes aren't exactly what I was planning to post about today. Maybe you noticed the link on the picture and that gave you a little hint on what has been going on....I wanted to give a little shout-out to all of you who follow the proper rules & etiquette of sharing pictures and posts. I LOVE it, I really do, when someone thinks something of mine is good enough to share with others. It's just super cool and nice, like a virtual pat on the back. However, when someone takes my images or posts without my permission with the intent of passing them off as their own.....well that's not cool anymore. This happened yesterday. Thankfully, there are some really super awesome people out there in blogland who contacted me to let me know this was happening (to me and others, from what I heard). By the time I received the link, it had already been taken down. My first thought was, "I guess that's a compliment in a weird sort of way," but then I started thinking about how it takes time to do these projects, and credit really does need to be given where credit is due. Not only is it nice and polite, but really? Taking my stuff - my pictures of my stuff - and trying to pass it off as your own and even sell it?? Soooo not cool.

Now listen, we're all friends here, right? If you are that person, I'm gonna give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe you haven't been taught blog etiquette yet. But consider yourself schooled and don't do the same thing again. It's just not nice.

So to reiterate....I really do love it when you share my posts....you can do it anytime you want as long as you include a link back! You don't even need to get my permission. I do ask that you refrain from using the photos that include my children. You don't want the mama bear to come out.

Sorry if this is a grumpy post. I have one of those hacking coughs....(the kind where you cough until you gag and almost throw up, and also you pee a little because it just hasn't been the same down there since birthing children), and it's just been one of those days.

Home Coffee Bar

2012-01-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

So yesterday I mentioned that we are now the proud owners of a Keurig! One drawback is that to have the Keurig and the K-cup carousel sitting out.....it takes up a lot of room on my already-too-small counters. So I've been toying with the idea of adding a coffee bar in our kitchen. Of course I headed to Pinterest for inspiration, and when I typed in "home coffee bar," this delightful picture kept coming up, from {the vintage wren}.

Adorable! We have an entire wall that is empty, so the spot is taken care of, but I need to find the cute buffet/sideboard/whatever you want to call it. I have checked several places already, but I'm still searching. It needs to be counter-height, so my toddler doesn't decide to make herself a cup of coffee, and not too deep (16-18 inches would be about perfect, max of about 20"). I contemplated a simple table, but I really would rather have something with more storage, since I'm incredibly lacking in that department! Oh yeah, I don't want to spend an arm and a leg, since somewhere down the line our kitchen is getting remodeled. (Somewhere waaaayyyy down the line, that is).

Here's a few pics I've seen online that I'm currently enjoying....

Sorry for the blurriness, but it's cute, right? Price isn't too bad at $149.99 from JC Penneys. I like the red, but have you seen my kitchen? Mostly blue (ick) cabinets, a few cabinets that the paint has been removed, a white island.....I'm not sure that adding one more color is the best option!

I really like this one from Ikea, but at $350, it's more than I really wanted to spend. On the plus side, it's white and very neutral looking....I'm thinking that once we no longer need it in the kitchen, we can use it somewhere else.

Of course, Pottery Barn has a multitude of drool-worthy buffets, but unless the sideboard-fairy drops one off on my front porch, I won't be getting one of those anytime soon! Here's a few that I am particularly fond of....

I'm excited to find something I love.....I will probably be off to a few thrift stores this week, but I am hoping to find something SOON so I can reclaim my kitchen counters! Thankful that I have some Christmas money to play with! Any ideas?

These are a Few of my Favorite Things

2012-01-05T13:09:00.002-05:00

Disclaimer: This is probably going to be the most materialistic post I have ever written. I'm generally not a materialistic person, but I am loving some of my Christmas presents so much, I just had to share :)

My Keurig....I have debated about one of these for a loooooonnnnngggg time. I loved the concept, especially because I love random flavored coffee, chai, etc, and my hubby is typically not a fan. He just likes the regular stuff. And the convenience! How easy is it to just stick the little cup in the machine and press brew?! But, the downsides were that the K-cups can be expensive, and when you have a large crowd of people, it might not end up being as convenient as just brewing a big pot of coffee. Long story short, we got one for Christmas and I am LOVING it. Turns out when I registered it online, I received a coupon code for "Buy 2 boxes of K-cups, get 2 free.....plus free shipping!" My deal-loving self rejoiced over this :) We also received a "My K-Cup" so we can continue buying our "Orphan Coffee" ($5 from each bag supports our adoption) and using it in our machine. If you have been debating too, I say go for it! We have this model, with 5 different cup sizes, so Jon can even brew a travel mug full of coffee before work in the morning.

These slippers.

I am totally a slipper person. Wear them all the time at home. Wish I could wear them all the time outside the home. These are from Loft. Incredibly comfortable and might cute! Seems like they run a size small, unless my feet are growing. Contemplating scouring the stores to find back-up pairs for when these wear out.

Another favorite is my new necklace.....hand-stamped Africa charm with a heart over Ethiopia. I've been searching Etsy but can't find a picture. When I find it again, I will be sure to feature it. I love wearing it as a constant reminder of my little Ethiopian(s). Thanks, Mom!

Finally, I'll count these although I'm putting them away until our son(s) come home.

Cute right? Much cuter in person. And unwrinkled. These are from Thirty-One Gifts old kid's line. I wish they still had a kids line......alas it evidently wasn't popular enough. The good news is, I was able to score these from the Thirty-One Outlet sale after Christmas. It's still going on now.....check it out here if you want! Only possible downside - shipping is a flat rate of $10, so if you only want one or two things, it's best split with a friend! (Sale ends Friday at midnight PST!!......this is my consultant link, so if you already have a consultant, please contact them for their info.)

What were your favorite (materialistic) things from Christmas? :)

Christmas Time is Here.....and Gone!

2012-01-05T11:55:00.001-05:00

What happened? I blinked and not only is Christmas over, but it's 2012?! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Our was busy with lots of family get togethers and traveling, but it was a very blessed time being with the ones we love.

Here's my two loves in front of the Christmas tree.....yes, C tends to be in pajamas an awful lot.

One of my favorite traditions is that each year when we decorate the tree, the kids each get a new ornament representing their favorite things, or something from that year. This year, J got a Lego Star Wars Darth Vader (who would have guessed?), and C's was the Little Mermaid. We also had a special ornament on our tree representing our littlest love/s in Ethiopia. Although we don't know him/them yet, they hold a special place in our heats and can't wait for the day when we can celebrate Christmas with them in our family.

Ethiopian Cross

One of my goals for the New Year is to become a more active blogger again.....I have a few more posts in the works ..... as long as my children cooperate, they might even come today! :)

Lately

2011-12-05T13:51:00.001-05:00

Last week I had the opportunity to speak at a local Mom's group - definitely a first for me! I was able to share couponing tips & strategies. Public speaking is not one of my favorite things.....it's more of a hot flash/diarrhea-inducing type thing....but I had a great time and everyone was so nice...plus I was treated to a wonderful breakfast! You can see a lot of what I talked about if you click here and read my posts related to the "Secrets of Savings."

Although I was speaking on couponing, my mind and heart were elsewhere as it was an exciting day for us in regards to our adoption. We received word that we are officially DONE with paperwork and our dossier was being sent to Ethiopia! (I know I already shared that we were done with paperwork, but since then, our dossier has cleared several checks by our agency and so now we're "more" officially done!) The last time I checked our tracking number for our dossier, it was in Paris! It seems to be making some pretty exciting stops along the way to Ethiopia! Still a looooong wait ahead, but so thankful for this BIG step! Originally my goal was to be finished with all of our paperwork by the end of the year, so we were happy to be about a month ahead of my scheduled goal. We were also so thankful to the Lord for meeting all our financial needs along with this paperwork goal. Yes, our savings account is almost empty now, but our need was met and we will happily continue raising funds for our next payment! Thank you to everyone has been supporting for us and praying for us so far!

Give 1 Save 1

2011-11-30T14:18:00.000-05:00

Since starting the process to adopt, I have been enjoying meeting new friends from all over who share my passion for adoption. Beth is one of those people, and when she told me about Give1 Save1, I was super excited to share it with you. Then my little blogging hiatus happened, I became a bad blogger, and I never did. Finally, I have the post ready for you - I'm excited to share it with you, from Beth herself!
...............

Hi there!

I'm Beth and I'm pleased to be doing a little guest post for you guys. Let me tell you a little about myself and a little project that you might just want to help with.

Ok, like I said, I'm Beth. I'm a mom to two, Will and Abby. I'm also mom to two more though I don't know their names yet! That feels weird! We are in the process of adopting two older girls from Ethiopia. Working on our homestudy.

When we started the process we knew that it would be hard to make $30,000 come through our house in about a year's time. I was trying to think of how my God given talents could help us raise that money. I thought to myself "Too bad rockin' blog skills and a Pinterest addiction can't pay those adoption fees." And then as I was surfing around that day I came across good old Pioneer Woman's website. A routine stop for me. That day she was giving away a KitchenAid. That day over 40,000 people entered a blog contest to win that machine. And then I thought to myself, "If every one of those people gave me a buck, two little girls would have a home and I could worry about stuff besides loans, like raising them." Unfortunately I am no PW and I don't have an army of people. Yet. A new vision was born. Maybe blogging is a gift. Let's see what we can do with this....

So I came up with this idea, Give1 Save1. In the next year I am attempting to get 30,000 people to join the Dollar Mob. It's a group of people that give $1 every week. It comes out of your Paypal account automatically once a week. Your dollar then goes to a new family that is adopting from Africa. So if 30,000 people joined we could fully fund 52 adoptions a year! And in the process we have a good time. There is a new family each week, but we're constantly talking mommy stuff, design stuff, and we have tons of fun giveaways. We've even opened a shop! I know that it's a recession right now and I know it's hard to give, but everyone has a dollar to spare, right? If you'd like to check it out, come on over. Every family is so appreciative of every dollar!

Thanks so much for having me over and for listening to my hair brained idea!

...................
(Ok, now it's back to me again) Hair brained? I think not! How about utterly BRILLIANT?! $1 each week. Or a one time donation. This would be a great project to get your kids involved in! Sometimes it takes so little to bless someone SO MUCH!

You can also become a facebook fan of Give1Save1 to stay updated!

Thanks, Beth!

I'm Back!

2011-11-21T19:20:00.000-05:00

Well, hello there! Remember me? Probably not at this point! It has been so long since I've posted.....due to life being generally busy, and adoption stuff being crazy and pretty much sucking all of my emotions and creativity. Every day I think, "wow, I should really blog." And then......I don't. I realized just how long it's been when a bloggy friend emailed tonight .....probably to make sure I'm still alive :) Thanks, though - it made me feel special!

So here's my update...along with whatever random thoughts I have!

*On the family front, my sweet baby girl turned 2! Two! And is suddenly not so sweet anymore. Ha! Ok, she can still be sweet and also quite hilarious, but she's definitely going through that frustrated/frustrating stage. Overall though, two is fun - she is loving pretend play - being a mommy to her baby dolls, etc. I am....I mean, she is....also having a lot of fun with her new dollhouse! Here's a picture from her birthday....oh the anticipation of the birthday cupcake!

*Adoption News! I am THRILLED to let you know that as of today, we are officially DONE with paperwork!!!!! Our dossier (and most of the contents of our savings account) are on their way to our adoption agency, and in 1-3 weeks it will be headed to Ethiopia! So excited for this step.....each step bringing us closer to our precious son(s). We are also delighted to share how faithful God has been in providing for our needs. The check we had to send today was pretty massive, and we had enough to cover it, plus a little more. Of course we are still saving like crazy and fundraising since we still need close to half of our funds to come in. We are praising the Lord for providing for our needs, and thanking our friends and family who have contributed!

*Orphan Sunday - we had the opportunity to help put a service together at our church and speak about our adoption journey. It was truly a blessing to be able to hear the stories of others in our church family. God puts families together in some pretty amazing ways! We can't wait for the day when we can share updates to our story.

*Fundraising - so yeah, we still have a large chunk of change to raise. A friend of mine from college is a consultant for Tastefully Simple, and she volunteered to do a fundraiser for us! Not only that, but she sent me a box with lots of yummy samples!!!!! If you haven't tried Tastefully Simple, they have some great mixes that help you to prepare foods with just a few ingredients - great for those nights when you don't know what to cook, or for snacks for unexpected company! My favorite products are the Beer Bread, Bacon Bacon seasoning, and definitely the Oh My Chai! Yum!!!! This fundraiser is online, so if you would like to participate, click here, then "Shop Our Products", then "Host/Event Search", then you will need to fill in my name and state (PA). If you want to order but don't know my name, you can figure it out pretty easily by looking around the site, but if you are having trouble, message me and I will get it to you - I just don't want to blatantly put it out there on the WWW, know what I mean? The fundraiser is ending November 30 and you will receive your orders in plenty of time for Christmas - they make GREAT gifts!

*Thirty-One Gifts - you might remember that I started selling Thirty-One Gifts to help save money for the adoption. I have to say, after about two months in, I am LOVING it!!!! Our purses, totes, wallets, and other things to help you stay organized also make great gifts! Orders made by December 12 will arrive in time for Christmas. Of course I have to mention, if anyone is interested in a catalog/online party - a quick & easy way to earn FREE products - let me know! Or, if you'd like to receive my email newsletter to stay up-to-date on our amazing specials, just give me your email address!

*Shop With A Purpose - Along with our fundraising efforts, we'd like to support the fundraising efforts of our other adopting friends. I have started a Pinterest board featuring many of the fundraisers I have been made aware of - there's a little bit of everything there, so if you are looking for some unique gifts that will also help to form a forever family, check it out!

*From Here Onward - Just to let you know, I do plan on being a more regular presence once again on this blog. Hopefully I'll even have some creative crafty ideas again at some point! Thanks for sticking with me through the craziness of life!

Orphan Sunday

2011-11-06T07:00:00.003-05:00

Orphan Sunday 2011 from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Who Wants to Win??

2011-10-18T21:37:00.000-04:00

Want a chance to win one of Thirty-One Gifts awesome Organizing Utility Totes (in your choice of pattern)?

Head on over to A Turtle's Life for Me, where Natalie is giving one away from me! If you follow The Cellar Door Stories or "like" me on Facebook, you've already earned an entry!!! While you're there, look around....Natalie has soooo many great projects and is pretty much the guru of freezer meals! Good luck to all those who enter!

Fun with Felt!

2011-10-17T14:28:00.000-04:00

I have been a bad, bad blogger lately. So many things to do, so little time to blog about them.... Here's a little project I was working on a few days ago....easy, no-sew felt hair clips! It was the perfect craft for a rainy day.

I added a both a hair clip and a safety pin on the back of the flowers so they can do double duty! They were sooo easy, I can't wait to go back to Hobby Lobby and get some felt in every color!! I used two great tutorials for these, so instead of writing up my own, I'll direct you back to the originals (which I found popping up on pinterest)....for the flowers go here, and for the bows check this out.

What is your favorite rainy day project?

Fall Food Favorites: Apple Butter

2011-10-12T07:00:00.002-04:00

Just in case you didn't see my guest tutorial last week over at The CSI Project, I'm reposting it here for you today!

Hello fellow CSI Project fans! I'm Angie from The Cellar Door Stories, and I'm so excited to be here for Fall Food week! True, when you think of fall food, pumpkin is probably what immediately comes to mind. But for me, nothing says early fall like apples! We live close to several apple orchards and have a family tradition of picking apples each year. Along with homemade applesauce, I like to try out a few new apple recipes each year. This year I decided to try apple butter, and I'm going to be sharing my recipe with you today!

A friend had mentioned to me that she made apple butter in her slow cooker. I was intrigued and decided to try it out myself. Her recipe started with whole apples, and I had already turned my mountain of apples (1 1/2 bushels) into applesauce (go here to see how it's done), so I needed to improvise a little. I scoured the internet and my recipe books for ideas, and ended up creating a recipe that is kind of a mish-mash of about approximately 36 other recipes I looked at!

First, gather all your ingredients and dump them into your slow cooker (I recommend spraying your crock with cooking spray ~ makes clean-up a LOT easier). I used the following, but you can definitely tweak the amount to your taste: 10 cups applesauce, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup white sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cloves.

I cooked my apple butter on HIGH for a total of 12 hours. By the end of the 12 hours, it was time for me to go to bed and I didn't want to leave my slow cooker on any longer. I turned it off but left the apple butter in so it kept cooking. Yes, that seems like a long time! It takes a long time for some of the liquid to cook out. Your time will vary depending on the amount you are making and your slow cooker. Stir occasionally to make sure your applesauce doesn't scorch. I took the lid off for the last 5 or so hours.

Here's what my apple butter looked like after about 6 hours...

And here's what it looked like in the morning...you can see a lot of the liquid has cooked out, and it's a few shades darker.

I spooned the apple butter into jars - from my original 10 cups of applesauce, I ended up with 8 jars of apple butter. I still haven't figured out the whole canning thing, so mine went into the freezer, but this could definitely be canned!

Bonus ~ who doesn't love homemade food? This could make a great little gift for someone! I decided that as a gift, the jars were looking a little too plain, so I added a raffia bow and some scrapbooking paper stamped "Made Especially for You!"

Add a loaf of homemade bread, and you have a perfect hostess gift for your next fall night out!

Thanks to the CSI Project girls for having me today ~ hope to see you all over at The Cellar Door Stories, where I love to blog about DIY & crafty ideas, food, family (including our adoption journey), frugal tips, and any other random thing that crosses my mind!

Featured on Remodelaholic!

2011-10-11T07:00:00.030-04:00

I'm super excited today because tonight my frugal mud room storage is being featured over at Remodelaholic!

Remodelaholic has been on my blog list for ages now, because every day they feature amazing DIY and remodeling projects found all over the WWW. They also have linky parties each week for DIY Projects, Recipes, and a For Sale by Owner link-up for those of you with etsy shops or other home businesses! Be sure to go visit Remodelaholic! (My post should be up around 6PM EST tonight).

Happy Blogiversary to Me!

2011-10-06T07:00:00.051-04:00

We just recently had a Houseiversary ~ 4 years since we've moved into our home ~ now it's time for a Blogiversary! (How much more mileage can I get out of the "-iversary" suffix?!) I've had this blog for a year now and thought it would be fun to do a run-down of my Top 10 Most Popular Posts, based on the number of views statistics from Google Analytics.

Here we go....

#10: DIY Growth Chart

#9: Thrifted Apothecary Jar Re-do

#8: Light Saber Pretzel Rods (& Star Wars Birthday Party)

#7: Laundry Room Reveal

#6: 4th of July on the Cheap: Wreath

#5: Chicken - It's What's For Dinner

#4: Porch Swing Makeover

#3: Frugal Mud Room Storage

#2: Changeable Wreath

#1: Gallery Wall for Cheaters

I have had so much fun with this blog over the past year! Each new follower and comment bring me a smile...THANKS for taking this little trip down memory lane, and THANKS for your support over the past year!

Linked to: Someday Crafts, Stuff & Nonsense, Thrifty Decorating, Night Owl Crafting, House of Hepworths, The Frugal Girls, Tatertots & Jello, WhipperBerry, The DIY Showoff

Fall Foods at The CSI Project

2011-10-04T07:00:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! This week is "Fall Foods" week over at The CSI Project, and who should be guest posting over there today but little ol' me?! I love the weekly themed link-ups there, so I am totally thrilled to be a guest-poster!

If you haven't been over to The CSI Project before, let me tell you a little about it. Basically, each week has a new theme. There are guest tutorials related to the theme on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, then beginning on Thursday, you can link up your theme-related project! The linky party ends on Friday, and the winners are announced on Saturday. It's lots of fun and there never ceases to be a TON of great ideas. So head on over today, and then go back Thursday to link up your Fall Food!

Mossy Rock Designs Spotlight & Giveaway!!

2011-09-30T07:00:00.002-04:00

If you've been here much at all, you know we are adopting, and you know I have a passion for adoption. So much of me wishes I had a big ol' pile of money just sitting around ~ to not only pay for our own adoption, but to help others do the same! (In my head, my pile of money is much like Scrooge McDuck's and I like to open the door and dive into the gold coins and swim.....anybody else remember DuckTales?!) Anyhoo....one way I can support others in their adoption journey is bring them some awareness, so from time to time, I'll be featuring an adoptive family and their fundraising adventures! And guess what? The first one is today, and it includes a GIVEAWAY!!!

Our first spotlight is (drumroll, please....) Katie Bradley of Mossy Rock Designs!!

Katie is a stay at home momma of two boys, a wife, daughter, and friend. She and her family are in the process of adopting their daughter from Ethiopia. Her passion is creating watercolor and ink nursery art, and she has also recently illustrated two children's books (one is Miss Bunny, Mrs Mouse and Me)! Seriously, this girl has TALENT!! Lucky for us, she has an etsy shop, and 100% of her profits go towards bringing her daughter home.

Would you like to see some of the items from her shop? I thought so!

Hair Time

Baby Bear

Boy with a Sparkler

Meeting my Momma

and my personal favorites...

I Love Ethiopia

Small and Large Hand

Beautiful, right? Let's get on to the giveaway! Katie has offered up any 5x7 print from her shop to the winner! And we're giving you lots of chances to win!! (Please leave one comment for EACH entry!)

MANDATORY: Visit Mossy Rock Designs, come back and tell me what your favorite item is.

EXTRA ENTRIES (again, please leave a comment for each one you qualify for!):
* "Like" Mossy Rock Design's Facebook Page.
* Become a follower of Katie's art blog (and show her some comment love!)
* Become a follower of this blog, The Cellar Door Stories, via GFC.
* "Like" The Cellar Door Stories' Facebook page.
* Make a purchase from Mossy Rock Designs! (This one is worth 2 entries, so leave 2 comments!)

This giveaway will end October 7, and the winner will be chosen by Random.org.

Good Luck!

Fall Food Favorites: Homemade Applesauce

2011-09-29T07:00:00.004-04:00

Ahhhh......fall! Cooler weather, soon-to-be-changing leaves, apple cider, pumpkins....I love it all! One of the things I really love about fall, especially this month ~ apples! We have fun apple picking at a nearby orchard, and enjoy tasting all kinds of apple treats. I typically try out new recipes each year, but the one tradition we have that must happen every year is applesauce.
When you make homemade applesauce you not only save money, but you know exactly what ingredients you are using, and in this case it's only one ingredient: apples. It tastes much better than what you can buy in stores and it's really not as hard as you might think! I can remember my grandma and mom both making applesauce over the years, but I didn't really learn how until after I was married, when Jon's grandpa taught me. I'm a little biased, but I think this is the best applesauce ever. :)

So here's what you do...
Get some apples. This year I bought 1 1/2 bushels. Following Gramps' advice, go for Ginger Gold. To us they have the perfect taste, so you will not need to add any sugar. We usually wait a few days and let the apples soften up a little bit. Then wash them, and use an apple cutter to core & slice them. (There is no need to peel them if you will be using something like a Victorio Strainer). Fill a heavy duty pot about 3/4 of the way full, and add a little water - not much, just enough so the apples don't scorch on the bottom.

Cook on medium heat for a little while, stirring every so often (do you like my precise measurements?), until apples are mushy.

When the apples are mushy, dump them into the funnel of your strainer and crank that handle! You will want a bowl to catch the peels, and also something to collect the actual sauce. If you have added too much water, most of it will come out with the first couple turns of the crank, and you can dump it out so your applesauce isn't too runny. **My son loves to help turn the crank, but it is important to have your child stand back when you are dumping your apples into the funnel....they are HOT and could easily burn you!**

When the applesauce cools, fill your containers. I use plastic containers I buy from my local grocery store's deli. I wash them out and and save them from year to year. If I ever learn to can, I could can my applesauce, but since I am intimidated by the canning process, I choose to freeze mine. Here's a glimpse of my freezer...

my fresh homemade applesauce nearly fills the top shelf! (Yes, I know I need to defrost!) We'll have plenty of applesauce and will be able to have a taste of fall throughout the year!

Linked to: Remodelaholic Recipe Party, The Frugal Girls,

RoadKill Rescue Feature

2011-09-28T08:58:00.000-04:00

Today my red spraypainted chair is being featured over at RoadKill Rescue!! I LOVE the idea for this blog...."one man's trash is another woman's treasure!" All the projects show great transformations....and they all begin with an item that was obtained for FREE! (Now that is my kind of project!!) Whether it was a dumpster dive, a curb pick-up, or something you already had around the house - these are the types of things being featured from all over the blogosphere!

Go check it out, and be inspired!!

Fun Fall Activity Repost

2011-09-27T07:00:00.002-04:00

Looking for a fun fall activity to do with your kiddos? I'm reposting this from last fall, back when I was the only one who regularly checked my blog!

Ok, so probably everyone has done this craft. It certainly isn't original but it came out of the recesses of my brain today when I was trying to think of a simple fun activity to do with Jackson while Carly took her nap. It's easy, cheap, already had all the supplies on hand, and it can double as some fall decoration - so that makes it a win-win-win-win in my book!

Materials needed: crayons (preferably old or broken ones), crayon or pencil sharpener (or old cheese grater), wax paper, newspaper, scissors, iron, marker.

Layer newspaper, one sheet wax paper, crayon shavings, wax paper, newspaper. I used an old tea towel on top of it all, too.

Iron on low setting just until the crayon is melted. Draw your leaves (don't be jealous of my sweet leaf drawing skills!) and cut them out. (For the pumpkins, we drew them first so we knew where to put the orange & green).

Tape or hang them on a window and admire your new cute suncatchers!

(Yep, it's definitely afternoon & he's definitely still wearing pajamas).

Linking to: The DIY Showoff's Fall Festival Party

Thirty-One Fundrasier Update & News!

2011-09-26T07:00:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to let you all know the great news that our Thirty-One Gifts fundraiser was a success! We were able to raise $363.25, with all proceeds going towards our adoption fund! What a blessing!! Each step brings us closer to our boys! A very sincere and heartfelt THANK YOU to each of you who participated. Your name has been added to the tree. :)

I also wanted to share the news that I had so much fun doing the fundraiser and I'm loving the products so much, that I took the leap and decided to become a consultant for Thirty-One! I'm hopeful that this will be a way to have fun, continue to add to our adoption fund, and help others do the same.

I am so excited to begin this journey with Thirty-One.....for many reasons. They are a faith-based business, which I love! They have great products that they stand behind and are always coming out with new patterns and designs. Of course, you already know I'm a frugalista, and another thing that played into my decision was that their enrollment kit was only $99.....for over $300 worth of products! They also offer some of the best hostess rewards out there!!

To celebrate this new beginning, I am offering a limited time only deal! The first 5 people to book a party will receive a special gift that I guarantee you will love! This special gift is in addition to hostess rewards that begin at $200 of product sold. Also, the October hostess special is the Large Utility Tote (normally priced at $30) for only $5 with a qualifying party! My special "new beginning" gift applies not only to home parties, but catalog/online parties as well......so anyone in the continental US can be involved! (Friends from my old hometown who are reading....I would love to visit and have a party for you!!) Please feel free to contact me by leaving a comment, emailing, or visiting my Thirty-One website for more information, to place an order, to book a party, or to find out more about joining my team!

Wish me luck!

Holiday Craft Along!

2011-09-25T08:00:00.042-04:00

Just a reminder that today I'm guest-posting over at According to Kelly as part of the Holiday Craft Along! I'm thrilled and honored to be a part of such an amazing collection of bloggers and ideas!!! Literally, I was a little nervous that it might be a really well thought out prank when I saw some of the other people participating!

The Holiday Bake, Craft & Sew Along has gotten me super excited for Christmas this year! (Ok, I still am like a kid at Christmastime, but seeing all these projects has me itching to start decorating.....must wait until after Thanksgiving!!) You can check out all the projects using these links: crafts @ According to Kelly, edible goodness @ A Southern Fairytale, and sewing-inspired projects @ Skip to my Lou.

Now, how early is too early to start decorating for Christmas? :)

EEK and BOO!

2011-09-24T14:43:00.001-04:00

I've been in a funk lately. A blah sort of mood, where I feel unmotivated, lazy, and let's face it....annoyed. Anyone watch The Office on Thursday? Where Pam was all hormonal and crying? As my husband was sitting on the couch laughing at her, I was sitting in my chair holding back tears.....because Pam........she really gets me. As much as a fictional character can get someone, at least. Unlike Pam, I don't have the pregnancy hormones to blame my blah-ness on, but seriously, the ups and downs of adoption, the hurry up and wait, the unknowns.....it's been taking it's toll lately.

Why am I telling you all this? Really, I have no clue. I'm actually posting to show off the cutey little Halloween decorations I made yesterday! I'm typically not a Halloween person. I don't really decorate for it, because I don't like the witches and goblins and all that spooky stuff. But yesterday as I was digging through my craft supplies, forcing myself to do something creative to hopefully get out of my funk....I found some black glittery letters that just screamed Halloween!

So, I gathered up some supplies...

The frames were part of a cheapy 3-pack from Ikea. I painted them with DecoArt Americana's Burnt Orange.

When the orange paint was dry, I gave it a little more character by using a paper towel to rub on a little black paint in spots. I cut some scrapbooking paper to fit, and put on my sparkly black letters. Easy peasy.

Here's what I ended up with:

A close-up of the glittery letters...

And again, the end results...

No witches or ghouls, but just a nice little touch of Halloween!

Linked to a few of my favorites, including The DIY Showoff's Fall Festival Party

Friday Favorites #4

2011-09-23T07:00:00.003-04:00

I've been a bad, bad blogger lately. Basically because I have not been doing anything creative! Just 'cause I miss posting, how about a Friday Favorites? We'll even add another F-word.......FALL that is. So here's a list of some of my Fall Friday Favorites.....all originally seen on Pinterest, but linked back to their original spot. (Click on the picture to take yourself there!)

I've already shared this on my facebook page, but aren't these pumpkins adorable? Made from a dryer vent and spraypaint! LOVE!

Cutest little acorns ever......these would be a perfect fall treat for the kiddos!

Pumpkin Spice Latte? Yes, please! And...you even make them in a crock pot, and you know about my crock pot love affair!

And finally....not fall related, but can anyone else out there relate to this??

Happy Friday, everyone!

Our 4 Year Houseiversary: Part 2

2011-09-16T21:30:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Part 2 of our 4 Year Houseiversary! Last time we looked outside; today we're going to take a gander inside around our 1st floor and some of the changes that have happened over the past 4 years. Two of our big projects early on were installing recessed lighting in three of the rooms (living room, master bedroom, and one of the upstairs bedrooms) and getting replacement windows. I don't really have any pictures of these projects, but trust me, they were needed. Our yard is shaded, and our rooms without ceiling lights were sooo dark. And our windows...some were painted shut, others let a draft in...it was definitely time for some new windows. Our heating and air conditioning bills are quite happy about that decision also.

I've already given a living room tour, talked about our hideous kitchen, and early on in the life of this blog I posted about our "dog room" turned laundry & mud room, so we'll skip those for today, but feel free to go check them out!

Our dining room served as an office for our home's previous owners. Here it was back then:

And here it is now (you can also see another view here):

The previous owners had their dining room where we now have a toy room. Then:

Now.....hello there, clutter:

You can also see more toy room pictures here and here.

Our Master Bed & Bath are also on the first floor. Here's a bedroom before (yep, it's small for a master bedroom!):

It's looking like this nowadays (wishing I would have fixed the curtains before I took the picture):

We haven't done much to the master bath yet, but just for kicks here's a "before"....

(Nope. It clearly wasn't enough that nearly all the trim in the entire house was painted blue. The toilet paper had to match). We have gotten a new toilet since the "before" picture was taken during our home inspection. There's just something that wasn't working with the faux wood look....plus I kept thinking I could get a splinter on my....well, you know!

Disclaimer: I'm sure the previous owners probably loved their home, and this post isn't meant to diss their style (is "diss" still a word?) Everyone likes different things, and some of you might be thinking I'm crazy! That's okay! Life would be boring if we all did everything exactly the same. I just enjoy seeing the changes and progress we have made in making our house ~ our home.

*********

Remember a few weeks ago when I posted about my 31-gifts fundraiser, with all proceeds going toward our adoption?? The good news is: I'm sooo excited about how well it's been going! The even better news is: we've decided to extend the fundraiser until Wednesday!!! Need some great Christmas gifts? Head on over and check out the fundraiser....click here for a direct link. This month's special: For each $31 you spend, get 50% off specified items.

Looking for a great deal? Zipper pouches (9"Hx7.5"Wx1.5"D; available in 8 different patterns) are normally $12. Buy 3 and get the 4th one for only $6! Stuff them with some treats and they would make a great gift! Think....school supplies for teachers, makeup for your sister, a manicure kit for your babysitter, or maybe it's just a really great way to give a gift card!

Linking to a few of my favorites ~ check them out!

Our 4 Year Houseiversary: Part 1

2011-09-13T19:31:00.001-04:00

Yay! It's our 4 Year Houseiversary!!! We moved into our 1961 Cape Cod four years ago, knowing our home would be a work in progress for quite awhile. Sometimes I forget that was the plan all along, and get frustrated thinking of all the projects that still haven't been completed. We are committed to not going into debt (unless there would be an emergency) for house renovations, so the "big projects" take some time to save for (especially now with an adoption and two trips to Ethiopia in the not too distant future!) Anyway, when I sit back and think about it, we actually have done quite a bit in the four years we have lived here. Interested? Keep reading.....and stay tuned for our "inside" updates, coming soon!

Today we'll start with the outside. Here's what it looked like when we moved in...sorry for the poor quality pictures....they were taken with an old camera in a rainstorm....

We started by pulling out lots and lots and lots of ivy. I wish we would have kept track of the number of hours spent ivy-pulling....it was insane. We also took out all the shrubs in front of the house - we wanted to be able to see our cute house, not have it covered up by a hedge! We reseeded the lawn and took out some of the trees (and the fountain/birdbath). Just this summer we painted the shutters from the country blue color to "Lincoln Cottage Black" and redid the porch swing. Here's what our house looks like currently....

Still a work in progress....I'm still wishing for that new red front door and we need some landscaping on the left side, but it's improved, don't you think?

Here's the front porch before....

and currently....

Woohoo for being able to see past hedges!

Moving around back...picture life deep in the Amazon jungle. Add some chainlink fence in random places, and you've got our backyard. Seriously, it was bad. I even entered it in an "Ugliest Yard" contest and I'm pretty sure I didn't win because whoever was choosing the winners probably thought it was just a joke. Here's some "before" pictures (although most of the random chainlink was gone by this point, and we have kept what was around the perimeter)....

Pretty, huh? Yeah, I was scared to walk back there because of all the creatures I knew were lurking in the weeds. Our little dog actually caught a mouse in the backyard the first week after we moved in. Not cool. Well, it was a little cool that our dog caught a mouse, but not cool at all that I had certain proof of rodent life. And the shed? I pretty much feared for my husband's life every time he walked in. On the brighter side, demolition was quite easy - a few kicks and it was down!

Lots more weed & ivy pulling, a landscaping crew, a firepit (blocked in the following picture by trees), a swingset, and a new shed later....

We do still plan on putting pavers or stamped concrete in the firepit, but again, much better, don't you think? Come back later this week to see some of the changes that have happened inside the house!

Click here for a list of parties I may have linked up to!

Family Blessing Tree

2011-09-11T14:36:00.001-04:00

I'm so excited about my latest project ~ even if it purposely won't be completed for many months. It's our "Family Blessing Tree" and it serves 3 purposes....
1: To remind our family of how God is always faithful ~ we know we have been called to adopt, even though it's been a sometimes overwhelming process of "how are we going to afford this?", we know God will provide.
2: Someday when our boys are home and old enough to understand, they can look at this and know how loved and wanted they were by so many people.....even before they knew them.
3: To have a fun new piece of artwork in my house :)

How does it work? Basically, when someone helps out towards our adoption, they get a "leaf" with their name on it for our tree. Of course, this doesn't include only financial donations, but also donations of time (babysitting our kids while we go get fingerprints) and services (like our friend who notarized stacks of papers for free!)

Here's what I'm envisioning our tree will look like someday...

How does it get to that point? First I gathered all my supplies...a canvas, some scrapbooking papers, a circle punch, Krylon spraypaint (pebble), ModPodge (not pictured) and some Americana paints by DecoArt ~ Burnt Orange and Dark Chocolate.

First I spraypainted my canvas. Then I realized it was the exact same color as our living room walls. So I re-spraypainted it an off-white creamy color.
The next step was to draw an outline of a tree (my husband actually did this for me) and paint it. I also stenciled the word "blessed" and painted that in as well.

The canvas was looking a little blah, so I added a stripe around the edge for a more "finished" look.

Now comes the fun part! Each time someone donates something - their time, finances, etc. towards our adoption, I get to punch out a circle, write their name on it (or they can write a message), and modpodge it right on! An instant way to remember the generosity of our friends and family!

Here's what our Blessing Tree is looking like currently...

And again, what it may look like someday...

You could take this basic idea and change it to suit your needs ~ it could be an actual family tree, or what about a Thankfulness Tree to work on for Thanksgiving this year?

Want to see your name in the lights.....er, on a leaf? You can check out Our Adoption Journey for a list of our current fundraisers!

Linking this up to a few of my favorites ~ check them out!!

I'm also entering this project in "Crafting With The Stars" ~ hope over and visit me there, because who knows, the number times my project is viewed might help me in the competition!

10 Years Ago

2011-09-11T07:00:00.001-04:00

Today I'm remembering the thousands of innocent people who lost their lives ten years ago and praying for the ones they left behind.

We will never forget.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

2011-09-08T10:17:00.000-04:00

Here in South Central PA, we've had quite the weather pattern lately....an earthquake, a hurricane, and now some major flooding. It's estimated that we had 10-15 inches of rain yesterday....with another 1-3 supposed to come today.....our already saturated ground can't handle all this rain, so it's been pretty crazy around here. Yesterday, Jackson's school closed early and by that time, many of the roads in our town were already flooded and closed. So many of our friends and family have flooded basements and lots of property damage. We had a little water in our basement and needed to move some things around and stack things up, but no flooding. We currently can't use our water because our well is overwhelmed and sediment is mixing in. It's pretty gross to turn on the bathtub faucet and have dirt come out. That being said, I am so thankful things aren't worse and I'm praying for all of my dear friends and family who are having a rough time of it....and for those living close to the river who have barely begun their adventure.

Here's a few pictures from around our town, all taken by Epic Photography's Facebook page. If you get a chance, go check out Epic Photography....they do some amazing work! In the meantime, please pray for South Central PA and all other areas affected by this flooding.

Crock Pot Cooking

2011-09-05T22:53:00.001-04:00

Crock pots (I believe slow cooker would be the correct term, since Crock Pot is a brand name?) have to be one of my favorite inventions ever. Right after indoor plumbing and internet (thanks again for that one, Al Gore!).

Crock Pots have evolved over the years, from the basic on/off model to the programmable version, to a slow cooker trio, to the small little dipper (perfect for warm dips like queso!) I personally have the one pictured above - nothing fancy, but it serves it's purpose.

New to cooking with your crock pot? Here's a few hints....
1) Find a good cookbook. I use the Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook - it has over 700 recipes! Of course there are plenty of good recipes available by searching online too.
2) Can't spend time in the morning getting everything ready to go in the slow cooker? This may seem like a really simple idea, but get everything ready the night before and keep it in the refrigerator. That way all you need to do in the morning is push a few buttons.
3) Sometimes the worst part about slow cooker cooking is the clean-up. There are liners available that work really well, but if you don't want to spend the money, spray the inside of your crock pot with cooking spray!

Want to know my latest favorite crock pot recipe? BBQ Pork Sandwiches! Besides being super easy, it's also really frugal, and also counts as a freezer meal, which I love. I wait until pork loin goes on sale for around $1.69/lb. Where I shop, this sale is typically good for only the big cuts of meat - around 10 or so pounds, but the butcher will cut it at no charge! So here's what I do...buy about 10 pounds and have the butcher cut it in thirds. I then take it home and put each third in a freezer bag and put them in the freezer. To make the BBQ Pork, first thaw the pork loin. Put it in the crock pot and pour a can of root beer over it. Cook on low for 5 - 5 1/2 hours. Shred with forks, scooping off any fat. Mix with your favorite BBQ sauce and cook for another half hour. Serve on rolls. That's it! It feeds a crowd, so if I'm making it for just my family, I can freeze the leftovers for another meal.

Do you love your crock pot too? What is your favorite slow cooker recipe?

Linking to a few of my favorites ~ check them out!

So FUN to be featured ~ THANKS!

Thirty-One Gifts Fundraiser!

2011-09-02T07:00:00.001-04:00

Have you heard of Thirty-One Gifts? It's an amazing home business opportunity ~ similar to a Pampered Chef or Tupperware type business ~ but they sell the cutest totes, purses, wallets, etc....anything you need or could possibly think of to help keep you organized! I would personally like to have one of each of their products....although even then I would still have a hard time narrowing down the patterns I would choose! And you can even get most of the products monogrammed!

Why am I mentioning all this? Enter Jenn ~ we went to Bible College together many moons ago....actually one of the first memories I have with her is the time I was laughing so hard I spit soda all over her floor. :) (Maybe I shouldn't be reminding her!) She is a consultant for this great company, and has volunteered to help me have a Thirty-One party, with all proceeds going towards our adoption fund! Yep, she is donating her profit to help us bring our boy(s) home! Amazing, right?! Thank you, Jenn!!!!

Demi Purse, Organizing Utility Bag, and Mini Zipper Pouch in Onyx Medallion

So I'm inviting you....check out the catalog, wipe the drool off your chin, and maybe even place an order! There's even a great special going on right now: For every $31 you spend, you get 50% off a celebrate card set, zipper pouch, or select wallets. (In case you were wondering, this deal makes the zipper pouch only $6!)

Wow! Lots of different products shown in Painted Floral, Painted Floral Plaid, Brown Parisian Pop, Sandy Swirl, Brown Quilted Poppy and Dark Denim.

Christmas is right around the corner....you could find something for everyone on your list.....or maybe you should make a list of things you want and leave it out where your hubby can't miss it :)

Large Utility Tote in Pink Circle Spirals; Market Thermal, Organizing Utility Tote, and Flat Iron Case shown in Circle Spirals.

Locals who order....I would be happy to deliver your items to you! Out-of-towners, there will be a box you can check to have the items delivered directly to your door - it will be an additional $4 shipping.

Thermal Tote, Picnic Thermal, and All-in-One Organizer (Shown in Windsor Argyle & Windsor Bouquet)

And of course I want to mention....if you are interested in finding out more about becoming a consultant for this faith-based company (the name is taken from the Proverbs 31 woman), would like to host an online or catalog party, or live in the Sarasota, Florida area and would like to host an in-person home party.....please contact Jenn directly through her website!

Skirt purse - you pick black or brown, and can change the look by using a different "skirt!" (Shown in Black Parisian Pop)

Again, if you'd like to place an order...you can click this link (now expired), which will take you directly to our fundraising site. Thanks for checking out our fundraiser and considering helping our family in this way ~ please feel free to pass on this information to anyone who may be interested!! This party will be open until September 16! (Do you have a favorite 31 product? Let me know....I'm still narrowing my choices down!)

***UPDATE: OUR FUNDRAISER RAISED $363.25.....WOW! I HAD SO MUCH FUN I DECIDED TO BECOME A CONSULTANT MYSELF! YOU CAN VISIT MY THIRTY-ONE GIFTS WEBSITE HERE OR CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFO!!!***

Christmas is Coming (and a Winner!)

2011-08-31T12:53:00.000-04:00

Did you know Christmas is less than 4 months away? Okay, still seems like awhile, but I am all about preparing early for this holiday, especially this year because with added adoption expenses that will be due around the same time, I just can't be spending a lot of money all at once in December. I have literally had some presents ready to give since Target's toy clearance in January ~ it pays to plan ahead!
Maybe you aren't a planner and you need some help.....well, I have some great sites for you to check out! Beginning tomorrow and lasting for the entire month of September, there will be a "holiday trifecta" devoted to preparing you for the upcoming holidays. Bake, Craft, and Sew along with the ladies at A Southern Fairytale, Skip to My Lou, and According to Kelly....and plan ahead this year.

You'll especially want to check out According to Kelly on September 25 when I'll be showing up and sharing some of my favorite Christmas crafts and decorating ideas! I'm super excited to be in the company of some of my favorite bloggers and can't wait to be inspired by all the great ideas!

In other news, the winner of the Uprinting.com giveaway is #2 ~ The Activity Mom! I'll be getting in touch with you!! Thanks to all who entered!

Have a great day!

The Cellar Door Stories Meets Facebook

2011-08-30T15:14:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note to say The Cellar Door Stories now has it's own Facebook page! I was procrastinating with this for quite some time, but I've had a few requests recently so today I decided to take the plunge. I'm still trying to figure everything out, but feel free to connect with me on Facebook! (You can click on this link or the one on my sidebar, or just do a search on Facebook!)

See you there!

2 Random Tidbits

2011-08-30T07:00:00.002-04:00

1: I learned over the weekend that yes, it is possible to hem curtains while they are still hanging. I don't exactly recommend it, but now the curtains in my master bedroom are an appropriate length, and it also means I can cross of #69 on my 101 in 1001 list!

2: Remember this yard sale find? (You can see the original post here).

Well, I was looking through the latest Pottery Barn Teen catalog, and lookee here what I found....

See it? On the left? 2nd "drawer" down? Clearly, someone from Pottery Barn must have seen my blog and was immediately inspired. I'm expecting a big fat bonus check any day now.

Ok, obviously kidding. But it was pretty cool to see my lucky $3 yard sale find in a Pottery Barn catalog :)

One last random tidbit....have you entered my Uprinting.com giveaway yet? Free letterhead up for grabs! Ends tomorrow!

UPrinting.com Giveaway

2011-08-27T21:20:00.002-04:00

I was recently contacted by UPrinting.com to host a giveaway - and who doesn't like a giveaway?! I love to pass along great deals....so here's the lowdown....
The winner will receive: 500 pieces of letterhead (5.5"x8.5", 70lb offset, front only printing, 4 business days print turnaround time, and free shipping!) I was checking out their website and this package is valued at almost $90!!

Ok, so I really have no idea what 70lb offset means....although I feel like a Dunder Mifflin employee talking about it! But free letterhead could be pretty cool right? It would be perfect for someone with a store or etsy shop or another home business! I was also brainstorming....anyone can use some personalized "From the Desk of...." stationary, right? How about using it as a gift for someone? So many possibilities, and if you need some help, Uprinting.com has some great examples for inspiration. Along with letterhead printing, the company also offers many other services, including letterhead design, brochures, magnets, canvas prints, wedding envelopes, banners, stickers....and so much more!!

Potential winners must be 18 years or older and may not have won another UPrinting.com giveaway within the past 6 months.

Want to win?? Just leave a comment on this post!

Want more chances to win?
For additional entries, you can...
1) become a public follower via Google Friend connect, and leave a comment telling me you did (or you already are!)
2) share this giveaway via Facebook, your blog, twitter, banner pulled by airplane...it's your choice! Leave one comment for each.

This is a quick one.....comments will be closed at noon on 8/31 and a winner will be chosen using Random.org.

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive letterhead printing service by hosting. Letterhead design inspiration and wedding envelopes is also available. Please visit UPrinting.com for more details.

Good luck! Hope all you East Coasters are staying safe from Irene!! We are supposed to get wind and rain here, but nothing too bad hopefully!

Use Your Leftovers: Corn Fritters

2011-08-27T07:00:00.002-04:00

One food that we love to eat this time of year is corn on the cob. I love getting fresh locally grown corn!! Jackson is a huge fan of corn on the cob too and requested it as part of his Back-to-School dinner earlier this week - hamloaf, corn on the cob, and watermelon - how's that for a Lancaster County summertime meal! Anyway, I tend to cook too much (blaming it on my Italian grandmother) and always have leftovers. Luckily I love leftovers, but leftover corn on the cob? Not too tempting. I cut all the corn off the cobs, and saved it with plans to reheat it as a side. Boring!

I changed my mind and decided to make corn fritters - another Lancaster County favorite! I had never even heard of them before moving here and this was my first time making them. I combined several recipes and came up with a winner that we all loved!

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh corn* (approximately)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon oil + additional for frying
syrup for dipping

Mix all ingredients together. I used a small cookie scoop to drop into a little hot oil (you could also make these larger, like pancakes). Fry on one side until golden brown and then flip and do the same to the other side. Put on plate lined with paper towels. Best served warm with syrup!

*You could probably use canned or frozen corn as well, but I haven't tried it!

Linking to a few of my favorites ~ check them out!

Come back later for a UPrinting.com giveaway!!

Beautiful (FREE) Hydrangea Wreath

2011-08-25T18:19:00.003-04:00

At the end of July, I forced myself to take down my patriotic wreath and since then my front door has been looking mighty empty. With saving for an adoption, I have been trying to be very conscious about the amount of money I spend on non-necessities...and a new wreath, or materials to make one, doesn't really fit under the "needs" category! Nikki from Thrifty Decorating to the rescue! She made a beautiful hydrangea wreath and inspired me to do the same.

Mine was slightly different because I had a wire wreath form to use (left over from my Christmas greenery wreath). After picking the best blooms from my hydrangeas, I used some florist wire to attach them to the wreath.

I just kept going until the wreath was filled! (Yeah, I switched to working on the living room floor halfway through like always!)

My hydrangeas aren't too big, so the blooms were a bit limited, which made the wreath lack some fullness....so I added a raffia bow to try and make the lack of bloomage less noticeable.

Here's the finished product on the front door ~ I like how it turned out, and of course the best part is that it was totally FREE! Thanks for the inspiration, Nikki!

Linking to a few of my favorites ~ check them out!!

It's always exciting to be featured ~ thanks so much!

1st Day of Kindergarten

2011-08-24T19:14:00.000-04:00

Sigh. Is summer really over?? I mean, technically it's not. But school has begun, and that ends summer in my book. Don't get me wrong, I am excited for the cooler fall temperatures, falling leaves, and especially being able to get my most favorite drink in the world (pumpkin spice iced coffee) at Dunkin' Donuts! Mixed feelings though...cause today I had to send my best little guy off to Kindergarten!

Thankfully, it wasn't a huge adjustment ~ Jackson already attended our school's K4 program last year 2 days each week, and this year he's only going to Kindergarten 3 days per week (love that option!) No trauma or tears involved, but I sure do miss my guy when he's not here!

And now for some pics....

Jon is always up and out of the house for work long before the rest of us are up...but he likes to leave Jack a little present for the first day of school!

Cutie pie with the uggo screen door....which reminds me...that's going on the "to do" list!

Nearly impossible to get a picture of Carly standing still!

One last hug before Jack heads in to school!

He had a great first day....although my little scholar was sad to report that he did not learn any math today. Here's to another great year!

PS - We survived our first earthquake yesterday! It was pretty crazy! Not bad enough for any damage, but our whole house was shaking! Did you feel it where you live?

Adoption: Why Does It Cost So Much?

2011-08-22T09:27:00.001-04:00

We're in the thick of it now. Paperwork aplenty, but starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. One of the questions I've been getting a lot lately is the simple - "How much does it cost?" so I thought I'd expand a little on that today.
First of all, cost varies by agency, country program, and even the state you live in. For AWAA's Ethiopia program, and for us living in PA, here's the breakdown of our costs....

Application & Dossier Building
   Application Fee                  $250
   1st Installment of Program Fee                $1500
   Home Study (varies by state)      $1800
   Home Study travel fees                 $78
   Adoptive Parent Training            $175
   Document Collecting, etc            $100-$500
   USCIS/Fingerprinting                 $890
   Notarization/Certification/Authentication $400

Dossier Submission & Waiting
   Courier Service                                       $150
   2nd Installment of Program Fee               $2000
   Post Adoption Report Deposit                $1000
   Dossier Service & Translation                 $800
   1/2 International Program Fee                 $3750

Referral & Travel
   International Specialist Consultation         $100-$400
   3rd Installment of Program Fee               $1500
   Post Adoption Administrative Fee           $385
   1/2 International Program Fee                 $3750
   Trip 1 Airfare                                         $2400-$4000
   Trip 1 In Country Package                     $1400-$2500
   Trip 1 Visas                                           $40
   Trip 2 Airfare                                         $2400-$4000
   Trip 2 Airfare (child)             $250-$1000
   Trip 2 In Country Package                     $1000-$2000
   Trip 2 Visas $40
   Visa/Embassy Fee (child)                       $404

Post Adoption
   Post Adoption Visits                              $600-$1300
   Post Adoption Visit travel fees               $0-$300
   Post Adoption Report REFUND           ($1000)
   Other costs (doctors, etc)                      $100-$1000

TOTAL: $27,762-$34,912

Readoption in the United States is optional, but recommended, and varies by state - $300-$1500. Another thing to consider is this is the estimated costs for one child. If we would receive a referral for two children, some of the costs would increase.

Ok, I'm feeling overwhelmed. How about you? The next question I have gotten is, "Are you independently wealthy?" And the answer to that is a big fat NO. (I'm a stay at home mom, and have you seen my mad couponing skillz?)

It means we are stepping out in faith. We believe so strongly that adoption is God's plan for our family that we will do it.....even if we don't necessarily know how. Yes, we do have some of the money saved. Yes, we could take out a loan, and we will if we need to (there are places who will sometimes grant interest-free loans for the purpose of adoption). Yes, we will begin applying for grants as soon as our home study is finalized. Yes, we will be putting house plans on the backburner (my hideous kitchen will remain hideous for a few more years!) And yes, we are so so thankful for people who have given to us through various ways so far (our coffee fundraiser, through a PayPal donation, items for our upcoming yard sale, or a friend who has donated her notary services!) We have a few more fundraisers coming up and we are so thankful for the friends behind them!!

It is expensive. But God is God. He can provide us with that money in whatever way He sees fit. Personally, I vote for a basket of bills floating down from heaven :) We are trusting in Him and also doing everything we can to save and raise the money. It will be worth it.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" -Matthew 6:25-27

Operation Organized Bathroom Cabinet

2011-08-18T14:57:00.000-04:00

I am the first to admit it - organizing and cleaning are NOT my strong points. I love to cook, bake, etc....but cleaning? Ugh. No thank you. That being said, I've come to realize lately that I need to get on the ball. Maybe it's partially because of an impending home study, maybe because I know life will be easier when it's organized, or maybe it's just time.
My first project? The "linen closet" in our master bathroom. We don't have an actual linen closet - so when we moved in we added one of our cabinets. It doesn't fit well in the space, but it works.
Ready for the "before?" Please keep in mind that we haven't done anything as far as painting in this room....so please don't think the blue trim was my idea!.....

Yikes, pretty bad right? Not a lot of linens in the linen closet, because I had already taken step one awhile ago - storing our sheets in an under-the-bed box. It's handy and saves room - love it! (Oh, and I also picked up that tip about folding the sheets and storing each set in a matching pillowcase - love that too!)

I cleaned out the cabinet, threw away all the expired medicines (what? I shouldn't drink Nyquil from 6 years ago?!) and things we don't use, rolled the towels, and organized like items in little plastic bins, and here's what I ended up with....

Much improved, right? Look at all that extra space!! I was even able to move a bunch of things from our counter, and it's looking amazing too...

Of course I had to add some labels. I thought of labeling each container with its contents, but couldn't get it to look how I wanted it to, and plus, the containers are already see-through, so I just labeled each one with an alphabet sticker.

Here's the cabinet with the containers labeled (a little hard to see because of our terrible lighting).....

In case you were wondering....here's the rundown on what goes where: a=razors (one of my stockpile items...you can almost always find them free or super cheap....so why not get them in advance and never pay full price!), b=first aid stuff, c=medicines (all of these are safely out of the reach of little hands!) 1st Big Basket=daily stuff like hairbrushes, deodorant, contact solution, etc. The blue thing in front of the basket? Oh yeah, that's for my mouth guard. Cause I'm cool like that.
2nd shelf from the top: 2nd big basket includes random stuff we don't use daily, like lotions, aloe gel, etc. D=hair stuff like headbands, ponytail holders. Everything else in that little cubby is also hair-related, like my hairdryer and the clippers I use to cut Jon's hair.
3rd shelf: E=makeup, chapsticks; F=toothbrushes & floss (other stockpile items!) The old wipes container (ran out of the clear plastic tubs!) currently has pantyhose, and the jar next to it has little flower pins and accessories. And of course you can see the bottom shelf is filled with towels. Amazing how much room it saves to roll them!

I'll keep you updated as I continue my quest for a more organized home! What are your best organizing tips?

Linking up to some of my favorites - check them out!

Old Crate + Old Casters = New Table

2011-08-14T07:00:00.004-04:00

Yippee for another great yard sale find...this delightful old crate...

Rope handles...

Worn letters on the front.... (5 B J 5 ......any ideas?)

The best part? Only $6!

My hubby added some casters he had found, and turned the crate into a cute little table on wheels!

So, this space that needed a table earlier this summer....

now has one! (And I'm loving that it can be moved super easily for when I get the urge to rearrange!)

Gotta love old stuff that can be turned into something new!

Linking to a few of my favorites ~ check them out!

It is always an honor to be featured ~ THANKS so much!

Friday Favorites #3

2011-08-12T07:00:00.083-04:00

So many favorites, so little time! I've been working on a million different things lately, so I haven't had much time go exploring over the blogosphere. So instead of showcasing some of my favorite blogged-about projects, I'm going to share some of my other favorite things! I may be doing this from time to time, but I'll attempt to stick with a theme. This week's theme: board games!

I have always loooooved playing games, and lucky for me, I married in to a family that loves it too! Here's a few of my favorites....

#1: Ticket to Ride ~ one of my newest faves....someone may actually need to host an intervention to get us to stop playing this game. We have the European version, but there's also one from the turn of the century United States, Nordic Countries, and Germany. I love that this game takes some strategy, but at the same time, it's easy to catch on to - even our 5 year old understands the basic idea of the game.

#2: The Settlers of Catan ~ our previous favorite, before we were introduced to Ticket to Ride. Collecting resources, building settlements....there's definitely strategy, but there's some luck involved too! This game is a little different each time you play, so you never get tired of it! There's also expansion packs and other variations available, but you always have to start with the basic game board.

#3: Boxers Or Briefs? ~ Hilarious! I have literally come close to peeing my pants while playing this game. Players describe you using one of the 2000+ funny and unique statements written on cards, and you choose a true statement and a funny statement. With phrases like "....is the hairiest beast in the room" there is definitely a lot of laughter with this one. **A few of the statements are a smidge risque, so you might want to take that into account when you play!**

#4: Dutch Blitz ~ not exactly a board game, but the fastest and most fun card game you will ever play. EVER. And just so you know, you haven't really played until you have played with Mennonites. I have many many fond memories of crazy youth group nights playing this game for hours!

#5: Last but not least, Apples to Apples, another fun party game. You can play this with a big crowd and it's easy to understand. Not quite as hilarious as Boxers or Briefs, but very funny!

Hope you enjoyed seeing my Top 5 favorite games! Are you a game player? I'm always looking for more fun games to play ~ what are your suggestions?

Scrumptious Salsa

2011-08-11T07:00:00.002-04:00

Thanks to our friend Nathan, I've been blessed with lots of fresh tomatoes! YUM! We've been eating BLT's, and I've been enjoying tomato/mozzarella/basil salads. My favorite, by far though, is fresh salsa!!!

I didn't follow a recipe at all, this was one of those "I'm hungry and salsa sounds good so I'm just going to start making it" deals. Here's the basics though: Chop up some tomatoes, onion, jalapeno pepper, and cilantro. Add some fresh lime juice. Stir. Easy enough, right? I'm thinking of adding some other things for more variety....black beans? corn? The only problem: the hubby doesn't like fresh/chunky salsa, so I pretty much have to eat this on my own. Wait, did I say problem?? I think I should have said the best part!

Do you make salsa? What ingredients do you use?

FREE Decor from Paper Coterie

2011-08-09T07:00:00.001-04:00

I have another great deal to pass on to you, and this one even deals with home decor!! Have you heard of Paper Coterie? If you haven't already, I am insisting that you go check it out. They offer great personalized photo products like calendars, growth charts, wall decals, and photo books. Right now, for the entire month of August, they are offering an incredible promotional deal ~ $40 off your purchase!! (You just pay the shipping).

The last time they had this deal, I bought two wall decals.....one for each kiddo. I put a picture, their name, and the verse we picked for them when we dedicated them at church. I was so impressed when they arrived! The decals have a fabric-feel, not plastic-y at all.

We finally put them up in the toy room tonight and I love how they turned out!

I was super excited when I saw Paper Coterie is offering the same deal this month. Just use the code BEGINANYWHERE at checkout, and it will take $40 off your purchase (again, you have to pay shipping which varies depending on your order). I have already taken advantage of this deal, but I can't show you what I got this time because they might end up as Christmas gifts ;) Again though, I was totally impressed. I put my order in last week and already received my products! For my order, shipping was less than $5. It's a great company that I recommend 100% - go check it out!

Side note: often, when there are great deals like this available, the site can run slow. I did not have this issue at all, but I have heard that it has affected some people. If it happens to you, just try again at another time!

Disclaimer: These opinions are my own, based solely on my experiences with the company....Paper Coterie has no idea I am writing this review. I just wanted to pass on an amazing deal from a great company to all my friends!

New Swagbucks Bonus Opportunity

2011-08-08T20:34:00.000-04:00

Have you been waiting for a great time to join Swagbucks? Now is the time!!! Until Friday (August 12), new Swagbucks members can get a 50 Buck bonus by entering the code AUGUSTBONUS at registration (sorry, this code is for new members only)!

Heard of Swagbucks but not totally sure what it is? Taking the description right off their site.... "Swagbucks allows web users to earn virtual currency by doing the things they do every day - searching the web, shopping at favorite retailers, and by engaging in other activities such as phone recycling, submitting polls, and completing special offers." Basically, it's a way to get great stuff FREE - and who doesn't like that?!

Personally, I am a HUGE fan of Swagbucks. As I've said before, my all time favorite thing to earn would definitely be the Amazon gift cards - I try to save them up for Christmas or other gift-giving occasions, and it really helps save money! Are you ready to take the plunge and start earning great prizes? Sign up through my referral link today - and don't forget to use the code AUGUSTBONUS for an additional 50 Swagbucks!

Friday Favorites #2

2011-08-05T07:00:00.001-04:00

Here's a few things that have caught my eye this week...

#1: Painted Planter at Clean & Scentsible.....love the colors and (of course) the label!

#2: If you love a good Before & After....check out the "2 Year Homieversary" at Involving Color. I think my favorite room is the dining room, but it all looks great!

#3: Lighted Flower Garland at Positively Splendid....so fun! What a great idea!

#4: I love old windows, and I love this Bathroom Routine on an old window at OrganizeYour Stuff Now. The colors look great ~ I would love to see the rest of this bathroom!

#5: Paper Cone Wreath at Wolfe Pack...the colors Megan chose are great, but I love that you could take this idea and run with it....endless possibilities!

Ahhh.....I just love all the inspiration around blogland! Have a great Friday everyone! (If you were featured, feel free to grab a button!)

Table Advice Needed

2011-08-04T14:43:00.001-04:00

I really like my living room. It's cozy. I like cozy. You can see the tour here. But lately I've been thinking it really needs some more color, since everything just seems to mesh together.

I'm thinking about the painting the table. I love it, but I think it might be one of the easiest (and least expensive) ways to add some color.

What do you think? I thought about just bringing it down a few shades to a lighter off-white. Then I was thinking about yellow. I've had this picture from Liz Marie pinned for awhile....

I also thought about the Colonial Red color that I used on this chair a little while ago....

So, fellow DIYers, what is your advice? I'd love to hear if you would paint the table, and if so....what color? I'd also love to hear some of your other ideas for livening up the space (I am planning on putting some kind of plant in that 7up crate, and I will probably make some new pillows or a blanket for the couch). Let me know what you think!!

Laundry Hamper: Drab to Fab

2011-08-02T22:57:00.003-04:00

I've been totally overwhelmed and drowning in adoption paperwork lately and tonight I really needed to take a break and do something different.....when I was going over my mental "to-do" list, I thought of my boring, drab, blah laundry hamper. I spend enough time with this thing ~ might as well cutesy it up a bit!

No, it doesn't normally sit in the middle of our living room, but that's where I do most of my projects. And please, when you look at this picture, try to ignore all the baby toys, the empty Dunkin' Donuts bag, the 4th of July decorations that are still out, and the fact that yep, there's dirty laundry in the hamper (which could stand to meet an iron). The hamper certainly serves it's purpose, and was really inexpensive, but it's just so boring. Enter my love of all things labeled.

I grabbed my favorite chipboard letters (same ones I used to stencil on the porch swing) and some fabric paint. I first traced the letters...

and then, totally ignoring the paint's instructions to lay the fabric flat, I painted in the letters. Super easy!

So "gentle" went downhill a smidge. That's probably due to my refusal to measure. But I'm still happy with the finished product!

Anybody else crafting to relieve stress tonight?

Linking up to a few of my favorites ~ go check them out!

Friday Favorites #1

2011-07-29T09:16:00.001-04:00

Sharing some of my favorites seems to be a good way to wind down the week, right? I totally stole this idea from fifty-hundred (my 5 year old's favorite number) other bloggers, but who doesn't like to see some favorites? Plus, it gives me a chance to feature great ideas, which I don't do often enough!

So here they are....
#1: Wall of Vintage Pie Plates ~ doesn't this just look cool? I don't have a single vintage pie plate, let alone the amount needed to necessitate a wall.....but I think I'm going to start keeping my eye out for some! This picture is originally from Martha Stewart, but I saw it over at Cozy.Cottage.Cute., where Sarah was lucky enough to score some pie plates! Check her blog out, it's exactly what the title says, no false advertising there!

#2: Paper Towel Cubby ~ From Southern Living, but originally found on Annie's Pinterest, I looove this idea. It went directly onto my Pinterest's Dream Kitchen board. Currently I don't have enough drawer space as it is, but eventually (years from now) when I have storage out the wazoo, I want to do this.

#3: Speaking of Annie of Arlington Mama, she made an amazing growth chart (inspired by mine here). I am loving it, especially the numbers! She was smart enough to copy down heights the had marked on a doorframe and just transferred them over to the new chart. Do yourself a favor and check out her blog ~ it's another great one! (Another recent project of her's I love is the shower curtain she dyed!)

Oh, and speaking of my growth chart, it just made the Top 10 over at The DIY Club! So exciting!!

#4: Cookie Dough Brownies ~ need I say more? Probably not, but I will. I made these brownies to take on vacation and they were super yummy! Super sweet too, so best with a cold glass of milk or if you are me, iced coffee. Thanks, Chef in Training! (I think after this recipe, you have officially passed the training!)

#5: Fall Pillow ~ During the heat wave we've been having, I've been thinking ahead to the cooler temps of Fall....doesn't this pillow just take you there? I think I originally saw it on Pinterest, but it's originally from Cluck Cluck Sew, back in 2009! (One of the many reasons I love Pinterest....I never would have found this pillow without it!)

And now for a few plugs...

#1: Attention All Coffee Lovers! :) As you know, our Just Love Coffee Adoption Fundraiser is underway! Just Love is an incredible company that sells Fair Trade coffee to help orphans world wide. There are many varieties of coffee available that you are able to purchase in ground, whole bean, or even green bean if you like to roast your own. This specialty coffee is not even roasted until the order is received, so you know it is SUPER FRESH when it arrives!! We received our first shipment yesterday (we tried the African Skies variety) and I could smell the deliciousness as soon as I opened my mailbox....no joke! Also, I wanted to mention that if you have become wary about drinking decaf, hearing about the chemicals used in the decaffeination (if that is a word) process, Just Love offers organic decaffeinated coffee that uses a water-based process, so no chemicals.

***Anyway....... TODAY ONLY, there is a CHRISTMAS IN JULY SPECIAL at Just Love! If you buy any 3 13oz bags of coffee, the Roastmaster will throw in another bag of his choice when your order is shipped. Being fair trade specialty coffee and a fundraiser, the coffee is more expensive than the Folgers or Maxwell House you buy in a grocery store, but 4 for the price of 3 is a great deal! (And it's never too early to start stocking up on gifts for the holidays!!)***

As a reminder, we need to raise between $25-35K for our Ethiopian adoption, and we get $5 per bag of coffee sold! We are thankful to Just Love for this opportunity! Feel free to spread the word to all your coffee-lovin' friends! I have also added a PayPal donation button to the sidebar if you would like to donate in that way (PayPal does take out a very small fee). I would never want anyone to feel pressured to buy coffee or donate, but I just want to let you know that these options are available if you feel led to do so!

#2: Swagbucks ~ Today (and every Friday) is MegaSwagBucks Day, where there are larger than normal amounts of Swagbucks to be found by using the search engine! Even more exciting, this coming Monday, 8/1, will be a Swag Code Extravaganza, meaning multiple Swag Codes can be found throughout the day. If you have never heard of SwagBucks, it's a great way to earn FREE prizes (my favorite are the Amazon gift cards) through doing things like using SwagBucks as a search engine, finding codes, daily polls, completing surveys, etc. Lots of ways to earn bucks to get prizes! I save the Amazon gift cards I earn and use them around Christmas time ~ last year it really helped cut back on my Christmas spending!

Have a great weekend, everyone! If you were featured, feel free to grab a button!

The Red Chair

2011-07-27T18:46:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, I had the urge to paint something red.

Does that ever happen to anyone else? The color comes before the project? A little weird, but I went with it.

In my search around the house, I came across this old chair. I'm not exactly sure where it came from, but we've been using it as a replacement chair at our dining room table since one of our other chairs kept breaking. (High quality stuff we've got!). The only problem with it was the little crack (middle rung on the backrest), but oh well.....free and on hand....what could be better?

I found a great shade of red ~ Rustoleum Colonial Red in Satin ~ and went to work. Cleaned it and sanded it. The chair, as you can see, has one of the woven seats. Since I really didn't want to get paint on it I fixed it up with a little painter's tape and some Glad Press N Seal ~ which actually worked really well! I might have to start using it for my projects more often!!

The spray paint I used was Rustoleum's Ultra Cover (2x the coverage) and I was pleased at how well it went on. After it dried, I decided to distress it with some sandpaper....but then I didn't like how it looked. So I painted over the part I distressed, and for this chair, I was much happier with a non-distressed look. Here's the finished piece...

I love the fun pop of color it adds!

What is your favorite brand/shade of spraypaint? I'm always looking for great colors!

Linking to a few of my favorites ~ check them out!

Adoption FAQs

2011-07-24T21:48:00.000-04:00

We're just barely dipping our toes into our adoption journey, but we've already been getting some of the same questions pretty frequently. Here's a little Q&A that will hopefully help everyone stay informed! I know that up to this point, this blog has been a mix of DIY, crafts, family life, frugal tips, etc..... well now you can add adoption to the mix!

1. Why adopt? Wow, what a question. I feel like I could write a dissertation on this subject alone. I could start with how I've always wanted to adopt, for pretty much as long as I can remember.....or about how when I went to South Africa in college, I came back with a love for Africa that would never fade. Or maybe how I'm definitely pro-life, and it's time to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak. What about in the Bible where it says, "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you" (James 1:27, NLT). How about simply, that we as a family feel called to adopt. It's not a decision we've made lightly. We recognize it won't always be easy, and it will change our lives and the lives of those around us forever. We're trusting God will prove Himself faithful in leading and providing for us during this process!

2. Can't you have any more kids? Ummm.....we are having more kids. They just won't look like us. In all honesty, we have no reason to believe we wouldn't be able to have more biological children. See #1.

3. Why Ethiopia? Again, so many reasons that we are feeling called to Ethiopia. I am a fan of all adoption (used to work in the foster care system), not just Ethiopia, not just international....but for us, it's where we are headed. I've seen various statistics that Ethiopia has between 4 and 6 million orphans. That's a staggering number. According to World Health Organization Statistics, 1 in 10 Ethiopian children will die before their 5th birthday. There's a severe drought in Ethiopia right now, the worst they've had in decades, that will likely impact these numbers even more. You can check out this touching YouTube video for a few more statistics. There's not one specific reason why we chose Ethiopia ~ it's just in our hearts.

4. What kind of child are you adopting? We have requested either a male sibling group between the ages of 0-3 years or a single male child between the ages of 0 - 2 1/2 years. We have been told a sibling group will be nearly impossible, but we are okay with whatever happens.

5. How can we help?
*PRAY! Please cover our family and future child(ren) in prayer. Specific requests at this point would be for fundraising to go well, for paperwork to come in quickly, home studies to go smoothly, and for patience during the long months of waiting.
*If you feel led to help in another way, our fundraising has begun! We are going through a great and reputable business, Just Love Coffee. They sell Fair Trade Coffee in many varieties....ground, whole bean, and even green bean for people who like to roast their own. For each bag of coffee sold, we will receive $5 towards our adoption! Thank you for considering supporting us in this way!

More Q&A to come (and there will definitely be some crafty goodness coming up this week too!). If you have any questions or anything you'd like to learn more about, feel free to leave them in the comments! Thanks for your support!

Bethany Beach 2011

2011-07-23T22:19:00.000-04:00

We just got back last night from our annual family vacation to Bethany Beach, Delaware. Thanks to some blogger magic you didn't even know I was gone, did you? Well, except for all those comments I still haven't responded to. I hope to get to them at some point, but sorry in advance if I don't!!

Here's a few of my favorite pics from our vacay....

My sweet kiddos

The 4 cousins

PS... my friend Rachel now has a baby looking at the cute birdie mobile. Welcome to the world, Corrine Elizabeth!!

Rocking Chair Redo

2011-07-21T07:00:00.004-04:00

Back here I showed you this kid's rocking chair that I bought at a yard sale...

Our Carly has this weird fascination with anything she can sit in or on. She will find the strangest things to use as a seat....for example, back around Easter....

Yep, that would be her brother's Easter bucket. Anyway, when I saw the rocker pictured above at a yard sale, I knew she would love it. It was priced at $5 but I offered the $3 I had in my pocket and they accepted ~ good deal!

A few coats (ok, a lot of coats) of Rustoleum's "Sweet Pea" and here's what it looks like now...

The stuffed monkey is in place of my little monkey who wouldn't sit still long enough to have her picture taken! She really does love her new and improved chair though. And I should clarify...it wasn't Rustoleum's fault that it took so many coats of paint. My primer spraypaint was clogged and I couldn't get it to work, but I really wanted to do the project right then and there (ever happen to you?!), so I didn't use a primer....which won't be happening again. (Note to self: buy more primer, or else this will happen again!)

Linking to a few of my favorites ~ check them out!

Always such an honor to be featured ~ THANK YOU!

Rachel's Birdie Mobile

2011-07-18T07:00:00.001-04:00

My friend Rachel recently shared some pictures of their adorable nursery, just perfect and waiting for Baby to arrive any day now. I think they did such a great job ~ I love that it is neutral, since they haven't found out if Baby is a He or a She....but it's neutral without being the typical yellow and green.

There are so many great things about their nursery, but what I really fell in love with was the mobile Rachel and her team of helpers came up with! Rachel doesn't currently blog, but she gave me permission to share some pictures with you...

Isn't it amazing?! Here's what Baby will see...

Love.it. I can't wait to see pictures of a smiling little baby batting his or her tiny hands at the birdies! Rachel, even without your sweet mobile-making skillz, you're gonna be one great momma!

If you'd like more information on making the mobile, Rachel's original inspiration came from here.

Think she's awesome? Feel free to leave the momma-to-be some comment love!

It's Official!

2011-07-15T22:58:00.000-04:00

Long story short.......we found out last night that we have been officially accepted into the America World Adoption's Ethiopia program!!! We are so excited to expand our family in this wonderful way! More details to come, but for now, we're getting ready for vacation!!!

We would love to have you praying for our family during this upcoming time of paperwork, home studies, fundraising, and waiting!

First Aqua Experience

2011-07-12T22:44:00.000-04:00

Remember back here when I showed you this cute little table I found at my fave thrift?

If you don't remember, that's ok. I know you were probably so stunned and amazed at my favorite find (Steven Q Urkel) that you couldn't concentrate on all my other great stuff! The table was only $4.50 and since I didn't spend an arm and a leg I decided to experiment with a color I don't normally go for. I have been seeing so much great turquoise and aqua furniture and thought it would be fun to try. I bought a can of Rustoleum's "Aqua" and got to work!

Here she is after the paint was all dry (it's clearly a she, didn't you see those legs?!)....

She was looking a little too clean-cut for me, so I sanded some of the edges to let the original black paint show through for a more distressed look.

Sanding was a definite improvement, but I still wanted to tone down the color a little, so I mixed up a little glaze (I just added some water to the black paint we had left over from the shutters and porch swing). I used a sponge brush and did a small section at a time, painting and then wiping off. (I really have no idea if this was the correct way to do anything, but it worked for me!)

The finished product was looking a little "beachy" to me ~ perfect for summer. I threw on some random summery-type things from around the house ~ a bottle, an old picture of Jon & I at the beach, and I took the bird nest out of the cloche and put in some sand dollars and starfish. Here's the result...

Yep, the baseboard is half painted. This is in our upstairs hallway, where we ripped up carpet and still haven't gotten around to finishing up the painting. Just pretend you don't see it.

I do like how the table turned out and I'm glad I took the aqua plunge. I'm not sure if it's really me, but at $4.50 and a can of spray paint, I won't feel bad if I decide to change it again in a few months!

Linking up to a few of my favorites ~ check them out!

The Hunt for an Outdoor Thermometer

2011-07-10T07:00:00.001-04:00

I mentioned back here that I've been looking for a new outdoor thermometer for our screened-in porch. The requirements are pretty simple: non-digital, non-cheapo-plasticky looking, and numbers big enough to see from inside. I haven't been able to find "the one" so I turned to Amazon. (See one you like? Click on the picture to take you to it's Amazon page).

This one's very similar to the one we already have....does the trick but pretty blah.

Here's what I've been seeing a lot of in stores....I like it, but I wish the clock and thermometer were reversed.

I could proclaim my love for the Black & Gold, but ok, I admit....it might be a smidge tacky.

I like this one, but the only problem is it's a little smaller than I wanted.

I like this one, but what's a hygrometer?

This one could be nearly perfect....but sigh....it's almost $50!

Ooooh, this looks fun, but I have no idea how to use it.

Hmmm....maybe this one....

Which one is your favorite? Any other ideas of where to look? (I've checked Home Depot, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond....and I'd like to try to get to Hobby Lobby). The search continues...

Porch Progress

2011-07-07T07:00:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, I posted about one of my favorite outdoor spots ~ our screened-in porch. While there's not much that's new, there's been a teensy bit of progress, so I thought I'd share my super cheapo pillows.

They started out as four pieces....I think they were supposed to be napkins, but they are 100% polyester, so didn't seem like they'd be good for napkins....I dunno. Maybe that's why I found them at the thrift for 40cents apiece.

The problem was, they were all slightly different sizes, and not big enough to make my favorite super duper easy envelope style pillowcases....and my sewing skills are severely limited. I already had pillow forms to use and didn't want to have to use stuffing, so I improvised. (Plus since these are outside, there's a good chance they'll get dirty, so it will be simple to take out the pillow and wash the sham). One pillow got a velcro closure....

The other didn't have enough extra fabric, so I had to sew ribbons and tie them shut.

Anyway, I'm not totally in love with the pillows, but they were uber cheap, so when I get sick of them, I won't have to feel bad about it. And they do show a little progress! If you remember the last time I posted about this, you remember seeing this picture....

The pillows have been added (although I'd still like a few more), so next up...the table! We've already started working on it and I can't wait to see how it turns out!!

PS: Don't forget today is the last day to enjoy FREE SHIPPING from KDG Design Co!!! Just use code CELLARDOOR at checkout.

Awesomesauce!!

2011-07-05T07:00:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone ~ hope you had a fantastic 4th of July!! Just wanted to let you know what while the fabulous Allison from House of Hepworths is on vacation, she's been featuring lots of other bloggers ~ and this afternoon, some of my favorite projects are going to be showing up on her amazing blog.....which happens to be one of my FAVORITES! *squeal!*

Make sure you go check it out, and while you are there, look around at the other featured bloggers....there's bound to be TONS of inspiration!! (And of course, going back a bit to HoH in the pre-vacation days is a MUST ~ so many fun ideas and the way Allison writes is hilarious and refreshing!)

4th of July Decor on the Cheap: Garland

2011-07-02T21:06:00.002-04:00

Talk about last minute...I know, I know. It's pretty late to just be getting up 4th of July decorations. But I saw these paper fireworks here and here and just couldn't help myself. I typically don't change my fireplace mantle seasonally (except for Christmas) but this garland was such an easy thing to do, I just might start!

Instead of gluing the fireworks together like Landee did, I hung some twine and used cute mini clothespins to attach the fireworks. Here's a closer look....

I also added some letters to spell out "July"...

I'm really pleased with how it turned out!

Argh to the fireplace insert.....someday I will have one that is actually inside the fireplace and has no bronze, but for now, I'll just imagine it. What do you think about the old window? It's the one I found dumpster diving back here!

And now the checklist...
Patriotic? Red, white & blue....check.
Easy? I seemed to have some issues with my firework making ability, but overall still relatively easy...check.
Cheap? I had all the supplies on hand, so it was a grand total of $0....check!

I'm almost positive this will be the last in the 4th of July series, unless more inspiration hits!! Hope you have enjoyed my other 4th of July ideas too.... the wreath, pinwheels, and patriotic breakfast.... check them out if you haven't already had the chance!

Linking this up to some of my favorites ~ go check them out!!

Patriotic Breakfast

2011-07-01T19:52:00.001-04:00

I am literally up to my neck in berries. Strawberry season is long gone, but this week I picked 4 quarts of red raspberries and bought 20 (yes, twenty) pounds of blueberries.

We've eaten lots of berries. I've made Banana-Raspberry Bread and Blueberry Muffins, and frozen a lot of blueberries to be used throughout the year. But still, I have a lot of berries. I'm thinking 20 pounds might have been going a smidge overboard. (Although at $34, I'll have blueberries year round for a fraction of what they would be if I'd be buying them at the grocery store).

Today as I was searching blueberry recipes, I came upon one for Blueberry Sauce. Super easy: combine 1 lb blueberries, 1/2 c sugar, 3 tbsp lemon juice, and 2 tsp cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until cornstarch dissolves and then boil four minutes, stirring occasionally.

The wheels started turning and I decided to use the last of my red raspberries to make raspberry sauce. I used basically the same recipe, just tweaking things as I went along. Since the 4th of July is almost here, I used the two sauces for a patriotic breakfast-for-dinner tonight. French toast with red, white (Reddi-Whip), and blue toppings!

Both sauces were delicious....Jackson especially loved the blueberry sauce and also put some on his ice cream for dessert. I still have quite a few blueberries left, so I'm planning on making more of this sauce to freeze.....I'm imagining it on pancakes, cheesecake, angel food cake, there are tons of possibilities!

Anyone have any favorite blueberry recipes to share?

Linking up to a few of my favorites!

It's such an honor to be featured! Thanks to...

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

2011-06-30T19:42:00.001-04:00

Thanks to all of you who entered my very first giveaway, an item of your choice from KDG Design Co! I used Random.org to determine the winner....

Congratulations to Maney, who said...

Maney, I will be contacting you via email!

I wish everyone who entered could have won ~ but I do have the next best thing for you! Katie has offered FREE SHIPPING to anyone (from the US or Canada) who makes a purchase from her Etsy shop in the next week!!! From now until next Thursday, 7/7, you can get FREE SHIPPING on your order with promo code CELLARDOOR.

Thanks again everyone, and thanks to Katie for providing this great giveaway!