Muggy Morning Musings

Ugh, friends, this summer is moving by so swiftly! June was overtaken by graduations of nephews and friends, which brought on graduation parties and typical teenage melodrama. Also, Mildred gave birth to a small litter of adorable kittens, more on that in another post.  I have been dodging thunderstorms and insane heat waves, trying to work on the house. Since we bought the house nearly two years ago, it seems like we are still settling in. We bought the house in late summer and with all the work that needed to be done to it, we couldn't move in until October, which meant any yard work that needed to be done had to be put off until the following spring. Last year I began working on a vegetable garden, a wildflower garden, and a flower bed. It is still a work in progress. Last year, my father kindly tilled a large patch of the lawn to be our vegetable garden. The yard hadn't been tilled for a garden there before, so the grass eventually grew back and took over the garden, not leaving much space for the vegetables. This year, my dad tilled the spot again and my husband spread weed killer/blocker sheets on top of the soil before we began planting. This has made weeding the garden a breeze and the vegetables are doing great. We have peppers, tomatoes, squash, beans, cucumbers, onions, Swiss chard, beet greens, two types of romaine lettuce, mesclun mix, and buttercrunch lettuce. With all the vegetables, I will have plenty of salads and I will be able to make my own salsa!
I have also been putting a lot of work into the wildflower garden and the flower bed. I have spent a substantial amount of my summertime battling weeds. I have also been doing a lot of pruning, aside from planting new perennial plants. The roses that had been planted by the previous owners needed a lot of tlc. So I am hoping that my hard work will pay off and by next spring my garden will look fantastic!
Aside from gardening, I have also been working on minor home improvements, which is hard to do in this summer weather. Sometimes, it can either be too hot, too humid, or rainy and trying to find a happy medium is tricky. I have scraped and re-painted many of the window sills and I will need to do more at the end of summer when the weather is more forgiving. I also have plans to fix the front doorstep and clean up that door. I also want to put up gutters in September, fix the mudroom to make it cozy for holiday dinners, and get the garage cleaned up in time to store the truck in the winter months. At some point this late summer or early fall, we are putting in a woodstove. Since we are getting a stove, I have been getting wood and I need to get that stacked and stored for the winter too. Some people vacation in the summer this housewife spends her summer preparing for winter. At least I am getting a lot of fresh air and a suntan. Each night I sit down to watch some tv and all I can think is that there are never enough hours in the day! I have my fingers and toes crossed that come October, I can rest up a bit and dive into some more crafts for the holiday season. Heres to hoping! Until next time~ Toodahloo!

The Evolution of My Office Renovation

This was taken the first day we began working on the house.

When we bought our house nearly two years ago, we knew that it needed some work. When we toured the house we saw that the house had great bones, it just needed some elbow grease, some paint, a bit of spackle, some fresh curtains, new flooring, and a decorative touch. It also needed imagination, patience, and time. So when we were handed the keys over Labor Day weekend, we couldn't wait to get into the house and start pulling up the carpets and clearing away the debris.

Flynn enjoyed exploring the new space.

The house had enough bedrooms for each kiddo, which was great. The room that is now my office was the bedroom of the oldest child who has since gone away for school, life, etc. We let each child pick out what the wanted their room color to be and we bought paint accordingly. We were on a very tight budget so I actually blended a can of white paint that we already had with a bit f black paint that we got marked down at Home Depot (not sponsored). The walls in the room had been an off-white or cream color with very old wall to wall carpeting. There was also an odd shelving unit built into the wall that had access to the stink pipe. I really didn't want that pipe visible, so we removed the shelving and walled it off. The room opposite to the office is the bathroom and that entire room had to be gutted. I'll post about that another time.

So, as requested by the son, I painted the walls grey and the carpeting was removed and I painted the floor black. He decorated the walls with his t-shirt collection and it was a typical teenage boys room. After he graduated high school and went away to college I wasn't jumping at the bit to redecorate. I wanted to wait at least a year and see what would happen. However, I decided to move along with the process when it was clear that he was growing up and eager to be on his own. His bedroom was becoming a spot for debris to land and was a waste of valuable space.  I decided that it was time for me to make an office, where I will eventually be able to work and keep the spare bed in there just in case a guest needs a comfortable place to rest.

Fearing the raisin would overpowering for a small room, I used it to create an accent wall.

Eventually, the door to the bathroom will be removed and the wall will be finished.

I based my entire design on a California Raisins lamp that my grandmother had made me when I was a little girl. I had recently unearthed it from my parents' attic and wanted to use it in my new office. I chose a color that would closely match the color of the raisins on my lamp. I chose Color Place Rich Raisin in a satin finish. I used black chalkboard paint to paint my floor. This made the floor more durable and doesn't scratch as easily. 

Murr really likes the room. It is a nice space to take a nap.

I made curtain rods with wooden dowels that I found at Hobby Lobby (not sponsored), painted them black, and I made finials using a black macrame yarn/rope and tied them into fishermen's knots. I purchased two sets of thermal/light blocking curtains on ebay (not sponsored) for $10.00/set. I also bought gold vinyl star decals on Wish (not sponsored) for $1.00. If you haven't noticed, I decorated this room on a budget. It took a lot of time to gather all the materials together, but it came out great. I will do a part 2 to this post, showing the decor in more detail. This will be a cozy space to work in. Right now I am waiting for Rory to get a little older and to outgrow his chewing habit. It is very distracting to work in the office with him in it right now. Also, Mildred is currently residing in my office with her litter of kittens that she birthed a week ago-more on that in a later post. For the time being, my office/guest room is a kitten nursery and I likely won't be doing much work in there until September. For now, I just grab materials from there to use for projects that I work on in other places in the house. Stay tuned for the follow-up to this post which should be up next week. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Fall Has Arrived

Fresh apples from the local orchard.

 According to the Autumnal Equinox that just passed over the week, Fall is officially here. I have seen little signs of its arrival, with all the candy corns, pumpkin scented candles, pumpkin spice coffee on the shelves in stores. The new Fall line-up is coming this week on tv. Soon, I will be able to cozy up with a warm blanket and a hot cocoa and watch Poldark. I even found delicious Macintosh apples from the local orchard at our grocery store. When you grow up in a town that has an orchard, not mention the numerous apple orchards in surrounding towns, you get to enjoy the tradition of fresh apples in the Fall. It won't be long before we jump in the van with the kids and the dog and take a trip to a nearby orchard for apple picking and pumpkin harvesting. Not to mention a trip to a local corn maze.
 I have been preparing for fall by gathering my old decorations and finding new additions to my collection. I have also been working on home diys that will be harder to do once the chillier weather sets in. This week, I will be gathering materials to help winterize my home. Last year was our first fall and winter in our home. We didn't get to move in until October and by then, we were exhausted from home decorating and remodeling. We didn;t have any more energy to expel on the house. Instead, we wanted to focus on the home. That being said, we learned over the winter where all the drafts and cracks were. So, this week, I am being proactive and will be gathering supplies to help make the home warmer. Not that the house was too drafty, but I'd prefer to eliminate all, or at least reduce as many as I possible, drafts.It is much better for our wallets to keep the house snug in the winter. 
   

Late summer wildflowers in bloom.

 I'm itching to decorate the inside of my home with my Fall decor, but I'm waiting for the perfect day. Last week it was very summery weather and this week will be much the same. It's hard to get in the Autumnal mood when it is sunny and 80 degrees outside. I've had only one cashmere day so far. I just can't bring myself to decorate, yet. Traditionally, I don't do much decorating until October anyway. I certainly don't put out my Halloween decor until after Columbus Day. So for now, I think I will continue to gather my supplies and wait patiently until the right time arrives. This week, I am having a long overdue girls day out with my childhood friend, who is still my dearest friend. It will be a nice break from the preparations. Still, will we are on our adventure, I will certainly be gathering materials for my decorating, crafting, and winterizing. I'm just looking forward to chatting like little chipmunks and consuming far too much caffeine.

Murr the cat isn't ready for Fall either. He prefers the sunny spots of summer.

In my next post, I will tell you all about some of the recent diy projects that I've tackling. There will be more to come next week, too! Until then~ Toodahloo!

Early Spring Cleaning

After the holiday season had finally calmed down, we still had numerous birthdays, Valentines Day and the Superbowl to experience. It seemed as though I was spending a great deal of time either planning special dinners, baking desserts, planning parties or cleaning up after parties. When everything finally calmed to a slow crawl, I realized that I couldn't wait for Spring to finally get here. Even though Punxsutawney Phil declared that winter was still here, I was ready to see it go. Then, we had a blizzard... I mean, really?  In an effort to fool myself into thinking that Spring was here, I decided to get a jump start on my Spring cleaning. That way, once the season does actually change, I can focus my energy on other projects. I have been organizing my kitchen. When we moved into the house, we were focusing more on moving in and less on making things perfect. Now that we have everything here and (mostly) unpacked, I can move things into proper order.

 I really wanted to get my kitchen in order, since I spend so much of my time in that room. I wanted to make it more organized so that I would have an easier time when I am baking and cooking. In a cupboard next to the stove, I keep my spices, herbs and baking supplies. The contents of the cupboard were sort of organized, but not in a way that I felt was tidy enough. I went to the Dollar Tree and purchased small bins and I used those to hold loose items and to wrangle my herbs and spices. Now, the middle shelf it dedicated to cooking items, while the bottom shelf is reserved for baking articles. Everything it easily within reach and much easier to find.

Inspired by a Pinterest pin, I organized my measuring spoons. I always had a difficult time finding the size that I needed. I have several collections of measuring spoons and they were all thrown into a drawer. I attached mountable hooks that I found at Walmart onto the inside of the cupboard door and organized all my spoons by size. Now, when I need a 1/2 teaspoon, it is so much easier finding one. I also added a list of substitutions that I had printed, out long ago. This way, if I ever discover that I am missing an ingredient, I can quickly look up a substitute. It is very handy having everything within an arms reach. 

Now that my cupboards are tidy, and I've moved my measuring spoons, my kitchen drawers are far less of a mess. We will be putting the new flooring in the kitchen soon, too. This will make the kitchen renovation nearly complete. Hopefully, by the time Spring actually does get here, I will be able to share before and after pictures of my kitchen. It certainly has come a long way! I look forward to sharing it with you. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

The Living Room Make Over

In early September, we were able to begin work on our house. When we first toured the house, we could see that a lot of work would needed to be done. We understood, that the bathroom would need to be gutted, the walls would need to be scrubbed-primed-painted, the floors needed work and the kitchen needed a whole new look. We saw a lot of potential for the house and were eager to begin. We had a very teeny tony budget, so we had to be very creative. Fortunately, I was able to get a lot of ideas from the internet. Often, I would come up with an idea, and check Pinterest to see if it was at all plausible. This helped us save where it counted.
The floors in the house were either covered with linoleum or wall to wall carpeting from 50 years ago (or more, yikes). We were hoping that underneath the linoleum and carpeting lied wood flooring. The first day that we were able to get into the house and begin the renovations, we pulled out the carpets. Every room, aside from the bathroom and kitchen, had carpeting- even the stairs! When we removed the covering, we discovered that the floors were masonite. This was a bit of a let-down, but not the worst news ever. So, after some brainstorming, we decided to live with the linoleum on the kitchen floor, until the budget afforded for new tiles. We also decided to paint the bedroom floors and add area rugs and we'd put new flooring in the living room.

We bought several sheets of sanded pine plywood and cut it into 8 inch planks. Then, I divided the planks into three piles and stained each pile a different shade. All of the piles were of a deeper stain, one more red than others. I did this so that we would have varying degrees of color and it would look more natural. We were lucky that my in-laws already had a stash of wood stain, so that we free! My husband and his father installed the flooring by simply screwing the wood onto the floor. Everyone, but my husband and I, seemed nervous about the outcome. We figured that if it did n't work out, it still be functional for sub-flooring. However, the cost of this compared to laminate flooring was huge! After buying the materials needed, this project was around $100.00.

After some light sanding and filling in some chipped bits, I was able to apply the polyurethane. My dad helped me with this. One gallon was used for this floor, which provided two coats! After a few days, I was able to start adding the furniture! Prior to finishing the floors, I had to clean the walls, paint the trim and paint the walls. I used black oops paint, which I purchased at a deep discount and I blended the paint with white paint that we had on hand. My mother-in-law primed and painted the ceilings. I chose grey, because it worked well for that room and I like it as a neutral. I think that tans and taupes are overly used as neutrals. I do think that I probably was influenced by watching Steven & Chris for years. Yes, I understand that grey seems like such a gloomy color, but it really it a fantastic color to use for walls. I think that it is easy to switch out throw pillows, blanks and curtains- it is easy and economical. However, the walls are harder to change.

Here is the end result, with the furniture in the room. There is an electric fireplace in on corner and it makes for a very cozy room.

This is some wall art the I made, using a book of flowers and frames from the Dollar Tree, total cost of wall art = $14! I am happy to finally have the room done. We are still working on the bathroom, I'll tell you all about that when I'm almost done with that. Until then~ Toodahloo!

Putting In The Garden

About a month ago, my father pulled into my driveway with a rototiller in the back of his truck. He very kindly tilled a nice patch in my backyard so that we could start a veggie garden. I already have numerous perennial flowers and flowering bushes along the side of the house. I also dug up some of the irises from my parents' yard and planted them along my back fence and around a tree. The flowers really take little to no effort to maintain, aside from a bit of weeding here and there. What I really wanted was a nice veggie garden. I love the idea of being able to walk into my backyard and fetch my own fresh produce. I love the idea of knowing what went into growing my veggies and knowing that they were picked only when they were absolutely ready to be plucked. I also like being able to save a lot of money on my grocery bill, while providing nutrient-rich veggies for the family.
We've planted squash, onions, tomatoes, beets, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, swiss chard, kale, cabbage, green beans and sunflowers. I also hope to plant a winter garden, in the fall. We will enjoy many salads, BLT's and a variety of casseroles.  I selected greens that I knew would be plentiful and grow easily. I hope to make pickles and fresh salsa, as I also have a miniature herb garden.

Those coffee canisters are bottomless. They are being used to support the tomato stems, as they grow.

Each morning and each night, my husband checks the garden to monitor its progress. I check in on it, mid-morning and mid-afternoon when I water it. It's amazing to see how quickly everything is growing! I'll be even more excited when I start to see blossoms on the plants. It is very relaxing, spending time in the garden. My mother always told me how much time her father spent tending to his garden when he wasn't at work. I can see now, why he enjoyed it so much. I'll keep you updated on the progress of the veggie patch. Hopefully, I'll be able to share some recipes of the tasty dishes that I make with my garden delights. In the meantime, I have a few craft projects that I've been working on. I'll share more about that at another time. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Playing Catch Up

I have taken a bit of time off from blogging for many reasons this week. The winter is slowly coming to an end and it doesn't seem to be giving up without a fight. The snowstorms keep coming and it has been quite cold. Today was a bright and sunny day. It was in the high 30's, which felt warm in comparison to previous weeks, and the snow even melted a tiny bit.
Last week, I worked a little at reorganizing my book shelves. This meant selecting a small pile of books that I know I'll never read (I got them from a friend who was clearing out her collection) to be donated. It also meant packing away some of my cookbooks. I have five boxes of cookbooks packed away and I still have a handful of cookbooks left on the shelf. I can't imagine how many boxes it will take to pack up all of my books; that is an unnerving thought. The project took way longer to complete than I'd anticipated. After all of that work, I was exhausted; so I took a few days off from the project. I am trying to get my space clean and organized in time for Spring. This way, I will have a safe and relaxing place to go to while I go bananas cleaning the rest of the house for Spring cleaning. It's not entirely perfect, but it's getting there.
While I was cleaning out my closet, I recovered my yoga mat. I used to do yoga every day when I was in my 20's. Then, it was physically impossible for me to continue the practice, so I stopped. Lately, I've decided to resume the exercise. I really need it to be a part of my life again. I find that it is beneficial for my physical strength and the deep breathing is fantastic for keeping me calm. Yesterday I wasn't feeling well. I had this strange sensation in my head and I woke with an unusual kind of headache. I wake up with headaches often, but this was very different. The pain didn't go away and I found that by the afternoon, I was very spacey and having trouble with breathing. I panicked a bit, then I realized what was happening. I have been under a bit of stress lately and I have been experiencing emotions that I was not addressing. My body was telling me that the stress of everything was harming me. I used some deep breathing, focusing on my breath. I calmed myself down and decided that I really needed to acknowledge what I was feeling and I need to get back to doing the things that I enjoy. The pain  and pressure in my head went away after I calmed myself down.  Now that Spring is nearly here, it will be easier for me to return to my crafts and to also try to get back to painting again. More than anything, I need to take care of myself. Needless to say, I've been cleaning, baking and taking steps to be more productive. There will be more crafting and sewing soon. So, that is what I've been up to lately. Although life hasn't been tremendously exciting, it has been eventful and I am looking forward to seeing some positive changes coming my way. I'm even looking forward to seeing dandelions! Until next time~ Toodahloo!

A Productive Snow Day

The weather forecast advised that another winter storm was heading my way. This was going to be a mild, run of the mill kind of snow storm; nothing to be freaked out about.... nothing compared to Tuesday's blizzard. I decided that I was going to have an easy-going, yet productive day. It is very challenging for me to be productive if I am worried or anxious. When we had the blizzard, I was worried about losing power, that made it difficult to focus on tasks. So, I was determined to have a great snow day today. It began with an amazing breakfast. Back in October, I made homemade pumpkin butter. I divided the batch into five Rubbermaid containers and I kept them in the freezer. Yesterday, I took one container out to have on hand. When I wanted breakfast this morning, I decided to make oatmeal with cranberries and pumpkin butter. It was fantastic! I didn't need to add any sweetener, because the cranberries and pumpkin butter are already sweet. Plus, the pumpkin butter has wonderful spices, reminiscent of pumpkin pie. The combination of flavors just did it for me, it was a great way to start my day.

I recently discovered that some of my necklaces were terribly tarnished. Although I don't wear them often, I still like to keep them nice. So, I submerged my necklaces in warm water and added two denture tablets. I keep denture cleaning tablets for cleaning hard to clean objects. A big box of tablets are super cheap and they last a really long time. I set the cup aside and went about my day. An hour or so later, I checked in on the necklaces and added an extra tablet. Ten minutes later, I cleaned up the charms (picture 3), still not satisfied, I used Colgate Optic White to scrub the rest of the tarnish of and to polish the charms. The end result was super shiny silver necklaces!

I noticed that my skin was FREAKING OUT on me. At night I do baby my skin as much (if not more than) I do during the day. I drink water and I do what I can to keep my skin healthy. At some point in the winter, the dry furnace air finally starts to win the fight. My skin was a hot mess of dry patches, which made my skin try to compensate by producing more sebum. Ugh, long story short, dry skin= blocked pores, excessive sebum+ blocked pores= break outs. So, I have a awesome combination of dry patches and spots. I mean, really? So, I pulled out my secret weapon- Burt's Bees Diaper Ointment. I don't have kids, but I love this diaper ointment. I love multipurpose products. This stuff is fantastic for skin therapy. It is 100 % natural. It has soothing oils, like lavender and rosemary, plus it has zinc oxide. It is great to use as a base for stage makeup, as it prevents breakouts, and it makes it tremendously easy to remove heavy make-up. Also, it is great to use if you need white clown base. It is also fantastic for breakouts, I massaged a pea sized amount onto my face and blended. Since I wasn't leaving the house today, I didn't mind looking pale. Were I to go out with it on, I could have applied mineral make-up on top and I would look fine. It has made my face feel tremendously soft and I know that when I wake up tomorrow, My face will be so much better!

This afternoon, I decided to finally reorganize my desk drawers. I have been meaning to do it for a while, but dreaded the task. In an effort to make the project more fun, I decided to first make myself a treat. While I had coffee brewing, I went onto Pinterest to find mug cake recipes. I've dabbled with one once before, and it was a disaster. I found a better recipe this time, and I made a delicious molten chocolate mug cake. In the center was a mound of peanut butter and a mound of Reese's Chocolate Spread. This was SO tasty! The cake with coffee and Hart Of Dixie re-runs on Netflix helped me though and I managed to get my job done.

With many projects completed today, I think that I feel refreshed and relaxed. I think this weekend will be fabulous! If you want to make a delicious treat, I highly recommend searching for chocolate molten mug cakes on Pinterest and find one with a tasty peanut butter center. This cake was awesome. Tonight, I'll be able to watch a whole new episode of H.O.D. and enjoy some pizza; oh, I do love Friday! Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Doing What I Want

This wall of bookshelves, pretty much, represents my life right now. Everything is slightly disheveled, despite the fact that I try to keep things as tidy as I can given the space I have available. The challenge I find is that more items keep being added to my wall of life. The weight of it all is starting to cause shelves to bow. Someone suggested that I get rid of some of my books; they know me better than that..what an absurd thing to say!
If I were to get rid of books, there only be vacancies for other books to fill. The solution is clear- get more book shelves and get a bigger place to house the books shelves. So, that is my goal for the next few months- to find a new place. I need a new place and a new start.
This wall of books stands behind me, every day, while I work at my desk. The vibe is chaotic. This morning, I decided to organize my little lair, but I'm doing it one area at a time. Today's focus is on this wall. It looks a bit better already, but I still have a long way to go.
It is zero degrees F. outside, last night it was -19 degrees F. Tomorrow will be more of the same. Since the weather is horrid and I don't want to leave the house, I am working on my lair. I am also going to bake, since it is so cold out, it is a bit chilly in the kitchen. A nice hot oven would make things cozy, especially with the smell of baked goods wafting in the air. I also intend to catch up on shows that I've missed and get back into exercising, too. Ever since the week of Christmas I have  been in a daze. I have stopped doing the things that make me happy. This week is the perfect time to slip back into my norm.
I don't just mean my current norm, but also the way I once was. I studied Visual & Performing Arts in college. I haven't painted a painting since 2008. I stopped scrap booking, I stopped dancing (other than with wii games) I just hit the stop button, not even bothering with the pause. When you hit pause, you intend to resume where you left off. I'd just stopped. So, the last four months of 2014 were terrible and sad. I decided that when the new year arrived, I was going to take it back. I'm taking Lady Toe Socks back. At the advice of my friends, this is going to be a "ME" year; it seems a bit selfish, it isn't intended to be so. I'm just going to take care of me this year. **A Quick Disclaimer- I don't have any kids, just my dog, I'm taking care of him, too. Taking care of myself this year is not to the detriment of others.** 
I will begin painting again. I will get back to journaling and working on my scrapbook. I will read more and craft more. I will be cooking and baking and making messes. I'll be cleaning up messes and get things organized. Life is going to get a lot more interesting and I'll be sharing it all with you. After writing this post, I'm going to go bake. I'll be sharing that with you, soon.
 Until then~ Toodahloo!

I Made This

I made this laundry soap. I have been on Pinterest for a few years now. My sister turned me on to it and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I am one of those people who can lose an entire afternoon pinning. Sometimes,  log on looking for a recipe and hours later, it's after midnight! Some of my favorite pins are household cleaning tips and recipes. Last year, I discovered the soap Zote at Family Dollar. It cost a little more or less than $1.00. I had never seen it before, and now I can even find it at Walmart! Intrigued, I bought some to make into detergent. I love this stuff. I've made the liquid soap that your let set overnight and it looks like a bucket of mucous. I'm not really into that. I do like a powder detergent.
Zote is great, it's pink and it smells like citrus. .....and it's pink, did I mention that it's pink? It's pink!

It is a large, soft (PINK) bar that is very easy to grate. I'd compare to grating cheddar cheese. One bar produces a lot of shavings.

I add 1/4 cup of washing soda and 1/2 of Borax and (in a container with a lid) shake it all together. I use this detergent for my linens. Since I always wash my linens in hot water, this is perfect. A little goes a long way. I use a 1/8 cup scoop, and I usually use two scoops (or 1/4 cup). I could get away with one scoop, but two scoops seem to make me feel a bit more confident. I don't know how this would work in cold water, as I've never tried it. I just know that I love this for linens, it cleans and freshens them.

I also like to make linen spray. I reuse an empty spray bottle. One of my favorite scents is the ocean. I developed my own formula for a scent that mimics what I think that smell is like. I start by adding two tablespoons of baking soda, because baking soda neutralizes odors, to the spray bottle. To that, I add one tablespoon of sea salt. Then, I add 6-8 drops of peppermint essential oil, 4-6 drops of lavender oil and 4 drops of rose oil. Last, I fill the bottle with hot water and shake. I use hot water to better dissolve the salt. This is great to spray on the curtains, upholstery, etc. It's a light scent that is not overpowering.

I'm still perfecting my liquid detergent formula, I need to do more research on Pinterest for that. I've tried many, but have yet to find one that I really like. When I do, I'll share it. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Are You There Sanity? It's Me, Ladytoesocks.

This title has been whirling through my head for the passed few months. This week is vacation week. I am not going away for the week, exactly. Instead, I am going back to Me! Today, I have dedicated the day to cleaning. I mean, clearing away all of the laundry, dusting, wiping down dirty surfaces, sweeping and washing floors.

This doesn't sound like much of a vacation, I know. However, it is very uplifting to remove all physical and tactile debris in order to emotionally and mentally relax. The rest of the week will be free for me to do low maintanance work. That way, I can dedicate my week to doing what I love to do. I will read lots of L.M. Montgomery books, I'll paint, I'll make sculptures, I'll bake, and I have cappucino while watching Steven & Chris.

I don't have any particular images for this post. So, I'm showing some garden photos from my garden. I think these pictures are cheerful, and evoke the feeling of Spring and Summer.

Later this week, I'll be hosting a birthday party for my nephew. I'm going with a carnival theme. I'll post about that when the time comes. Until then.~ Toodaloo!

A Task Complete

Well, I finished the quilt that I was making for my mother, last night. I tried to take a decent picture of it today. However, the one that I did take, somehow, got erased. Merlin clearly likes the quilt. I think that he'll probably try to claim it as his own, because that it just the way he is.

He couldn't understand why I was so determined to get a picture of the quilt. He was simply, minding his own business, taking a luxurious morning nap. When suddenly, a quilt was thrown on top of him as though he were some damned dirty ape! Pour Que? Perhaps it had something to do with him napping on the table, which is a flat surface on which I could lay a quilt onto. Hmmm.


At the end of the photo session, he was happy to look good for the camera.


In other news, I spent the day cleaning and that makes for a happier Ladytoesocks. This Friday school is off. So, I took today off, instead. I'll teach on Friday and get things done today. On those days when errands need to be done, it's really hard to squeeze in school and keep a kid focused. So, I'd rather get all of the stressful stuff out of the way for the week, which will make the rest of the week a breeze. I'll let you know how it all works out for me. Until then ~Toodaloo!

Chocolate Guacamole

So, last weekend, out of boredom, I decided to be adventurous with one of my cookbooks. I pulled out one cookbook which uses trickery in the kitchen; i.e. adding vegetables to dishes without detection. Since I am not sure how copyrights go, I'll neglect to name the cookbook. I'll just say that you can find it in a lot of department stores and it is a fantastic and fun cookbook.

So, to the point.... I've used the recipes in the book before, but mainly, only the main dish recipes, never the desserts. Here is where the adventure begins.

The recipe was Chocolate Pudding. Only, it didn't include eggs, or milk, or even granulated sugar. It did have cocoa powder, powdered sugar and avocado---Jump Back!

The process of making the pudding was much less tedious than the traditional method. However, I did deviate from the recipe a bit and used a mixer to fluff it up a little.

Was it any good? Yes, it was very chocolatey; as such, I highly recommend this when you need a serious chocolate fix. Did it taste like pudding? Not exactly, this stuff was pretty dense and a little grainy. It actually tasted like brownie batter. So, if you like eating brownie batter, now you can do it without care. Did it taste like chocolate guacamole? It depends on who you talk to regarding this issue. Yes, initially, I could taste the avocado. However, after a few bites, it wasn't noticable. I think that if an unsuspecting consumer tasted it, they probably could tell there was something different about the pudding, but wouldn't know what it was.

More importantly, I had a 9 year old eating this whenever I said it was okay. So, if a kid will eat it, it was a success. He knew about the fruit in it, because he saw me making it, and was rather fascinated with the idea.

I think that if you added some flour and baking soda to the mixture, you could make some awesome brownies with it. I highly recommend this to my vegan friends because the only ingredient that would need alteration would be the margarine. That is an easy switcheroo!

In other news, today I am spring cleaning- sort of. My bedroom is getting cluttered, so I bought another set of book shelves. I think this will help me reorganize my stuff and then I'll feel less claustrophobic in my room. Also, I am nearly done with the quilt that I've been working on. So, all in all, it will be a busy week. Until next time~ Toodaloo!

Being Domestic

A few weeks back, I decided to visit my local thrift store and I found a few treasures. This apron appears to be hand made and is so gosh darn cute. I use it when I am cleaning the house. I started using aprons a few years back when I came to understand that no matter how hard I try, I am messy when baking. No matter how delicately I mix cake batter, it always seems to splatter on me. Flour is the biggest culprit when it comes to messes.


Aprons, although very "June Cleaver," really do save me from a lot of grief. So, this frilly little darling is used when I clean to keep dust, grime, and cleaners off of my duds.

This spiffy mug I purchased along with the apron and a vintage Roy Rogers book that I snagged for my Pappy. When people see me walk in the room with coffee in that mug, they know right away that I am one classy lady!







Today, I believe, is Maple Sunday. To celebrate, I made myself some crepes topped with sliced Mackintosh Apples, cinnamon sugar, and home made maple syrup. I, Ladytoesocks, certainly did not make that syrup. Yes, I do tend to go a little "Martha Stewart" most of the time. However, I cannot show this syrup without saying that my Pappy made this syrup from sap taken from the maple tree in out back yard.

Yes, it has been a rather domestic weekend, I currently have a pot roast in the oven, the laundry is being done, and off and on I've been working on a quilt for my mother. I have collected old flannel shirts from my Pappy, which I've cut up the shirts to make patches. I am now in the process of making squares. Within a few weeks, my Mum, can cozy up in a throw quilt made from her husbands shirts, and I think that is just so nice.

That is all for now. I'll keep you updated on my domestic adventures. Until then~ Toodaloo!

My Name Is "Ladytoesocks" and I'm a "Doctor Who"-aholic.

It is true. I tried, in vain, to avoid this mess. During my high school and college years, I was a fan of Tom Baker's "Dr." One early morning while in college, dealing helplessly with insomnia, I turned on the tv and spotted Doctor Who again. Much to my dismay, it wasn't Mr. Baker as the Time Lord, but a different Dr. I had to look away and sigh.

The show went away for a while, and I moved on.. never forgetting the lovely show I so enjoyed Saturday's on PBS. Then, it came back, new, with better graphics and better special effects. I couldn't do it, I could not watch a Doctor clad in, what appeared to be, leather......I missed the scarf.

Then, about a month ago, I was once again dealing with the torment of insomnia. I turned on the tv and there he was...another version of the Dr. This time Catherine Tate was playing is Tardis side kick. So, I thought "what the heck, she makes me laugh". I watched, became a bit addicted, and then I found it on BBC America, once again on Saturday night. It was as though something fanastic from childhood was calling me back to a happy place- like the the sound of the ice cream truck in the summer.

David Tennant was the current Dr. and he is a fantastic actor. He breathed new life into the Dr. Even though he lacked the flashy scarf, he had a long coat. In fact he is quite the snappy dresser and has good hair. So, talent and a good fashion sense drew me in; not to mention great writing.
Well, the New Year weekend was filled with a Doctor Who marathon on BBC America. Showing the shows in which David Tennant played the tenacious Time Lord. He decided to leave the show while he was still loving playing the doctor. (I think he didn't want to get burnt out on the role, because he has been a fan for most of his life.) It was sad though. Just when I was finally able to love the Doctor again, he was reborn into a new Doctor.

So, today I am mourning the loss with house work. Filling the void with organizing cupboards and spot treating set in stains of imbedded modeling clay and maple syrup. I must say though, that after a two-day marathon, I'm a bit drained from all the excitement. My body feels like I spent the weekend sustaining myself on M&M's, Coca-Cola, and Disco. Yes, Doctor Who is a lot like a sugar rush.

I think these bones are trying to tell me to start moving around again. perhaps some cardio will seep it's way back into my morning routine. I'll see how that works out for me. I'll update when things develop. Until then~ Toodaloo!

It's Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Wow, it's Christmas Eve already! I had to take a break from blogging for the month, because I wasn't feeling very creative. Usually, I enjoy making things and then posting about them. However, this month has been so hectic, that when I do have computer time, all I really want to do is play games. Just within this post, I had a goof happen and the frustration rose to such a level that I wanted to stop all together.

I did make a gingerbread house last week. I made my own pattern.

My little helper made one too. This one was made from a kit. Everytime we walk into the dining room, it smells like gingerbread!

Last night, I made a mint chocolate cream pie. Today, I am making gigantic cranberry- walnut cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning. I'm also making mini corn dog muffins, curry chicken nuggets, stuffed mushrooms, mulled cider, sticky chicken wings, crudites, and I'm warming up some frozen potstickers!

Needless to say, the appetizer spread will be a feast. Throught the day, I'll be watching comedy Christmas special's on BBC America. I'll also watch the Dr. Who Christmas special. So, today will be busy, but great fun! I hope that you all have a stress free and joyful Christmas!~Toodaloo!