It's a Miracle

When we bought our house it needed a ton of work. I had a binder with each room for swatches and punch lists. It's nice to have the paint colors and brands in one spot. I took it everywhere for over a year. The pictures are of our bathroom. It's since been repainted and decorated.

That isn't the miracle. The miracle occurred this morning when I found the binder back. In the third place I looked.

This addition doesn't have a binder. It has a notebook, several folders and a large basket. By 8:30 this morning I had talked to a roofer, drywall guy, millwork guy, heating company, and many of my museum volunteers. One got sick and it took 4-5 calls before I found Peg.

At 8:40 I realized I have a headache. It would have been a miracle if I didn't. Off to work...

The Addition

It's really happening. The floor is nailed off, the walls went up yesterday, the trusses were delivered. And I am shopping, comparing and making BiG decisions. So far, so good!

Yep, It's Good

My BIL Jeff told us about this sandwich that they had at their dinner group.

Then Janice blogged about it.

Then Max heard about it.

So, we had to try it.

I'm glad we did.

It's a burger with grilled cheese sammies for the bun with bacon, lettuce and tomato. The key is to use cheap white bread and as you grill squish the sandwich. A lot. You'll need four slices of bread for each burger. Yep.

Assemble the sammies, grilled cheese sandwich, burger, bacon, lettuce, tomato and another grilled cheese sandwich.

Yep, they are good! *Low calorie? Not so much.

*I was careful with the butter and did grill the 1/4 pound burgers. A half sammie is about all I could eat, but guys eat the whole thing and love it.

A Design Board Just Like HGTV

I lost my confidence and then I talked to Shelly. The end.

Well, in a nutshell that is what happened.

Yesterday I started my search for tile, carpet, cabinets, and lighting for our master bedroom/ bath addition. I came home overwhelmed and feeling like I may have to hire a designer. I called Shell. She just did a remodel herself, literally, by herself, she remodeled her kitchen.

So, she knows.

I just needed to be reminded that I do know what I want and I do know what I like. I had to think about our goals for this suite. Our existing bedroom will become the sitting room for our master suite. I have Ralph Lauren wallpaper in there that I still love and have no intention of replacing. I think its the last wallpaper job my Mom and Aunt Clarice did together.

Cream and Black. Still love it.

Things to think about:

*There will be a small hallway and a door but I do want these rooms to flow.

*The Stone House isn't new and is not a McMansion.

*I mentioned last week to Hubby about a RETREAT bedroom and a SPA bathroom. I 've heard these words thrown around a lot on HGTV so I thought I'd try them out myself. Hubby said, "wha, huh?"

*I've gone back to words I know, cozy, romance, comfortable, rest, vintage, tarnished, worn, nest, texture, layers.

Ooh, I feel better already.

*I put together a fat file of ideas, words, fabrics swatches, pictures of accessories, cabinets and chandeliers.

*Thinking a lot about recycling and reusing. Our home was built in the 1920's from recycled brick and stone. I like that.

*Reminding myself, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Thanks Shelly! I feel much better and more like my old self. Just needed that pep talk.

The Pour

As I turned on Benson Road this morning after boot camp, I saw the concrete truck heading our way. I told Karen, pouring concrete is tense. Her husband isn't in construction, she had no idea. When concrete comes everyone gets uptight, on high alert as it were, because a bad pour isn't easily fixed.

I call it the concrete crazies or mud madness.

After all the rain, the field was wet and sure enough, the truck got stuck, the tractor wouldn't start and when they moved John's truck for the jump start, it got a little close to the brush cutter and his truck got a flat tire.

I woke up Max a little early. He asked if he needed to go out and help and I said NO, threw cash his way and told him to get donuts STAT!

They got the truck in, the concrete poured, donuts eaten, flat not quite fixed and it looks like everything is okay.

Not that I would dare to go out there to check so I'm guessing, it's all good.
Kassie's Dad, Ron brought the concrete, I wonder if Hubby and Ron are talking about the concrete or their kids? Hmmmm.

It looks like we are committed. Or should be committed. Stay tuned.

Happy 75th Dad!

Sunday dinner was a particularly special occasion this week. My Dad celebrated his 75th birthday. Dinner was at Jeff and Kathi's house. Kathi had framed pictures of Dad and his grandkids on the kid's table and old pics of Dad on the napkin rings on the other table along with beautiful bouquets of dahlias. It was really fun to look back on good memories.

Everyone loves Grandpa's birthday because he always requests chicken, potato salad and pie. Pretty much a win win for everyone.

Happy Birthday Dad! We love you Pop!

Hunting and Gathering

A September Saturday at the Stone House. Come in, I've been busy. Nesting for Fall, hunting, gathering and some deep cleaning here today.

This fall I tucked 'R' initial here and there.

This weekend I did some heavy duty cleaning. The farmer next door harvested their wheat and that makes for some dust in the house. I know I have to clean before I can decorate for fall so that is incentive.

Then I hunt up my fall bits and pieces, gather everything up and then create some little spots for some fall decorating. Gathering for decorating isn't all the gathering we've been doing though, Hubby and I did our BiG trip to Costco Thursday evening. Baking supplies, pork roasts, cleaning supplies for the fall were purchased. This morning I went to the grocery store and to a gift shop in town, Surroundings, that had just relocated. I picked up a few things including a Farmer's Market Yankee Candle.

Saturdays and cinnamon rolls go together. It's the first thing I do on a fall Saturday morning. Good thing too, Max was whining to Auntie Shelly that he hasn't had a cinnamon roll in months.

Football laundry, get it started because it can smell up the place. Light that new candle!

Gather some fall reading material. I think the Pottery Barn catalog is my favorite.

Added some Halloween to the kitchen, the book is Ghosts, Beasts and Things That Go Bump in the Night, a campfire collection of short stories that I picked up at eddie bauer several years ago. Don't worry, it's not too scary!

I put together a fall centerpiece for the dining room table. If company is coming I can remove the globes and add some fresh flowers.

Another small vignette in the dining room. I get the filberts from my folk's orchard, they are good filler.

Now for the easiest fall craft ever, I picked up six small pumpkins at the market and then add scrap book stickers to spell autumn. I make this every year with some variation such as, fall is fun, happy halloween, boo, autumn or what ever comes to mind. Maybe pumpkin?

I baked a peach pie for Sunday dinner.

After the house was clean, ready for fall, groceries put away, I took a walk in the yard to check the grapes, enjoy the Fall light and check out the stacks of firewood for winter.

Looks like we are ready for the first day of Fall this week, my favorite!

Sorry Pioneers, Wouldn't Want To Be You

Sorry NV Pioneers football team. It's all over. LC's #83 just had the GAME DAY BREAKFAST. Bacon wrapped steak and eggs, hash browns and a big glass of milk makes for a winner's breakfast! GO LYNCS!!!
See you at the game :)

I Knew Her When

I went to the LC Thrift Store yesterday. I haven't been for a long time. I found good things, literally, Good Things for Easy Entertaining by Martha Stewart for a dollar. A new package of pie plates which was fortuitous as I am freezing peach pie filling tonight. I bought a silver urn shaped dealio to replace the ones I broke. I'm only going to own singles from now on. And parchment leaves for food presentation. Nice! I spent less three dollars.Anytime I go to the thrift store I see the same woman with a cart FULL of stuff. Yesterday I asked her if she has a store or a booth. Nope! So, when she is on Hoarders Buried Alive, I can say I've met her. Sad. And that is why I never use a cart at the Thrift Store.

M & M Bars

Back to school means back to sack lunches at our house. Although I make lunches year round, the new school year causes me to rethink the lunches and look for new options.Combine:

2 c. oatmeal

1 1/2 c. flour

1 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. soda

3/4 tsp. salt

Add 1 c. butter, melted

Reserve 1 1/2 c. of this mixture. Press remaining in a 9 X 13 pan and bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Combine:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 c. peanut butter

Spread over the baked crust.
Sprinkle 1 c. chocolate chips.
Combine reserved oat mixture with 1 c. M & M's. Sprinkle on top of the chocolate chips and press down. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until top is lightly brown.

Cut and serve after letting them cool. I cut and freeze and then pull them out as needed for lunches. They freeze great. I've made other m & m bar recipes and they all involved caramels. Unwrapping caramels isn't my favorite so this one appealed to me. Recipe can be found in the Lynden Christian School Centennial Cookbook. Enjoy!