2011 christmas wish list....

tis the season to post my christmas wish list.... to my family this is always an entertaining list as i list anything that comes to mind... after all it's a wish list! what's on your wish list this year?


1. Toddler seat cover

2. Popcorn maker
3. Keurig
4. Tory Burch shoes size 8

5. Cell phone case

6. Sephora gift card
7. Ipad
8. Costco membership
9. Tim Horton’s gift card
10. Michael Kors purse
11. Kid Rock tickets when he comes to concert
12. Vintage Detroit Lion’s t-shirt (Von Maur)
13. Handyman services gift cards
14. New carpet for the house (upstairs)
15. Photo lessons

kindness....

today when i went thru the tim horton's drive thru to get my usual coffee... i got to the window and someone had paid for it... the lady that was in front of me so kindly took care of paying for my coffee! if you know me ... that is pretty much like winning the lottery.  i promise to repay this kind jester someday when i am in line at tim horton's. we need more people like her in the world!


pinterest



is there ever an end....

i love all the projects that i get into around the house or just in general but some days i wonder if i will ever feel that i've completed them? my list just keeps growing even though i am crossing projects off. some of my projects are because i don't like to just sit and watch tv -i like to have something to do while watching tv.


the other projects are around the house to make my house what i envision it to be- these are the projects that weigh me down (at least today i feel like they are). if only i'd win the lottery!!
my current house project looks like this:

- paint my bedroom

- new tile in master bathroom

- new carpet throughout the house

- paint the nursery

- get nursery ready

- get hooks for towels in guest bathroom

- get another twin bed for gavin's room

- make pottery barn baseball sign for den

- new furniture for living room

- move washer and dryer to the basement

- create mud room

- get glass block windows in the basement

- hang tv's

- new ceiling fans in bedrooms

- replace gold door knobs with rubbed bronze

- finish painting the deck (this will have to wait now)

- paint the garage

- paint and redesign gavin's play room

- make basement hang out area "cooler"

- and a million ideas from pinterest.....


my craft list:

- need to find a holiday craft to make for gifts for all

- make another leaf garland (post coming soon)

- make my michigan banner

- make some baby items for sister in laws shower

- make thanksgiving crafts with gavin this weekend

i think why i am feeling so overwhelmed is that i just don' have my same energy right now... my hips are starting to hurt and the extra weight is "weighing" me down.


someday i want to sit back and enjoy all the things that i did get done! just don't know when that will be yet.

feeling behind...

I'm a little behind this year in having a Christmas card photo ready for our cards. Last year I was ahead of the game and was ready to order in November... This year I don't think I will be ordering my cards until after Thanksgiving. I'm hoping to squeeze in a photo session with my sister while we are home for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Once I get our picture taken I'll be ordering my Christmas cards again from Shutterfly. I was really happy with the cards I ordered last year - great designs and easy to order. Not only do they have great cards but tons of other great gift giving ideas. I love the mouse pads with a photo and personalized note-pads!

These are some options that I'm thinking about...

spider balls

aka... osage oranges. do you have funny memories you remember about growing up? this is one of them for me... my dad would stop and collect "spider balls" from the side of the road and told us they keep the spiders away (i believed him).
about a year ago i was driving to get my coffee on a saturday morning and almost found myself doing the same thing my dad taught us to do- pull over and collect the "spider balls" for decorating and ofcourse to keep the spiders away. instead of stopping the next weekend my mom can down for a visit and we loaded gavin up in the wagon and set out on our adventure to find the stash of "spider balls" i spotted in my car. to my surprise i didn't need to walk that far from home... they were right under my nose out my back door. i had no idea!

just last weekend we brought a bag and went out our back door and went "spider ball" picking. funny the things you pass onto your kids because someone told you about it. gavin loves the adventure and is so very proud when he finds one. i'm pretty sure he believes they keep spiders away as he came running up from the basement looking for a spider ball as he needed it to keep the spider away that was down there.

(i have no idea how to get these pictures to turn- i've spent to much time trying to figure it out- sorry you need to turn your head to see)

the best apple pie...

the best apple pie i've ever made-(the only one i've ever made but i plan to make many more!)

serve warm with vanilla ice cream

finished apple pie- yummy

Here are the recipe's i followed:


Barefoot Contessa Perfect Pie Crust:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening
6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

(notes: i don't have a food processor so i used a cheese grader to shave my butter into the size of peas)

Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

(note: i made a streusel topping instead of a top crust see recipe below)



Barefoot Contessa Streusel Topping: 

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

For the topping, place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the butter is in very small pieces. Pour into a bowl and rub with your fingers until crumbly.

(note: again i used the cheese grader to shave my butter into the small pieces. below i am covering the pie with the streusel topping)

adding the streusel topping- yummy

Grandma Kilner's Apple Pie:

2 1/2 pounds of apples

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

2 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix everything above and let stand for 10 minutes. Add to your pie crust and cover with streusel topping. Bake at 400 for 25-40 minutes.

mixing the apples

adding the apples to the pie crusts

french hen farm barn sale

always looking forward to the french hen farm barn sale... (its a good thing my friend from marysville told me about them). will you be attending their sale this weekend? friday and saturday 9-5




french hen farm