Desert Island Swap!

   Just a little reminder that my swap sign-ups are open until next Monday, May 5th.  Then the gates will close and the fun will begin!  If you would like to join me on this adventure please send an e-mail to: toosillysisters [at] cox [dot] net  Include your name, address, e-mail address and blog name (if you have one).  I have some great ideas brewing...:-)

Here are the fabulous and creative cuties that have signed up so far!!

Julie at www.joyshope.blogspot.com

Jessica at www.barefootinthebackyard.blogspot.com

Peggi at www.desertphotography.blogspot.com

Joy at www.joy-full-ness.blogspot.com

Tangee at www.asparklymessylife.blogspot.com

Roxanne at thedragovich5.blogspot.com

Kelley at www.fogartyfam.blogspot.com

It's almost time, ladies!!

Walking on Broken Glass

   Last night I went walking with my fabulous and fun friend, Alicia.  We had talked about getting together and it was a wonderful surprise when she showed up at my door!  Alicia is the type of friend that I could spend endless hours with and she really "fills me up", if you know what I mean.:-)  We walked quite a bit, though the time flew right by, and talked about a number of things.  Then we began to talk about God.  She told me that she had listened to a man speak about the Lord one evening and the words that he said will stay with me for a long time.  He said that, "If we truly believe in what God has done for us we would be willing to walk across broken glass to tell others."  Wow.  I still get chills just thinking about it!  These words really spoke to my heart and I hope they will speak to yours, too...

Package from Mom

       My Mom sent me a package the other day (top) and look what was inside!!!  Tons and tons AND tons of fabulous ribbon, satin flowers and a fun book!  She discovered a ribbon outlet (with UNHEARD OF prices!) in Maryland and, being the smart and creative lady that she is, she stocked up!  Thanks Mom for sharing.:-)  What should I make first?!

  I also had some fun at Hobby Lobby last week (bottom).  They have the best sales!  I got all this crafty goodness for 50% off!  The scrapbook paper was only 18 cents a piece since they were discontinuing the patterns.  Gotta love it!  Plus, I have now discovered "fun" brads.  No longer will I use the plain old ones from yester year!  No sir, I am going to have some fun!  Check out the pink and green ones in the picture that look like buttons- yummy!

Ellen with her Hawaii Chair

This is hilarious! I have never heard of the Hawaiian Chair, but I won't forget it anytime soon!:-) Enjoy!

Bathing Suit Blues

   I got my Land's End catalog the other day and it reminded me that it was that time of year again.  The time that I realize I did not lose all the weight that I wanted to lose and yet I still want to have fun at the beach.  sigh.  I need your input, if you don't mind.  Do you think I should buy the skirted suit or the tank suit?  I have never bought a skirted suit but I like the look of this one. Hmmm..  I love the contrasting white and black and it is supposed to "draw the eye up", as opposed to down to where the bulges in the middle and lower half live!  double sigh.  Well, we shall see.  Either way I will have fun at the beach!

    On another note, I am in love with the fun "croc like" shoes pictured!  I think I may get a pair of the pink or orange (maybe both!) ones.  You can even wash them!  Land's End always has great items.

   I went to TJ Maxx today.  Don't you LOVE that place??  I certainly do.  I found a darling straw hat that I plan on wearing at the beach with my new suit.  Hats are so stylish and fun, plus they protect your from the sun.  It's a win/win situation!  Perhaps this year I will not be the "Burn Queen".:-)

Yard Sales!

    The girls and I spent the morning frequenting a few neighborhood yard sales.  We got up early and sailed through the drive-through at McDonalds for cinnamon rolls (one way to quickly get them out of bed!).  Once the sugar rush kicked in we were ready to start our treasure hunt!  We found a lot of great things, but these are some of my favorites.  I am absolutely in love with "bird" items these days- birds, bird nests, bird cages, etc.  Can you tell?:-)

Homemade Spa

            The girls had an at home "Spa Day" yesterday!  What they are "modeling" in this picture is the Oatmeal Honey mask.  Don't they look cute?  Like they really need a spa day!:-)  If you'd like to make this at home it is so simple!  You mix 1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal with 3 tablespoons of honey and that's all there is to it!  Wash your face before applying and then place a warm, wet washcloth over your face for 10 seconds to open your pores.  Apply the mask in a thin layer.  Relax for about 10 minutes and then rinse.

Princess Package!

     I received the most beautiful princess treasures from my Enchanted Swap Partner, Kim, today!  She is a lovely lady with such an incredible artistic gift!  First off, she sent me a darling bunny tin (we both collect rabbits) filled with Rolos (another favorite!).

   Then, I opened up a gorgeous, sparkly wand accented with vintage rhinestones and decorative trim!  Absolutely magical!

     The last package that I opened contained the most incredible crown hanger!!  It is a crown mosaic with beautiful, vintage, flowered china pieces AND vintage rhinestones!  I was speechless!!  This picture doesn't do it justice...  Thanks so much, Kim, for all your enchanted gifts.  You made me feel like a princess today!  If you get a minute, check out her blog (to the right- click on: b b in a box).  Kim is an absolute sweetie pie and she makes gorgeous works of art!

Desert Island Swap!

   Imagine yourself on a desert island.... (but you know you will be rescued in 24 hours) What would you want with you?   Books? Candy?  Suntan lotion?  A blanket??  Let's pretend we are on that deserted island and make it into a swap! Create, make, and/or buy 5 things that you would like with you on a deserted island and then send them to your partner!   For example, if you like books, find an author your partner enjoys and send her a book!  Don't worry, I will send each of you a questionnaire so you can find out what your partners likes/dislikes are.:-)   I will take signs ups until May 5th and you will need to mail your package by June 5th.  Just leave a comment on this post and/or e-mail me to sign up.  You don't need to have a blog to participate.  This is going to be FUN!

***Please e-mail me at:  toosillysisters [at] cox [dot] net   Please include your address and blog name (if you have one).  Thanks!***

What's for Dinner?

This is a yummy (and healthy!) recipe I got from Prevention magazine a few years ago.  We are having them for dinner tonight...

Chicken Burgers

1 pound ground chicken (or turkey)

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 cup soft bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix ingredients together until just combined.  Add black pepper to taste.  Divide mixture to make 4 patties, and place on greased baking sheet.

3.  Bake 12-15 minutes on each side, or until meat has reached 170 degrees.

Let me know what you think!:-)

Charlie's Angels

Let's take a little walk down memory lane...  Growing up, I loved Charlie's Angels.  When my friends and I played together I was always Jacklyn Smith and my younger sister was stuck being Kate Jackson.  Going undercover, solving crimes and always looking fabulous.  I wanted so badly to be like that when I grew up.  You know, Nancy Drew living on the wild side.  Oh, and do you remember Charlie's Angels trading cards?  Well, it may be before your time.  (You really missed out.)  They were just like baseball cards and came with a stiff, cardboard like piece of gum and an angel sticker.  I faithfully collected and traded those cards.  Of course,  some cards/stickers were worth more than others but that only depended on the person.  I still remember trying to play it cool so I could get a card that I really wanted!  Those were the days.   I loved those cards.  Then, for some reason, one day I just decided to throw them away.  Can you imagine how much they would be worth today?  I just can't think about it...

Setting up Shop

   The girls absolutely adore porcelain dolls.  So, today they decided to set up a Doll Shop in the little yellow house.  They cleaned the floors, dusted and even rearranged the furniture.  When everything was just right, they displayed all their lovely little ladies. It was precious!  Don't you love those moments when your children are each others best friend?  Those moments are so fleeting...

"Enchanted" Swap!

Here is a sneak peek of what I made for my "Enchanted" swap partner, Kim!  I can't show everything, in case she is looking...:-)  This was such a fun swap.  You had to make something that the princess would have worn or had when she fell down the well.  If you have not seen the movie, it's absolutely darling!  One of our favorites.:-)

Night on the Town

   We just got home from a "night on the town."  We went to T.G.I. Friday's and had a blast!  In case you didn't know, they have appetizers for $4 from 3-closing seven nights a week!  So, we have become regulars there lately...:-)  You have to sit in the "bar" area for this deal, but there is no smoking so we don't mind a bit!  Plus, we got to play the electronic trivia game (LOVE it!) and Jeff won!  We dined underneath the disco ball with the Blues Brothers (behind Mandy) and had Oreo Cake for dessert.  What could be better?

Self Portraits

   I felt like I needed to redeem myself after posting that picture of me and Snookie (my cat) the other day!  These are my attempts at a self portrait.  Not as easy as you think!  Anyway, I'm not going to get a modeling contract anytime soon, but this shows that I don't always look as bad as I did the other night- lol!:-)

Birthday Parties Gone Wild

   First of all, let me start off by saying that I love birthday parties.  I love planning them, I love reading about them, but when it comes down to it I really don't like hosting them.  It's just me, I guess.  I want them to be so perfect, for everyone to have fun and for my birthday girls to be happy each and every minute.  That's a huge undertaking for a Mom.  Anyway, I just finished reading this article about people spending $10,000 on a party for their child.  I don't mind spending money, in fact I rather enjoy it, but isn't that INSANE??!  I have seen a few episodes of the MTV show "My Super Sweet 16" and I wanted to vomit.  I did not like even one of those children.  So sad.  They were incredibly spoiled and treated their parents like trash.  

   Lately, I have found that many of my friends do not have birthday parties for their children every year.  Some celebrate every certain number of years and some just celebrate with their families.  This is sounding better and better to me.  I am pretty sure that we will still host birthday parties for our girls, but I am really going to try and tone things down.  You know, less people, less unnecessary "stuff".  Last year Katie really wanted to have a birthday party at our home with the big event being cookie decorating.  Well, we ended up going to Chuck E. Cheese where she was scared to death of the giant mouse.   She and her little friends did have fun, but they would have had just as much fun decorating cookies and just playing together.  Live and learn, huh?

Old and Cold

Yesterday we were lucky enough to tour an archealogical dig!  The weather was oh so cold and rainy, but we braved the elements anyway.  We learned that the men and women were trying to locate the "privy" (aka: the outhouse) because that is where the settlers would throw their broken pottery, trash, etc.  They had just started digging that morning, but had already discovered some Indian artifacts and a clay marble.  We may stop by later today to see what else they have found.

After the tour, the girls were able to explore the museum.  They dressed up and gave us their best pious looks.  What is it that made them look so sad/angry in those long ago pictures?  Then Mandy and Hannah tried their hand at checkers and Katie did some old time laundry.  Sure makes you thankful for your washer and dryer!

Peep Peep and Quack

Look what we got to play with today!  Our home school group took a field trip to a huge hardware store and these little cuties greeted us at the door.  There were many different types of baby chicks (why do they have to grow up?) and darling little baby ducks.  The girls begged to take some home, and I have to say I was tempted.  Maybe someday.:)  We then toured the store and at the very end the kids got to plant some flowers to take home.  We can't wait to go back!

American Pie

  I don't normally post pictures of myself (especially ones this bad!) but I couldn't resist this time.  That's me and Snookie spending some quality time together.:-) (Check out the look on his face.)  You're not going to believe it, but I have a great book that I would like to tell you about!  Really!  It's called American Pie and it's a wonderful, true story about a writer that travels cross country sampling delicious homemade pies.  Each place she stops turns out to be a story in itself, plus the recipes are included.:-)  

Signs of Life

While weeding the garden today I had to marvel at all the signs of Spring.  I enjoyed the heavenly scent of lilacs and lavender and the gorgeous shades of green in my ivy.  The delicate Bleeding Hearts have made an appearance and I hope that we will see their lovely flowers before the heat frightens them away.  I even took a picture of our little robins nest.  Can you see it?  I accidentally scared the Mommy away, but she soon returned.  I am so glad they feel safe enough to stay with us.   Now if I can just keep Snookie, our cat, inside...

Summer Nights

    We will be at the beach in less than a month!  I can't wait to see the ocean again as I miss it terribly.  At the end of our beach vacations I always have to take a moment for one last look.  It may sounds silly, but it's something I do.  I love the sound of the waves crashing, the taste of the salt on my lips, the gorgeous seashells that are ours for the taking, and the way I feel at the end of the day- healthier and energized but exhausted at the same time.  I suppose I fell in love with the ocean when I was little.  Each summer, my parents would rent a beach house with some friends for a week.  I don't remember ever watching TV, but I do remember catching crabs after dark, playing charades, sleeping in bunk beds, body surfing, shopping for souvenirs and getting a great suntan!  One summer my Dad went for a swim and saw a hammerhead shark.  I think he could have walked on water he was so scared!  Then there were the summers we got to see "Grease" and "Star Wars" at the drive-in.  Such great memories.

    This year I can't wait to look for seashells, take lots of pictures, have bonfires on the beach- with s'mores!, read some great books, eat tons of fresh shrimp, stay up late watching movies and visiting, and the list goes on...  Maybe this year we will go on a dolphin watching cruise?  Play tennis? Find sea glass??  No matter what we decide to do, I know we will make some wonderful memories.  

Gymnastics??

   I watch Katie doing gymnastics and I wonder how it is possible.  I NEVER in my life accomplished a cartwheel- neither did Jeff.  You do the math.  She just learned how to do a round off tonight and she is working on a one handed cartwheel.  Wow.  I watch and am absolutely amazed at her ability.  The last time I remember doing (attempting would be a better word) gymnastics was in high school.  Two of my friends were my "spotters".  You know, the people that were supposed to save you from yourself?  I wanted SO badly to accomplish a handstand and their job was to catch my legs in the air.  Simple, right?  Well, they decided that moment was a perfect time to chat instead.  I took a deep breath and up my legs went.  Then, down my legs went.  In fact, I went completely over and landed on my back.  BAM!  I heard someone scream, "She broke her neck!"  Thank goodness I just had the wind knocked out of me.  Nope, Katie did not get her gymnastics gift from me.  

Jumping off a Cliff

   I spent some time talking to a Mom this evening about why we have chosen to home school our children.  It turns out that she secretly wants to home school her children, too, but she is scared.  It's kind of like jumping off a cliff.  Socially, she knows her oldest child is struggling. (The other kids at school don't want to play with him.)  Children can be so cruel, but if you can have just one good friend, you can make it.  This child does not have that one friend and so my heart is breaking for her and her little boy.  She said that he used to be caring and sensitive but that has all changed since he started going to school.  I shared with her that I noticed a huge change when Mandy started, too.  My bubbly, chatty Mandy became a ghost of a child.  When I came to help in her class I did not even recognize her due to the fact that she was, for the most part, silent.  Every part of me ached for her and I knew I had to do something.

   I think we are all scared to home school our child(ren) at the beginning.  Everyone else sends their children to school so why shouldn't we??   Well, it is one of the best choices we have ever made.  I think it's wonderful that others send their children to school, if it works for them.  But, when we started learning at home I got my talkative Mandy back.:-)  She is much more confident, has nice friends, and is encouraging to others.  These qualities have not been taken away from her after all!  She just had to rediscover them.  In addition, she is not afraid to try new things.  In fact, she is energized by new challenges.  She loves to rock climb, enters 10 mile bike races, and competes in karate tournaments.  She inspires me!:-)

Picnic in the Park

   Another cold day, but we decided to brave a picnic in the park.  It's Spring and whether it feels like it or not, we are going to act like it's warm!  While we were eating we were lucky enough to see a Great Blue Heron!  It was beautiful with it's long, graceful legs and sharp, pointed beak.  The girls tried to feed him some bread, but we found out later that frogs and fish are on the menu for these guys:   

   Mandy went exploring and discovered a Mommy duck sitting on her eggs.  I would have to say she was sitting on about 30 of them.  Dogs and other ducks kept scaring her away but she always returned to her nest.  We were amazed!  I couldn't resist taking these pictures, but I was quick about it as I knew those little ones needed their Mommy.  So sweet.  I hope the babies make it, although with 30 ducklings she certainly will have her hands full.:-)

Straw Hat Craft

   These hats are a fun Springtime craft.  I got the instructions while vacationing in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.  They offer a hat making class in the colonial area, but we missed it.  They were kind enough to share the directions with me, though, and I realized I could do this on my own!  When I got home, I made them with my American Girl class while we studied Felicity Merriman.  Katie decided she wanted to make one, too.  You need a straw hat (Hobby Lobby), artificial flowers of your choice (Wal Mart- way less expensive than Hobby Lobby), wide ribbon (no wire), and a hot glue gun.  First you make two slits (approx. 2 inches, depending on the width of your ribbon) at the base of the hat.  This is for sliding the ribbon through so you can tie it under your chin.  Then you get out your trusty glue gun and glue flowers where ever you like on your hat!  Don't forget to remove the stems first.  Sometimes Katie wears her hat and other times it graces the wall in her bathroom.  Have fun with this!:-)