And the winner is...

The winner of the frame giveaway on my other blog, Pink Hearts and Polka Dots, is Shannon! Thank you to everyone who entered and stay tuned here for another frame giveaway with my 100th post!

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

It iced over last night at our house, so this morning I really didn't see a reason to get out or to get Rhett out in the stuff. So, I thought I would mess around in the kitchen. I decided to make some yummy homemade bread and some homemade Wassail. Recipes courtesy of my friend, Betsy, and my Grandmother, respectively. Below are the recipes in case you are ever iced in. As an added bonus, both of these recipes will make your house smell delish!
Traditional White Bread

6-7 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening
2 packages yeast
2 1/4 cups very warm water (120-130 degrees)
2 tablespoons butter, melted, if desired

1. Mix 3 1/2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt, shortening, and yeast in large bowl. Add warm water. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scarping bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Stir in enough remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, to make dough easy to handle.

2. Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead about 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy. Place dough in large bowl greased with shortening, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place 40 to 60 minutes or until double. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.

3. Grease bottoms and sides of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 or 9 x 5, with shortening.

4. Gently push fist into dough to deflate. Divide dough in half. Flatten each half with hands or rolling pin into 18 x 9 inch rectangle on lightly floured surface. Roll dough up tightly, beginning at 9-inch side. Press with thumbs to seal after every turn. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal. Press each end with side of hand to seal. Fold ends under loaf. Place seam side down in pan. Brush loaves lightly with butter. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place 35 to 50 minutes or until double.

5. Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 425 degrees.

6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until loaves are a deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans to wire rack. Brush loaves with butter, cool.


Grandmother V's Homemade Wassail

1 gal. Apple Juice
1 cup water
5-6 cinnamon sticks
1 whole orange
whole cloves

Pierce the outside of the orange with the whole cloves, covering generously. Add all ingredients in large stockpot and simmer over low to medium heat.

Enjoy!

(I didn't have any oranges, but have also seen this recipe w/ lemons. I prefer oranges, but it is still pretty good with both!)

A Giveaway!

I am participating in Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival over on my other blog, Pink Hearts and Polka Dots. If you would like to win a hand-painted frame of your choice, hop on over to my other blog and leave a comment. The giveaway is open until Friday at Midnight, and I'll post the winner on that site on Saturday. Sorry, the giveaway is only available to ship in the US only. Be sure and leave a way to get in touch with you. Good LUCK!

Copy Cat

I am a copy cat! I saw this post by Ms. Tee at Delightful Home and knew that I had to do something like that in my laundry room. Of course, that laundry room is way cuter and way bigger and way, way better than mine! But, I tried! I should have probably painted my walls first 'cause now I want color and will have a hard time painting around my letters. But, here is the finished product, at least for now:

Oh look, and there is my chalkboard door again!

This room makes me smile every time I walk by it! Thanks, Ms. Tee!

My Orange Men

Last weekend, I dressed Rhett in an orange shirt before we went to Jeremy's parents' house for lunch. Jeremy came out in orange after his shower too. We got to Jeremy's parents' house and Jeremy's dad was wearing orange as well. Kind of weird at this point. Then, Jeremy's sister arrived, and Luke was wearing orange also! How weird is that?!? So, here is a pic of everyone in their orange garb (minus FIL). Rhett was less than thrilled that we decided to stop and take a picture instead of feeding him again!

A Canvas for Candace

Jeremy's cousin, Candace, e-mailed me last week and asked me to make a painting of some sort with her last name on it. I was much obliged, as I was just let go from my job and wondering what I was going to do. If nothing else, this would at least keep me busy for a while. The funny part is, she had no idea about my recent termination. Funny how God works, huh?!? Anyway, I would normally paint something like this on wood, around 8"x10", but she wanted something bigger to take up more space on her wall. So, I was a little skeptical about doing a canvas, but I tried, and I actually LOVE the way it turned out. I am thinking of adding these to my other blog!

A Shameless Plug

I have become a statistic of this magnificent economy. That's right, last week I was laid off. But, I believe that God shuts one door and opens another, and I am trying to make lemonade out of lemons. That is why I am excited to announce my new website, Pink Hearts and Polka Dots where I will be showcasing all of my hand-made frames for sale. I have always dreamed of owning my own business where I could put my creativity to work. I know this is a very small step, but it is my FIRST step in that direction. I decided to try my hand at this on blogger first, then if I am at least a little successful, I will move on over to ETSY. So, if you are in the market for a personalized gift, maybe for a baby shower, co-worker's birthday or teacher gift, or maybe you just feel sorry for me because I am jobless (I'll take whatever I can get) then go on over to pinkheartspolkadots.blogspot.com and check it out! And check back often as I will be updating often! You can e-mail me at pinkhearts.polkadots@yahoo.com for more information. Custom orders are available.

Raggedy Love

I have wanted to make a ragamuffin garland for a while now. I have seen such cute ones in blogland and even at my real friends' houses. They were all inspiration for my very first one. Since my birthday is on Valentine's day, I get lots of pretty packages with lots of pretty ribbon. So, I have been saving ribbon from those pretty packages for a long time. So much so, that my ribbon box was overflowing. So, I thought that I would put the ribbon to good use. I had some red and some white fabric left over from various other projects, and I got to work. Oh, and my SIL also gave me some cute red and white polka dotted fabric leftover from her playroom makeover. I tied in some pink, plastic, heart-shaped cookie cutters for some more valentine fun. I love this little ragamuffin and am hooked on making them now. So, to all of my family, don't be surprised if you receive one as a gift someday!

Now, my only problem is, I don't know where (or how) to hang it!

Edited to add: I still don't know how to hang it. I cut the rope (yes, I used jute rope for mine) a little too short. Next time, I will know to cut it longer and to add loops! But, I did figure out a place to hang it, and just tucked the ends of the jute into it, and it is still holding strong! (Fingers crossed!) SEE:

Mission: Organization

Our pantry has been a disaster for a while now, and with the addition of baby food and formula, it made things even more so! My husband has been telling me for a while now that we need to organize our pantry again. I kept telling him that I would get to it, but just kept putting it off. Last week, I reached into to get something out, and dropped a glass jar of spices on the ground, which shattered into a million pieces and created a huge mess. So, this morning while Rhett was playing and watching Little Einsteins, I made it my mission to organize the pantry!

MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED!

Another Free Makeover

I have been hating my master bedroom for a long, long time. At first, I thought it was the white walls, so we painted them green. And then, I hated it again. I don't know what it is. I also, have always wanted an armoire to house our TV in the master bedroom. The one that matches our bedroom suit is approximately $900- $1000. I have always wanted it, but that price range is a little steep. So, this weekend, my in-laws were clearing some excess furniture out of their garage, and I spotted an armoire that would be perfect in my bedroom. So, we loaded it up and headed to our house. My husband's family came to help. We moved our bed, moved our dresser, moved our chairs, rearranged some knick knacks, and brought in our "new" armoire! I think our bedroom looks much bigger and much better! And, you can't beat FREE!!! I wish I had some before pictures, but you'll just have to settle for the afters.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for this girl and this girl. I do not know either of them, but they are both in need of prayer right now. Both just gave birth this week. I found their blogs from Shannon's and have enjoyed reading about their pregnancies. I remember being in their same shoes just before being induced and how excited and afraid I was. I checked both blogs to see pics of their sweet babies and both had some not so great news. You can click the links above for more info. I just know that if I were in their shoes, I would want someone (even if I never even knew it) imploring everyone they knew to pray for me too!

The Look of LOVE

I LOVE Valentine's Day. Almost as much as I LOVE Christmas. Almost... but NOT QUITE! I think my love for Valentine's Day stems from the fact that it is also my birthday. Growing up, my mom always outdid herself with my birthday celebrations, and they were always decorated so perfectly with pinks, reds and hearts. I love hearts to this day and many people tell me that when they see something with hearts on it, they often think of me. What a great holiday to share my birthday with, a holiday all about love!

I wanted to show some of the things I put out for V-day. It's not as much as some, but just enough for me (especially after having out 7 Christmas trees!).

This hangs on our front door. It is an old, rusty iron piece and it is so uniquely perfect for Valentine's day! I got it a few years ago for my birthday and I love it!

This also sits outside our home for all visitors, passers by, and more importantly, Cupid, to see!

I made this little red candy dish out of a flower pot that I received for a get well gift. Right now it holds all left over Christmas candy. I just tied a little Valentine ribbon around the bottom to make it more festive!

I got this cute plate (for my birthday) a few years ago.

Also, got these towels for my birthday (sorry for the blurry pic!)

And this one too!

These sit on our formal dining table for the month of January and half of February.

I had an extra one left over, so I put it as a soap dish in Rhett's bathroom.
I loved Shannon's scripture quote on her dress-me up plate. I didn't want to copy her exactly, and I couldn't find a scripture that I liked better, so this is what I found.

The rest of these things are not specifically set out for Valentine's day, but stay out all year long. Because red is the main color scheme in our home, most of this stuff fits right in with our decor. Also wanted to showcase all of the other "Love" related items in our home.



Told you I love hearts!

7 months

Yesterday, my little guy turned 7 months old! Before I know it, we will be planning a First Birthday Party. He is growing and getting so big and so much fun. He is not yet crawling, but is getting so very close! No teeth yet, but that is ok. He began using his consonants the other day, and it was so cute. I thought he was saying "bye bye", but my SIL confirmed that he was just learning to say his "B" sounds (per our shared pediatrician). But, I can be proud of him anyway, so here is a little video of it:

Since this, he has also started saying his "D" sounds. So, of course Dada came before Mama. Why can't he learn the "M" sound?!?! But, his Daddy is so very excited about the "D" development even if he is just practicing!

Thank you for all of your prayers with this nasty RSV. Rhett is still contagious, but he is slowly getting back to his normal, happy self!

I would have posted this yesterday on his actual 7 month birthday, but I could not get this video to load!

I heart Faces

I am entering a fun bloggy contest at www.iheartfaces.com . They have both a kids and adult entry photo contest each week. I just found out about it off of Sandy Toes' blog and I decided to play along. Here is my entry for this week:Now, I claim to be no photographer, but I love this picture of Rhett. He was asleep at the dinner table in Disney World at the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue. If you've ever been, then you know it is no where near quiet! (Hints the name!)

They're Up!!!

We had a photographer come out to our house to take some pictures marking Rhett's 6 months of life. The pictures are up now, if you would like to view them then click here and go to proofing. The password is Rhett.

New Year, New Scenery

I have seen so many blogs lately that have been changing things around a bit due to wanting a fresh start in the new year or taking down the Christmas decor leaving everything so bare. Well, all of these blogs have inspired me a little and I made a few changes myself. I already showed you what I did in Rhett's bathroom. Well, we had a Christmas tree in our main hallway at Christmastime. During the fall, we had a scarecrow in the same place holding a bowl of candy. So, with something being in the hallway for the past 3 months, when I took the tree down, it just looked so empty:

So, yesterday, I got creative. I shopped my house, a la Nester, and came up with a small table not being used, a lamp not being used, a few frames and some other fun knick knacks. And, viola:


Probably not the prettiest little tablescape you have ever seen, but it sure keeps the hallway from looking so empty, adds light, and allows me to display family photos.

Now, my question to you is, should I paint the table black? Right now, it is old and the varnish is all chipping off (which is a look I love), but I just thought maybe black would make it stand out more in this hallway? It only cost $1.00 at a garage sale, so I am sure that painting it won't hurt it a bit!

3 Posts and No Pictures... What?

I need to be a little more diligent about taking pictures to post on my blog. But, I guess I spoke too soon about my baby boy being ok. On Tuesday night, he had labored breathing, a low-grade fever and vomited after a long coughing fit. So, we called the doctor's office again and they told us to take him immediately to a local Urgent Care Center for children. Turns out, he has an ear infection in addition to the RSV and the doctor heard some wheezing in his lungs. So, he has now had to start breathing treatments (which also have to be done at night while he is sleeping). He has 4 different medications and something to put in the nebulizer for his breathing treatment. So, $130 later, we are back at home trying to recouperate! Hopefully, my sweet baby boy will be feeling 100% in no time! Needless to say, there has been little time to take pictures for my blog!

Sadness

I was so sad to hear about John Travolta's son's death. I think it is terribly sad when anyone dies, but for some reason, this death really struck a nerve. Maybe it is because I have experienced a love like none other when my baby boy was born. I cannot imagine losing a child, and hope that I never have to experience it. My thoughts and prayers are with The Travolta family. I know this is the most difficult thing they have ever experienced, and my heart bleeds for them. I know that oftentimes, celebrities are put upon pedestals because people feel that they are somehow better than the rest of us "normal" people. But, this is not the reason for my sadness. I am now a parent, and from one parent to another, I understand their grief and hurt and anger and sadness. I hope that their time with their son, though short, was full of happy, wonderful memories that they will carry with them forever.

I would like to thank the academy...

... for this award. Just kidding! But, I would like to thank my friend, Jessica, over at The Russo Corner and one of my new favorite blogs, Self Confessed Lamp Tramp for giving me my first ever blogging award. I don't even know what to do with it, or how to get the picture on here! It's called the Lemonade Award and the rules are you are supposed to nominate 10 people for this award, but I don't have 10 bloggy friends, so I'll just nominate my real-life and bloggy friend, Betsy! So, Bets, to get your award and post in on your page, you'll have to visit Jessica's page cause I'm not too sure about how to get it here!

On a more serious note, my sweet baby boy has RSV! Thank God he does not have a very serious case of it. I have seen many children in blogland that have been hospitalized or it has turned into pneumonia. His oxygen levels are good, so he is not in a serious stage. We are just to keep him well hydrated and in the humidity, so his little lungs can breathe easier. I am so thankful it is not serious, but still hate to see my little baby so congested and sick.

While we were at the doctor's office, Rhett rolled right off the table. The Dr. was sitting behind him on the table and I was standing in front of him. She stood up, and I went to sit right behind him, and in that split second, he went over, sideways. I caught him in mid-air! The doctor told me that I made a good catch. He was not hurt, just a little scared by it. That started a crying episode that was probably intensified due to him not feeling well.

A Bathroom Makeover

I have been wanting to re-do Rhett's bathroom for some time. His bathroom is the main bathroom in our home, so guests use it also. I never wanted to not have a pretty guest bathroom, and I didn't think that you could make a child's bathroom very cute. Then, my SIL re-did her children's bathroom:

and my friend, Betsy, re-did her children's bathroom and they were both so cute! I knew that I could do something fun for Rhett's bathroom but still make it look nice for when guests use it! So, I asked for these Pottery Barn towels for Christmas, and I did not get them. :(But, I did get these adorable hand towels from my SIL (and she didn't even know of my plan)!


I had a red towel that I could use, and already had some of the exact same ribbon, so I decided these would be the basis of a small re-do in Rhett's bathroom. I found exact or similar ribbon to the hand towels, and made this:

I purchased some letters from Hobby Lobby and painted the edges and applied scrapbook paper to the front, to make this:
I also used some scrapbook paper (an afterthought) to recover the tissue box that sits on the back of the toilet.

This lamp has been in here since we moved here. I wanted a striped pattern, but our original plan didn't look so hot, so my hubby spray painted this shade and made red on red stripes. You cannot see it unless the light is on, and I think it looks great!
I pretty much left everything else the same. Maybe I moved a few things around here and there, but overall this was a very LOW COST makeover! Here are some pics of the rest of the room:

This bathroom is narrow and long, so it is hard to photograph!

Oh, and P.S. My friend, Jessica is hosting a giveaway over at The Russo Corner. Check it out!
(Sorry, Jess, I have been meaning to post about this since you posted on your site about it!)