Friday, August 29, 2008

Our 'G' crib

Well I named Steve's Georgia room the G Crib for him. If you have a cooler name let me know. Our neighbors across the street have the Mancave. Their basement is ALL Georgia. They have beautiful French doors to enter it. Over there they have red paint on the bottom, gray on the top with white chair rail...a flat screen on the wall, black carpet in all the rooms down there. Oh and their bathroom too. Steve only has this bonus room...the room upstairs that's over our garage. When he flew back to the states from Germany to buy this house, by himself, the bonus room was a must for the house to have to buy it. My husband cracks me up, he is so fun. Right now he is in Kuwait...still in denial that he is missing the first few weeks of football. Oh my and Atlanta is host to ESPN's College Gameday tomorrow...the Alabama/Clemson game is at the Dome. Poor Steve!







If you look at these pics you can see our family picture at the Georgia game at Tenn. It was so much fun. We had made a big trip out of it and went to Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and the Smokey Mountain National Park while we were already there in Knoxville. What a beautiful state Tennessee is.





Steve does share his little castle with the kids. You can see some of their toys and we also stash some in our crawl spaces up here. Behind the little white door lies a big Barbie hotel, camper and all the fixing's plus Dora's house and Diego's tree house and their fixings. Ben also has his PS2 up here and then the wii is downstairs. This dedicated shrine to the University of Georgia is a lot of fun if I do say so myself.






Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Home Sweet Home

It has been cloudy for 6 days and raining for the last 4. It is August in Atlanta, Georgia and should be 102 not 72....I am not complaining I am loving it. It is remnants of that storm Faye...still. Don't I sound like I am married to a weather man. I am. He is not the kind you see on TV. He does all that computer and satellite stuff and briefs pilots. He is in the Air Force but has worked for the Army the last 6 years(the Army does not have a weather career field so it's Air Force people that get stationed at Army bases to do it) so his job is called a Battlefield Weather Forecaster. Well this morning after I got home from the gym I started a little pot of Home Sweet Home and now my house smells wonderful.





Sauce pan of water
ground cinnamon
ground cloves

Heat to almost a boil and then simmer. You can leave this on all day...just remember to keep an eye on it and add water when needed. MMM Enjoy!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Monday Monday...

It's Monday and I am feeling it! We had a nice easy weekend. Since Friday it has been all cloudy here...I think Friday and Saturday we had clouds and winds from that storm Faye that was in the Atlantic. I have actually enjoyed the grey, it's relaxing plus I know it's not here to stay. My kids wear shorts to school until the end of October here. I did stitch this little pillow for myself this weekend, plus others to sell at the Plum Tree. The Country Sampler Magazine pictured one similar to this in their latest issue and I thought hey I want one of those...perfect for a cute Halloween decoration.


Friday, August 22, 2008

Mrs. Teacher

Last year when my youngest child started Kindergarten I signed up to be a substitute teacher. Today I subbed for the first time this school year and just 1/2 day at that. When my front office called me Monday to ask if I would be interested in this job they told me it was for the Moderate class...not just anyone would want to do it. There are 3 kids and 3 teachers. One of them has Down Syndrome, one with CP with other things and I am not sure about the other one. I was excited thinking I may like it but also nervous. I LOVED it. It was amazing. There is so much love and patience in there. During circle time we showed them three pictures of the three kids in there and their challenge was to point to the picture of themselves. When they did it you should have seen the three of us teachers clap and cheer. They have the coolest stuff in this classroom...a small trampoline! The one not so little 1st grader with Down Syndrome went to go jump. He can't jump he just bends his knees and bounces a little...he was laughing so hard yelling jump jump jump and we all clapped and joined in jump jump jump. It was just the most wonderful experience for me. On my way out of the school I had to check out through the office and told Wanda anytime they need a sub for that class I would LOVE to do it. I am still in awe of what happened as I am writing this...can ya tell?


It's almost September and September makes me think of apples...apple pie, apple upside down cake, caramel apples, apple crisp and my moms applesauce cake. The other night before Steve left the baking bug got to me so I made some yummy applesauce cake. It's easy!

1/2 cup of butter
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of applesauce
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup raisins

cream butter, sugar and applesauce. Add flour and spices and then raisins.
Bake in greased and floured loaf pan or three minis.
Bake 40 min. at 350 degrees.



(yes here is my recipe card from when I was a teenager. I tell my husband if there is a fire my recipe boxes are on the list of things to grab to save)







Maybe it's because my mom made mini loves...but I love them. When I make batter and do this it's easy to share a little loaf and still have some for my family.









I love to serve my little loaves sliced on my long skinny Japanese dishes. I LOVE blue and white. When I was younger and in the Air Force, stationed in Japan, my friends thought I was a crazy single girl buying so many dishes...but I had hopes to one day get my dream job of wife and mother and do all things I get to do.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Who you....

My goodness...I had another lunch date with my hubby again today. He is leaving for a month or so tomorrow so they let him go home early for the day. It was a fun surprise. Then he even went to pick up the kids from school giving me some unexpected free time. Since I hadn't made a new card in a week, I was itching! I had seen this quote by Dr. Seuss on another blog months ago, maybe even last year. When I saw this paper it spoke Seuss to me and put the two together. I think they would be cute to hand to a teacher during the month we celebrate Dr. Seuss...or anytime to anyone. Today you are you.
That is truer than you.
There is no one alive
Who is Youer than you.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

I just love being a mom!

There are good days and there are bad days and some days they just crack me up!!!

I always shower at night so I am just ready to get up and go in the morning. One night last week I was getting ready to jump into the shower. I realized I needed a towel for when I got out. Steve was in the living room doing whatever and Ben was on my bed in the dark watching TV. I opened my bathroom door and ran out in the nude to the hall to grab a towel. Ben was horrified...."MOM, DAD IS HOME" so... "WHAT IF HE SEES YOU LIKE THAT"!!!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

2008 UGA picture day

Yesterday Aug. 16th was the University of Georgia's annual picture day. It's FREE. You can get into the stadium for Free. You can get anything you want signed by any player of any sport for FREE. Even the coach's. All you have to do is stand in line for hours and hours. We did it last year and wouldn't have missed for the world again this year.


Our first stop was the Women's soccer team...WHOA MADI!!! The girls were so nice to Madi talking to her about playing soccer and signed a poster for her. Ben was right there and they signed one for him too but when they tried to give it to him he told them he didn't want it! I instantly explained he only liked boys stuff and they quickly replied with how they completely understood. Thank goodness no offense was taken on their part...they thought it was funny.




While Ben and I were standing in the wide receiver's line for 1 1/2 hours he would go walk around snapping pictures. He took this one of Hairy dog mixed in the crowd.



Ben and the Offensive line.
Here is Ben with the new wide receiver AJ Green. He is a freshman and all the fans have high expectations for this one. He was one of the "hot" ones to get an autograph from. This was his first day in a Georgia uniform...so there were not pictures of him in a UGA uniform to get him to sign. Steve cracks me up! He got this guys picture from High School, an 8x10, really nice. His old school colors were yellow and green, so Steve and I went shopping together the other day specifically to get a yellow marker for this guy to sign the yellow and green picture. Well it was Ben and I who went through the wide receiver line. When I pulled out this guys High School picture with the yellow marker the whole line of wide receivers started hootin and hollerin! He was the special boy. It was so funny. Now I know why Steve made me do it.









This guy is EVERYWHERE. He is at every single UGA sporting event. What a nice guy to take a picture with anyone who asks and that's got to be thousands...he's an icon. Every year Ben and Madi get their picture with him.





The cheerleaders are so nice to all the little girls...they wanted a picture with Ben but he wouldn't do it.

Ben and Madi played with their new footballs.





Happy people after getting some cool Georgia football memorabilia...signed.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Here is a must have cookbook! Okay I have been to every state in the Union (yes Alaska and Hawaii) except for the ones north of Pennsylvania. One of these days I am sure I will make it to New York and when I do Serendipity will definitely be a stop of mine. I love the stories this recipe book shares...Jackie Kennedy use to take John-John and Caroline to Serendipity for Frrrrozen Hot Chocolate. So here it is:



Frrrrozen Hot Chocolate

6 half-ounce pieces of a variety of your favorite chocolates
2 teaspoons storebought hot chocolate mix
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar 1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups ice
whipped cream
chocolate shavings

Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place it in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Add the hot chocolate mix and sugar, stirring constantly until thoroughly blended. Remove from heat and slowly add 1/2 cup of the milk and stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

In a blender place the remaining cup of milk, the room temperature chocolate mixture, and the ice. Blend on high speed until smooth and the consistency of a frozen daiquiri. Pour into a giant goblet and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Enjoy with a spoon or a straw-or both and Happy Summer!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Harmon happenings...

Steve is off work this week...he has to finish using up his leave before he leaves for Kuwait next week. It's been fun...the kids are in school so it's just the two of us. It's been a long time since we have been alone together like that. We were married for about 4 years before having Ben but that seems like another lifetime. This morning I took the kids to school and stayed to help Madi's teacher for about an hour. Then I went to the gym. When I got home, I made a few cards to sell at the Plum Tree. The other day I had run into Joann's and picked up this pretty paper...sale this week 6 sheets of 12x12 for 96 cents! Today for lunch, Steve and I went to Applebees and we both had their Santa Fe chicken salad...mmm!

I love doing ribbon on cards like this one has. A few years ago my friend Amber sent me a card with ribbon stapled on it... I have been doing it ever since.


Look how big my flowers are getting. They started out quite small. I am so proud of myself for keeping them going.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Another page!

Instead of doing some needed housework or getting to bed on time I got Ben's Kindergarten page done tonight. It is so fun. I love looking at the pictures and remembering this sweet time in our lives.


Boy stuff

Ben and I love this. It's his cork board he has in his room. His room is navy blue with a Braves/old fashioned baseball theme, but he liked this airplane material and it matched color wise. It's just a yard of material stapled to the back of the board and some ribbon...easy. Now I want one to go over my craft table and Steve wants one for his Georgia room. Madi has a store bought surfboard one that matches her room.

I finished a scrapbook page for Ben over the weekend.


Ben is just like Steve....LOVES sports. Last night was Ben's first draft...Steve had signed him up for his own fantasy football team. It's going to be really funny if Ben beats those other grown men. As far a college football, Ben can list what rank each team is right now. It cracks both Steve and I up. Ben is a story writer, so we are thinking maybe he will have a future with ESPN?


Friday, August 8, 2008

I guess there is a party...

So, there is this party going on over at Southern Hospitality...I joined in. You are suppose to share you favorite flea market/antiquing/junking find. I love other peoples junk! When we were stationed in Germany, junking was a monthly treat. My house is filled with my great finds. This hutch is one of them. It brings back fun memories of all my neighbors laughing at me for one for wanting this HUGE thing, and to get it home that night we had to make two trips with this thing laying on it's back on my kids wagon, inching down the street. It was so fun. My husband was in Iraq at the time, so my same neighbors carried this thing up to the 3rd floor and set it up in my dinning room. The hutch is made of that 70's looking wood. In Germany my house had olive green walls so I had painted it ivory, but in this house it didn't look right so we painted it black. Hey the chairs too are junk. Click below and you can go check out lots of other girls great finds.


http://southernhospitality-rhoda.blogspot.com/2008/08/whats-your-very-favorite-thrifty-find.html

This white dresser was given to me, well I actually saved it. My friend in Germany was getting rid of it. I love FREE stuff!


Thursday, August 7, 2008

Let the games begin!!!

The big day is just about here. Have a fun weekend watching the Olympics. Here is my favorite Olympic song...from 1996 :) These guys are both from Georgia so I know they had a blast making this song. Turn up the music!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXZDv5votio

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Told ya...


...I was on a roll. After dinner tonight I just couldn't help myself! Steve had taken the kids out back to throw the football, so what was I suppose to do? :) Here is Madi's page for 1st grade. She loves it...she didn't like when she came home from school and I had only done Ben's.

Finally!

I'm a scapbooker. Okay, I know I can make some pretty cute cards but when it comes to a scrapbook, well that is another story...until today! I had done some pages before but that large piece of wide open space was just plain scary to me. The pages I had done I didn't love and felt like I needed to do them over. Lately I have been paying very close attention to others and how they scrapbook. Yesterday I got a new book with my Michael's coupon, Page Maps by Becky Fleck(thanks Darlene for showing that to me). I am into the simple look I guess. I also noticed my friend Amber seem to do the 81/2x11 pages. Those few extra inches make a difference...today I handled 2 pages of 8 1/2x11 for starters. Watch out, cause now I am on a roll.




Next week we are in charge of snack for Madi's soccer game. I thought a cute bag filled with some good eats would be fun. Last night I made these bags... very simple but Madi likes them.

Monday, August 4, 2008

Are those curtains?

Nope... they are my vintage red handle pieces. My kitchen here is HUGE and I love it! The red handle stuff was hanging on the wall where the white hutch/desk is and it was in front of my window but I moved some things around. I love having my Lazy Boy recliner in there. It makes a nice place to sit and stitch or do whatever while I am waiting on things to cook. My friend Leslie had done this in a window back in Germany...she is the decorating queen. I love using things in a unique way.
Today was Ben and Madi's first day back to school. I am thrilled with their teachers! Last year Madi had Mrs. Fletcher for kindergarten and now this year Ben got Mr. Fletcher for 3rd grade. Needless to say we love the Fletcher's! Both kids think it's cool...Ben I think likes have a man for a teacher. Both of my kids wanted me to come eat lunch with them today...everyone keeps telling me that one of these days they won't want me to so of course I was there. Ben has lunch 1130-1200 and Madi 1200-1230 so it works out well.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Easy Saturday




Today Madi had her first soccer game. She LOVES soccer. Ben is holding out for flag football. After the game we came home to relax and cook a fun lunch. I had a few things to get caught up on since we had been gone for a few days.













I was so excited to play with some of the new paper products I had gotten on our little getaway. Today I made two of these 'back to school' cards to hand out to Ben and Madi's teachers next week. My tradition is on the Friday of the first week of school to give the teacher a fun homemade card and an apple.



Look at this cute paper. It has all that math work on it. I got a few sheets of this and the coordinating papers to do the kids first day of school page for this year. Of course I picked up a few extra sheets to make some cards.