It really is a desert here. Most people would balk at living in it. Once upon a time, I would have too. But it has grown on me. There are little things that you find to love. A game store. A park. A book store. Maybe a thrift store or two. The people you meet and interact with. It is a lot of sunshine, and maybe not enough rainbows, but it is home. And that means that I am setting down the details that I enjoy. Learning what works and what doesn't.
So... I'm adding color! Our front yard isn't so much a yard. It is a lot of rocks and weeds. I see neighbors adding greenery. One is growing tomatoes! In her front yard! And I thought... I want to do some of this. My back yard shows a lot of greenery, but my deliberate planting has failed in a lot of ways. So I told my husband I was ripping up the front zone. That I wanted to move things and plant things. My daughter and I did it in spurts because of the heat.
Day one - gardenia bush! I LOVE the smell of gardenias. They are small white flowers with a huge scent. Pollinators love it too. My husband bought me two. I got one in the ground and had to stop. The heat and high UV is killing me here.
Day two - mandevilla and another gardenia bush! We got the rest of the zone cleared of the weeds and put in those two bushes. Then came the top soil and watering. While we were at it, we even moved my peppers up front. Some of them. I'm desperate to keep these alive. They were given to me with so many tiny leaves, and then the heat hit us hard and they started to shrivel. Even if they are meant for full sun, apparently that doesn't count in this town. Shade is key! So we moved them into the shade out back and they lasted.
But they haven't grown since and haven't all gotten their leaves back. Not sure if these will survive, but maybe after moving up front and in the ground we will have a better shot keeping them alive.
Day three - This day had to be postponed. I sprained my wrist while working Day 2. Had to put on a brace as it swelled and hurt to bend it.
Fast forward a few weeks... I have added everything I originally planned on putting in there. I have learned that shade is for all plants. Including those that normally love sun. Why? Because we live in the desert and it is too much sun!
I planted a pot of lettuce too, from seeds and now have seedlings starting. Here is to hoping that we can grow our own and be having salads soon. And to adding a little more greenery to our desert home!
My youngest recently watched 2 movies for the first time. She saw The Corpse Bride and The Nightmare Before Christmas. She fell in love Sally and with Emily. Wanted me to bring those characters to life in costumes she could wear this year. Emily the Corpse Bride for Halloween. Sally for the Christmas event. So, let me show you how the journey went!
We had a veil that my mom had sent ages ago for the girls to play with. I gave it a paint job (even with some glow-in-the-dark paint).
Blue on the flowers, gray around the edges, and made some parts glow!
Sadly, you can't really see the glowing in the photos I took, but I'm trying. It could probably use more grey, but my daughter fell in love and that was good enough for me!
The final reveal!
Saying YES to this dress!
It
had to be bride-like, but also be child-appropriate. And the last
criteria? Well, it needed to be affordable. Because I had to be okay
with ripping and painting it up. Thankfully, I found the perfect little
dress that was half off - costing me only $4! In my next post, I'm gonna show you the alterations and painting that I did to make this look like Emily's wedding dress.
Life has been a chaotic mess. Pretty much all year, but most especially recently. It has left me questioning where I stand on so many issues. Questioning how to navigate and what is called of me as a wife, and as a mom. My most recent challenge? Taking my daughters on a special trip.
My oldest daughter has started a long-distance relationship with a boy. First (and, hopefully only) one! They met at the Christian summer camp a couple years back. Apparently, he was really taken with her. Since then, they have been talking online. As a mother, that keeps me conflicted. She's so young. But she's growing up. They have to keep it long distance. But that keeps her on the safe side things. It has led to questions and conversations. To growth. To maturity. I see the shift in her. I'm both proud and scared for this girl of mine. But it is about to get more real. He is having a birthday party that he hoped she would attend. They didn't get to go to camp together this year. And he hasn't been able to come all the way out here. So... I'm determined to take her out there. Even if it means going on a 5 or so hours drive one way, stay 2 nights and then make that trip back!
On the other side, my younger daughter has been begging to see her best friend again. Since the 2 locations for these are about 20 minutes apart, I figured, why not? I'll kill two birds with one stone! I'll also get to hang with my friend and meet the boys family. So win-win, right?
All this would not have been possible if it were not for the support of my loving husband. He agreed to take over the driving of our sons to and from work. And to help me save for the trip. He asked me a loaded question before agreeing to this. "Are you sure you can handle making this trip alone?" You see, I don't like driving so much these days. People are crazy. Irresponsible. Jerks. Entitled. And it makes me nervous to go so far without him there. He's my pillar. But after putting some thought into this, I came to this strong realization. This is important to both of my daughters. This is a chance we rarely get. This is something both have been really wanting for so long. So, yes. This is something I need to do. For them. And I will step up to the challenge. For them.
So here is to the planning that I'm going to put into this! Here is to making this weekend trip amazing. For the girls! And here is to being a Mom they can be proud of.
My mother-in-law sent my husband and I these hoodies. They are sooooo soft! Perfect for chilly days... only problem was that they didn't have zippers. Neither of us like hoodies that have to be pulled over. But I had an idea. And while not the most accomplished seamstress, I'm no slouch either. Took me a while, but I found some zippers and got to work!
Our local Hobby Lobby had zippers, but not the 26 inch I was hoping for. Since only even numbers are what they had, we had to go with a 24 and it was... a little short. But not too bad, I think. I figured out exactly where I wanted the zipper to go and cut from bottom to top.
Even through the pocket in the middle.
I pinned the zipper sides to each side and sewed them up. The bottom edge was longer and the top gave me trouble on the white one since it crossed a bit, but overall, I was pleased with the result.
Sadly, it turned out that my husband didn't fit his. Too much muscle in his chest!
But that just meant that my daughter inherited a new hoodie. Win-win!
Little things like this give me a sense of accomplishment. A sense of doing something worthwhile. It might not be perfect, but I can still be proud of what I managed to do on my own. And I also learned some things about sewing on zippers...
I've completed the museum! Talk about a major build. But it was fun. Took so long because of life events getting in the way. Don't you just hate those? Those real life moments that bust in when you just want to be creative and play with your toys? Yeah.. me too. But here we are! Time for the final reveal, everyone.
So much of this build was just random fun finds that I loved piecing together to make all this magical. A lot of fun donations from other people in my life as well that helped me get it to this point.
Tell me something, what part of a museum is your favorite? Is there something about science or history that really gets you hooked? What is the best exhibit you have seen?
One exhibit I have been to was the Body Exhibit. My husband took me back when we were dating. The human body fascinates me! So incredibly complex and capable.
History is my favorite part in a museum though. I love seeing where the past has brought us. And where it continues to take us.
Now that I have teased you with the still photos, how about a video tour?
We had the vendors day! It was a long day. We were not able to stay the last two hours. Even in the shade, both girls were getting too much heat. But for all the hours we did spend there, we had fun! And we did make enough money to make it worth the spot fee. Already planning ahead to the fall one.
Together, we navigated learning what to do and what not to do. For instance, keep the table in the shade. Things in the sun got very hot! Made things less appealing to customers.
Another lesson? Make signs to advertise what some products are. My youngest made melted bead art. Meant to be sun catchers. No one knew what to make of those. One person thought they were coasters. They didn't sell very well. We are looking at ways to make them more appealing to customers next time.
My older daughter was a little down because she wasn't the only crochet vendor. However, we quickly saw that her items were the kawaii versions. The other vendor specialized in characters. Especially the horror variety. So her little creatures were ooohed and awed over all day. Did not sell as many as she hoped, but enough that she was able to buy more materials to make others.
This event made me proud as their mother. I got to see their joy when making a sale. I got to talk them through the disappoint when they didn't sell. I had the chance to walk through the recap moments and discuss what to do differently. And just be there for them through the whole thing. This was what meant the most to me!
One of our favorite shops in town has been planning to have a Vendors Day event. I was truly excited as I looked forward to it. My little hobby, Suzette's Sweets would get to participate.
But then came a surprise. My oldest daughter decided to learn to crochet and follow new patterns. She even created her own patterns! Suddenly she was making as many things as she could and asking to share my vendor tent. Of course I said yes! I've been trying to encourage her to learn and practice more. To make beautiful things. And maybe make some money on the side.
Then came the next surprise. My youngest wouldn't have had anything to do that Saturday. At first, she seemed fine with that. Then a lady at church asked her what she could, or would want to, make? What little things would she be able to sell? Hmm... tough question. Originally, the lady thought beaded projects. But my little one doesn't like making jewelry. So to Pinterest I went. I found a board I had made a long time ago of gift ideas. (Back when we were struggling for money.) I revisited this board for this year - that hasn't been our best. And that is where I found bath bombs and melted bead art.
My mother had sent me these glow-in-the-dark beads for just such a project. I went thrifting for some metal cookie molds. I bought some supplies. The lady from church donated some more supplies. And suddenly, this house became a house of creativity! I loved watching them design and show off what they came up with. I am so proud of them!
So, after the vendor day ends, we will look back and see what worked well and what didn't. Because at the end of this, I want them to think hard on what it means to be an entrepreneur! I want them to be proud of their own accomplishments as well. To have a little more confidence in what they can do.
Part 4 of the updates here, I think. I have finally gotten the gift shop cleaned up and in order. Maybe 2 more projects left until I call this one completed. Or as finished as I am until I find something else to add...
I like where this is going. Let's see what's next! How about creating my own statue?? The final update comes next! Then follows the question... Do I keep or sell?
My daughters are like me. Tiny things fascinate them. My youngest has quite the collection, as you can see in this picture I took of one of her shelves.
She has an immense selection of little trinkets she has gathered over the years to display. When her older sister brought this empty package piece, I had a light bulb moment like that of Gru in Despicable Me. Suppose I could doll it up to create a shelf addition for some of her figures? So, I set out to do just that. So we take this...
And make this!
I just used bits from my crafting supplies. Some little James Avery boxes my mom sent. Some left over decal pieces from my mother-in-law. Some added beads to give it textures.
I had also printed a couple backgrounds for the lower sections, since those were particular to her axolotl collection. The little figures above the sleeping axolotl are in packaging from a Bitty Funko Pop box. The bed was a box from Rainbow High packaging.
What do you think? Have you created anything similar?
My husband and I have been watching Tasting History on YouTube lately. We love food, and we love history. Put the two of these together, and you have us completely enthralled. This guy really gives you a fun lesson and the things he is working on in his kitchen. Be is Spam, or Tomato Soup Cake, he had us laughing and scratching our heads. After all, some of these things just never would have crossed our minds.
The most recent video we watched was for Tomato Soup Cake. The name caught us. No way did someone think that could work, right? Right?! Well, wrong. Not only did someone create this recipe (as early as the late 1920's even), but I gave it a try for us. And let me tell you, I was absolutely impressed! I don't normally like carrot cake or spice cake, but this was fabulous! I'm not a fan, and could not eat a while slice myself. But I was able to have a couple bites of my husbands slice. It was moist. It was flavorful. He said the nuts and raisins were the perfect addition as they provided the finishing touch for texture that really did it for him.
Oh, and I cheated by using a spice cake mix. I figured I would go as easy as possible for the first round. Especially since I don't usually keep cake flour on hand. Next time, I think I will go by the full recipe.
What you will need:
1 spice cake mix
1/2 cup of water
2 eggs
1 can of Campbell's Tomato Soup (if other, make sure it is 10.75 ounces)
1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 nuts of your choice (I used chopped walnuts)
I like everything easy. So I threw everything except the last 2 ingredients into the bowl and gave it a good stirring. Then I tossed in those last 2 ingredients and gave it a final mix. Pour the batter into a greased (or buttered) pan. Pop it in the oven until cooked through and the wetness test is perfect. I cooked it at 350 degrees for... I believe 25 minutes?
I also chose not to use cream cheese frosting as my husband is not a fan. I had buttercream frosting on hand instead.
I'm now looking forward to trying something else from history. What about you? Would you dare?
My last post of life was pretty heavy. So much has been going on in my world. So much has been weighing me down. And after that last post, it just piled on more. On the lighter side, I found out my youngest will most likely be getting glasses next time she is tested. Poor girl. I had hoped she would never need to. In the middle weight bracket, I have come to believe that my older daughter has scoliosis. Unfortunately, we haven't had medical insurance in at least a year, no maybe two, so we haven't been able to know for sure. However, the pain and lopsidedness she has been experiencing makes me believe this is it. I feel guilt. After all, she has my genes. And I can't do anything about it. I feel frustration. As my husband reminds me, even if we had insurance and knew for sure that is what she has, what could we do about it? I never want her to have the surgeries I had. Look at the mess I'm in...
1 Peter 1:6-7 is a hard reminder. Trials will come, many trials! But they are meant to try your faith. To push you to lean of God and His faithfulness through it all.
But then there is the heavy weight. The champion of stress-inducing nightmares... my husband lost his job. I was dreading this possibility. Hoping it wouldn't come. But here we are. The company he was working for, pretty much dissolved in a matter of weeks. He was only given one weeks notice. The stress from that was enough to manifest in physical ways. But God has been gracious. He gave us a slight reprieve. My husband is temporarily working as a contractor for the company that took over the sites. While we were still waiting for that first paycheck to come in, we had been blessed to have been granted a severance package from the previous employer. Don't get me wrong, I'm still stressed, but not as badly as I was before. After all, this is still temporary. There is the possibility that this company might hire him on as a regular employee once the contract ends. But from the way the owner talks, he wants to do so at a downgraded pay and position. It really grinds my gears when I hear that. But such is the world of the rich who dabble with crypto currencies. When their digital money drops to a certain level, they freak out. Who would have guessed that Bitcoin would drop so drastically after booming so hard? But greed takes over every time.
Romans 12:12 reminds me to keep praying and to be patient in trouble.
We are changing how we do everyday life here. I have tightened the proverbial coin purse sash. Meals might be a little plainer and repeat a little more often, but everyone still gets fed. I'm thankful that changes have happened as they did. Blessed, even. The boys have their jobs now. If there is something they want, that we can't get, they get it for themselves. The severance package has held us up for the past couple of weeks and will do so another couple weeks. I don't have to worry about the bills.
James 1:2-4 tells us to remember that when trials come (not IF, but WHEN), that it will build in us an endurance.
What I do worry over, is how much stress my husband is under. And the physical toll it has taken. I pray that God will show him to his next job, and soon. I pray that His will be done, and that I trust Him to know best. Even when I can't see it. This has been the song speaking volumes in my life right now.
I don't claim to be 100% carefree in the knowledge that God is in control of every aspect of my life. However, when the anxiety starts building, I know where to turn. Every time. This, too, shall pass.
Beat the heat, GRAB A MINI! That is the best thing to be able to say as this Texas heat gets ramped up around here. But grab a mini? Let's see what that means.
*Disclaimer: I was sent this party pack to share with others. And to share my review afterwards. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed. All opinions shared are mine or my guests'.*
Dreyer's has so many types of ice creams under their brand name. Ever seen the Oreo Sandwich ones? Yep, that's from them. How about Outshine fruit bars? Yep! Theirs, too. So many great flavors. And now, you can get them in mini sizes! These are perfect for parties and get-togethers. More like bite-sized frozen treats. Quick and easy to chow down on. Kids at your house? These are perfect! Smaller hands can finish these off quicker, and save you from chasing them down to clean messes.
They sent me this great party pack. I grabbed up a variety of ice cream minis to share. And then we had some fun with friends.
What was the consensus?
Oreo was a hit, of course. But adults were loving the Dulce de Leche Haagen Dazs bars. I think that one was my favorite. I loved the small size of the Drumstick Cones mini mini.
They were all creamy goodness, though. I would love to find the mini Nestle Cookie Sandwiches next time. Walmart here only had the Drumstick Cones from the 3 we tried at the party. We had to find the others at our local HEB.
So next time you are shopping for ice cream options, maybe consider your Mini options! *pun totally intended* There are other flavors for Drumstick minis and Haagen Dazs bars minis that we may one day give a chance to. What about you? What benefit do you see for these?
.jpg)
