View from My Kitchen Sink

My blog friend Pam, is celebrating her First Blog Anniversary and she is challenging us to post a view from our kitchen sink. I would rather do this in the summer but thought it was a pretty day, so here is my view today:

And a pic of my sweet Marissa's Valentine cake that she made during one of our 3 our snow days off from school. She made this almost entirely by herself. I poured it in the pan and put it in and pulled it from oven. I also made some extra icing but she did all of the rest! Pretty good for 8 years old! 

It says be Mine.

And Marissa has been hobbling around. Must have been some snow day scuffle with the siblings. The sibs are in the other room chilling out after having teeth removed today. A good day to have them removed so they don't miss any school! (Crutches are rather inexpensive and make a good toy, as well as come in handy, when your ankle is a tiny bit sore)

This was a shot of my kitchen counter last night. Don't know why my kids can't put their mug in the sink, throw away the garbage and roll down the Goldfish bag! By the way those strawberry heart marshmallows are to die for!! Yummmy!

This is a pic of part of my living room bookshelves. The books are covered in paper from HobLob. The hour glass was a bday gift to my hubby a few weeks ago. It is really cool and a reminder that time is fleeting. I wanted Pam to see how I covered my books in paper. I did this years ago & they still look great! Don't you think bookshelves are hard to decorate? This looks much nicer in person. Really it does. The very top pic(in the star frame) is of my son and husband swimming in a lake about 10 years ago. The 2nd shelf  pic on left is of Ana when she had really short hair,  she was about 5 years old. There is a pic of Foster and me when he was a baby. A picture of Ana holding Foster when he was a baby. A picture of Marissa's baptism. A picture of Marissa at 6 months old in her little Frenchy blue outfit that I took. And a pic of the kiddos from 2 1/2 years ago. I really need to get the new photos in frames! 

I am hoping for a return to "normal" tomorrow and that the road conditions improve. Tomorrow I have an appointment with my trainer and a lunch date with a dear friend.  Tonight, I am off to try a new place in town with the Bunco/Bunko girls. Have a lovely Thursday evening!

hugs, 

Happy February 1st!

I am so happy it is February! I don't know where January went, but I am glad it is in the history books.

Let's talk about this morning. We have a snow day and the kiddos will be home from school. Last night we knew they would most likely have it off. I knew in the middle of the night when I could hear the freezing rain tapping (annnoyingly) on the house! I got up a little later this morning, but still early for a snow day, in hopes to post before the kids awakened~but no such luck! They are all awake and snuggling with warm blankets by the tv. Soon there will be special requests for breakfast. Glad I bought donuts at the grocery last night. I will slice up a pineapple, strawberries, grapes and blueberries to go with the donuts. Or maybe they will have a clementine to boost their Vitamin C levels. I am brewing some hazelnut creme coffee (*Folgers*) which I love! I have tried other coffees, but none compare to this tasty little gem. I am still staying below 2 cups a day (usually 1 1/2 cups x 8 ounces). Then if I feel the need, I will have hot lemon water or a cup of herbal tea. I am avoiding all other caffeine, too.

Here is our faithful lab, Bella. She gets to come in when it is very cold outside. She is definitely an outdoor dog and enjoys running our 5 acres and scaring off the deer (as they DESTROY our shrubs!). My neighbor texted me recently and said we have a coyote in the neighborhood. Her husband found tracks right up by their windows! No wonder Bella has been barking more lately!

If we were having coffee together today I would tell you that I am secretly glad the the kids have a snow day! All 3 of mine seem a little tired lately and I think they can use the snow day to catch up on sleep and relax a bit. That is the best part of snow days, getting to enjoy the day and get a bit of extra rest.

I have been working with my friend's camera. It feels so good to have a real camera in my hands! (She is selling it, so look for details at the bottom of the post) I love iPods and find that running with my very first iPod is the best. I can change songs easily and never worry about dropping it. We now have 7 iPods (not including the 2 that have been lost). We are a family of 5. iPod addiction~yeah! Do you see my Tivoli? That is probably the best Christmas gift I have ever received. I can plug my iPod in and listen to the radio. I can move it around if I like. It is little and has great sound. I love it. You like my lemon mug? I do too, but I only fill it half way. Some day I will show you my lemon dishes that are a different pattern from the mug below. They were also a Christmas present years ago.

I am supposed to go to my personal trainer today. I will see if they are open and how the roads are at that time. I am not risking my life for a workout. I am keeping my fingers crossed that my husband will get out early and that we will get some fresh snow for some evening skiing!

I am linking up with Amy and her Virtual Coffee. Stop on over to her blog and drool at her lovely photography! Her button is on my sidebar.

I will tell you that I love my AP Tuesdays because I at least have a deadline to try to make. It really helps me. Are you a procrastinator? If so, you need to join Amy's linky party. She explains everything on her blog and you will see her Anti~Procrastination link on my sidebar. Join us. I am very thankful for this, as it has motivated me in the last year to accomplish a lot of mini projects in a short (but realistic) timeframe.


LAST WEEK's Anti Procrastination List 1/24/11 (get done by Feb 1st)

Get new photos in frames~NOT DONE problems with the color photos, (The printer had to re-do them, waiting for them to come in!)

Download photos from email, phone & then back up: going to finish today

Back up kids' photos & videos: going to finish today

Set up printer for Ana DONE, also set up Foster's computer to print to Ana's printer (the printer is already out of ink~guess that was successful!)

NEW LIST Anti Procrastination List 1/31/11 (get done by Feb. 8th)

My Focus word for February is PHOTOS

Get Photos in Frames

Delete Photos on main computer that are not worthy of keeping (going back 1 year)

Sign, Copy & Send tax documents to accountant for personal & business

Set up Microsoft Word on Ana's computer (finding the disk will be the hard part!)

I almost forgot to tell you that I am giving a talk to a group of women in a few weeks. I am still working on the title but it will be along the lines of "Inexpensive Decorating Ideas". I am pulling together photos and ideas of projects that I have done in my home. Want me to share with you?


I still have the steeple project and the women business owner posts to bring you. I haven't forgotten and I am sure that they will be coming together soon!


Camera info:  
Originally purchased in February 2007
Condition: Excellent, used very little
Includes the following and all original boxes:
Nikon D200 w/Nikkor 18-70 lens  $1999 original price
Nikkor 80-200mm lens $999 original price
Includes Nikon battery charger, manuals, 1 x 1GB memory card and 1 x GB memory card, Nikon Lantern DVD guide and 2 batteries. 


This camera is fully automatic, as well as having the option to change iso settings, f stops, white balance etc. It would be a great camera for someone who is interested in exploring the art of photography, but may still want to rely on automatic features, too.  You know dipping your toe in, but only going as far as you are comfortable!

Just leave me a comment or email me (email on sidebar) what you would like to offer for the camera and lens. Be sure I can get in touch with you via email!

And just for fun, here is a picture of Marissa sifting flour for the popovers we made on Saturday. Fun stuff. She loves to bake and has always been at my side in the kitchen since she was little! They were delicious. The kids thought they would be more muffin~like, so if you make these be sure to realize that they actually have more of an egg taste. They are very similar to my Mom's recipe for Yorkshire pudding. These made me think of my Mom in sunny Florida. Miss you Mom & Dad!

Would love to know if you have a snow day? What are your plans for February? 

hugs,

 

A Few Things About Me

Awhile ago, the sweet & beautiful Shanna from Revamped French Maison honored me with this award:

A "Versatile Blogger" brings everything to the table - a little of this and a little of that."

I am a bit of a procrastinator and wasn't sure that I wanted to share 7 things about myself, but I didn't want to be rude and ignore Shanna's kindness! So here goes:

1. I have chameleon eyes! They are blueish~greenish and will look blue if I wear blue and will be green if I wear green. If I am mad, they will definitely look green!! Sometimes my eyes are more blue/gray. My kids will comment on the the color of my eyes. They will say"Mom, your eyes are really green today." Or they will say "Mom your eyes are really blue!"

2. I am a terrible typist! I spend too much time correcting my bad typing. I learned to type in high school and I still mis-spell the same words. Like from is form, blogpost is always blogspot, and many, many more!

3. I am a great speller. If you see something mis-spelled on my blog, it is due to #2!

4.I am super tan in the summer and super white in the winter. I use a lot of sunblock, but once I have a base tan, I tan right through it. Usually in the winter I am very pale and look sick~for about 6 months or so! My Mom has always said that I should have been born in California.

5. I am a good cook. (I am not a chef, though!) My favorite meal to prepare in the winter is soup and in the summer is pasta dishes with fresh veggies and grilled meats!

6. I am a Midwest girl. I was born & raised in Michigan. I have lived in Ohio for more than 20 years now. My heart lies in Michigan with the beautiful beaches of the west coast and the breathtakingly beautiful inland lakes. Ohio is beautiful too, and I enjoy our incredible sunrises and sunsets and rolling terrain. I enjoy driving through the Midwest states: the farms, barns, lakes, and smallish cities. I enjoy the friendly people of the Midwest states. It is a great area to raise a family.

7. I am afraid of mice. I will scream at the top of my lungs if I see one! I can hold a 10 foot boa constrictor snake, but  I cannot handle the sighting of a field mouse!

These are "THE RULES" for the Versatile Blogger Award:

• Thank & link back to the person who gave you the award (Thank you, Shanna!)
• Share 7 things about yourself
• Pass the award on to (up to) 15 other bloggers who you have recently discovered and think are fabulous
• Contact the bloggers you chose and let them know about the award

These are sweet women whom I have had the pleasure of communicating with in Blogland. I hope I get to meet (in real life) at least one of these women this year!! Visit their blogs, you will be impressed! I am passing on the award to these wonderful women who never fail to inspire:

Sloan~ Lucky as a Ladybug

Marlowe~Come Home To Roost

Kim~What I Am Going to Be When I Grow Up?

Heather~A Lovely Mess

Lorri~Lizards & Lollipops

Sara~My Colorful Life

Val~ValSoCal

Mandi~Tidbits from the Tremaynes
Michelle~Emerald Cove

The last thing you should know about me is that I love to read. My favorite reading spot is on a dock. Here is an old pic that my husband snapped of me years ago:

~HUGS~

 

PS~One of my closest & dearest friends is going to let me borrow her big camera with the uber big lens this week! I cannot wait to play with it!! Stay tuned for some photos & a quick report on what I think of the Really Big Camera!!