Monday Musings.

Good Monday morning!

Hope everyone had a great weekend.  We enjoyed watching the playoffs and just lounging around.
Right now:

It is overcast outside.  I am in desperate need for sunshine and some warm weather.

I am enjoying a fire in the fireplace with a good cup of coffee.

I have to go to the courthouse and get our SC tags today.  That and some car insurance.  I can't find our insurance policy since we moved.  I am thinking that we didn't receive our renewal papers in the mail while we were in between houses.

I think that I have narrowed down a comforter for the master bedroom.  Hoping I will like it when I receive it in the mail.

I have to go to Lowe's and order some blinds for the house.  The only one the has curtains right now is Caden.

I am starting a 'no sugar' faze today.  Let's pray that I can last.  Coming off sugar is so hard to do.

And with that, I want to say THANK YOU to all my blog friends that stop by and take time out of your busy lives to read my blog and leave a comment.  I can't tell you how much it means to me.  But for now, I am stepping away from the computer.  I am in a slump and I just don't feel like blogging.  I don't feel like reading blogs, and for the most part, I don't feel like being on the computer.  I have a lot of things to do to the house and they are not getting done because I spend way to much time looking at other peoples houses;-)  I really want to work on my bedroom, laundry room, and finish up the dining room.  I want to learn my IPhoto and Photoshop so that it doesn't take me so long to edit my photos to put on the blog.  I want to walk on the treadmill and maybe take a yoga class.

I just want a break.  I will be back but I don't know when.  I might post something if the mood strikes me or I might not.  I hope that y'all will still be around whenever I decide to come back.  But for now, I am on an extended blogging break.

                                                 Yosemite 2010

Take care and have a great week.

Melanie

I won an award:)

I received a couple of awards from a few different bloggers. Traci over at The Traci Chronicles, Cad at Oasis in the Desert, Jill over at Blessings of a Stay at Home Mom and one from Lindsey over at My Happily Ever After.

The rules are:
1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award
2. Answer 10 questions
3. Pass it along to 7 blogs you've recently discovered and enjoy
4. Leave your recipients a note, telling them about the award

Here are the questions.

1. Why did you create this blog?
We were moving from Florida to Cincinnati Ohio and I thought it would be a great way to keep our friends and family up to date with our new life. I also loved blogs and had made friends with different bloggers and thought I could meet some more. And I did:)

2. What kind of blogs do you follow?
I follow decorating blog, cooking blogs, and just blogs about regular families.

3. Favorite Make-Up Brand?
I use Mary Kay foundation and then whatever else I pick up.

4. Favorite Clothing Brand?
I am not a huge clothes horse. I love Target and Kohl's. I like other stores that are more expensive but I would only buy things if they were on sale.

5. Indispensable Make-Up Product?
Foundation. Getting older, I need it more.

6. Favorite Color?
Green

7. Favorite Perfume?
Happy Heart and Euphoria.

8. Favorite Film?
The Thornbirds. I never tire of watching it.

9. What country would you like to visit and why?
I don't know if I can pick just one. Italy, Switzerland, France.....

10. Would you rather forget to put on mascara on one eye or forget blush on one side of your face?
I think I would rather forget the blush. I don't have long eyelashes and I need all the help I can get in that area.

Girls, I appreciate the awards.  I always like to read something different from bloggers to learn a few fun facts about them.  I won't be passing along the awards but if you would like to do a post and join in, than please do.  Go visit my friends that sent me the awards to me and see what they have to say.

Have a great weekend,

Mel

My Happy Wall.

I know that y'all are laughing at that title but it really does make me happy.  I am talking about this.

The wall of art that Caden made in first and second grade.  It makes me smile every time I walk by it.

It is hard to photograph this area but it is a small hallway that is between Caden's room and the guest bedroom.  I have had this same grouping in the Florida house, the Cincy house, and now this house.  Each piece is adorable.

This was something that he made in kindergarden.  We were building our first house and he made this out of cereal and glitter.  I am so happy that it has made all the moves in tact.

His little hands that my mom photocopied when he was 2 yrs. old.  I went into the ugly cry when she gave this to me for Christmas:)

A picture that he drew of himself.  He even added his glasses that he use to wear.  That was drawn in second grade.

And finally a little poem that he wrote when we lived in Georgia.  I found it in his drawer.

So there is my wall of happiness.  I will forever treasure it.  It reminded me of a recent post from Edie.  She talked about how it was just 'stuff' but how she loved it and missed it.  So moving.  Please stop by her blog and read it.

I have a few things to show y'all in the next few weeks.  I have been getting the house together but I have to take pictures of everything.  Right now I am trying to figure out my Photoshop Elements 8 and IPhoto.  If anyone has any advice, send it my way.  It's frustrating.

Happy Monday,

Mel

linking to: Met Monday  Market Yourself Monday Southern In My Heart

Amaze Me Monday  The DIY Showoff  Savvy Southern Style

Making the World Cuter  Boogie Board Cottage Romantic Home

Hip Mom Jewelry.

Way back before we ever left Cincinnati, I won a giveaway at Hip Mom Jewelry. I didn't have a chance to look on their website and make a decision before we moved, so when Christmas rolled around I decided it was time to order my necklace.

This is how it came in the mail.

I am a sucker for packaging and this had some cute packaging. It also came wrapped in some cute polka dotted tissue paper.

Can you see what it says? Gary Melanie Caden

I love it!

I like the chain that it came on too. I just wish I would have gotten the longer one. I bought the 16 inch, so if you girls buy anything from them be sure to order something longer.

Go check them out. They have some really cute things.

We still have a backyard full of ice and I am still enjoying watching Bit try to get out the back door:) Here's to some sunshine and warmer weather!

Have a great weekend.

Mel

Cabin Fever.

That's what I have. We haven't left the house since Sunday and I am itching to get out. I am a homebody by nature but when you KNOW you can't go out, it kinda gets to you after awhile.

I have to take Caden to his tutor lesson this afternoon and I will run to the grocery store while he is there.

Last night I decided that I would bake this cake last night to use up some yogurt that I had. Then I realized that I didn't have any orange marmalade. Well, that didn't stop me. I knew that I could come up with a glaze so I baked it anyway.

*photo & recipe by Pioneer Woman

Well, the flour was bad. NEVER has flour (or butter) gone bad at my house. That tells me that all this moving has caused me not to have time to bake. I will remedy that today:-)

The sun is shining and the ice is melting and now I am getting a sore throat! Can't win for losing.

:)

Mel

1/11/11

How cool is it to type that date? The problem is, there is nothing happening on this date except another snow day. Yesterday we woke up to a winter wonderland. I believe that the snow just followed us down here.

My neighbor called me and said that they haven't had this much snow in 5 years:) When we moved to Cincy last winter, every one told me that that was the worst winter that they'd had in 15 years. Not sure what that says about me;-)

It even made it onto the back porch.

It was starting to pile up around 11:00 am.

My view from my kitchen sick.

Now today, it is nothing but a big sheet of ice. Have you ever seen a dog go outside to use the bathroom and try getting around on ice? It makes for a good laugh early in the morning.

People are without power and every one has been told to stay off the roads. I wouldn't try driving in this for nothing. I was really worried about Gary driving home last night from work. He said that the roads were as bad as he had ever driven on. Up in Cincy, they are prepared for snow but in SC, not so much.

I worried this morning when I got up that he had to drive back to work in it. This type of weather is the pits for the railroad. I don't expect to see him before 7 or 8 tonight. I feel bad for him:(

Hope everyone that is dealing with this winter storm stays home, stays warm, and enjoys their snow day.

Happy icy Tuesday.

Mel

The New Pantry.

For most of you that have been following me, you already know that I am all about a pantry. I have talked about my other pantries here and now after 3 houses in one year, I have another one to show y'all.

This house has a standard sized pantry which is of course in the kitchen. It also has a coat closet and a linen closet in the hallway. I had to rework those closets to hold kitchen items.

This is the pantry that is in the kitchen. It has REAL wooden shelves and I could not love them more.

A shelf for canned goods.

A shelf for our boxed goods.

A shelf for all things coffee. Yes, I have a shelf for coffee items and a draw;-)

A shelf for my dry goods, cereals and sugar. I love my clear containers.

I have a double cabinet that holds all of my spices.

My baking shelf. (which isn't being used right now due to a diet)

In Florida and Cincinnati, I had a lazy susan. I loved my lazy susan. I miss my lazy susan. I decided to use those round turn thingies from Walmart to put my most used spices on.

This is the closet that is at the end of the hallway. If you turn right, you go to the master bedroom. If you turn left, you head up the stairs to the bonus room.

This houses more dry goods, extra things, and all my small appliances. It has a light in it which is really nice and more wooden shelves. I didn't need to use this for linens as we have built ins in our closet and the other two bathrooms have linen closets in them too. This was the best use of the space for us.

A while back I showed you the hall closet and what I was doing to it.

We asked the builder to put two shelves in this closet because we thought that we would use this as the overflow pantry. As soon as we moved in, I knew that it just wasn't going to work. I needed a place to hang the laundry up and also a place to put the dog food and the vacuum cleaner. I just have to paint the boards that held the shelves.

So that is the tour of my pantries. I have to have more than one to hold all the goodies I bought today at Harris Teeters;-)

My total bill rang up $83 and I walked out paying just $35. I think that was pretty good since it was my first time using coupons in a long long time:)

Hope y'all have a good week. We are hunkered down for the bad weather that is coming our way. They have already called off school for tomorrow. I feel a day of blog reading and coffee drinking coming my way.

Mel

linking to Met Monday Making the World Cuter Monday Sumos Sweet Stuff

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Serenity Now

Project 365.

I have decided to participate in Project Life. Project Life is the brain child of Becky Higgins. It's a scrapbooking project where you take a photo a day for 365 days. Back when she designed the first kit, it was called Project 365 but now she has renamed it Project Life. You can do it however you want to. You can take a photo a day, a photo a week, or whatever you like.

I started Project 365 back in 2009. I completed it up until August but then we got busy moving to Cincinnati and I quit taking a photo a day. I decided that this year, I would do it again. I had to order a new book because I didn't have enough stuff to get me through the year with the old book. The book hasn't arrived yet but I have started taking my pictures. I thought that I would share a few.

January 1st: Doing nothing but watching football and reading magazines.

January 2nd: Nothing like Caden waiting until 2 days before school starting back that he tells me that he needs this book for English.

January 3rd: Our Pier One is going out of business so I went and bought these cute measuring cups that I had been eyeing for some time.

January 4th: Report card day that won't be posted due to private info on it.

January 5th: My first kit from Studio Calico came in the mail.

January 6th: My cute little Anthropology kitchen timer that Gary bought me. It matches my Kitchenaid mixer.

So there is my almost first week of photos. Just the mundane of every day life but I like the mundane. Hope everyone has had a great week. I have been doing the normal stuff and also counting my calories. Ugh, it has been hard but I have stuck with it. Wish me luck.

Happy Friday!

Mel

Late Christmas Post.

While Caden was on Christmas break, we went down to my parents for a couple of days. I got to visit with my aunt's the night that we got there. We had a lot of food, laughter, and fellowship.

I wanted to share some photos with you of all the fun that was had by all.

All the aunts and my mom. The only photo taken with me and my aunts didn't turn out:(

My cousin was taking pictures while I was:)

The grandparents.

Caden is now as tall as my dad.

She forgets that he is almost 17;-)

I enjoyed getting to visit with my aunt's. Each one is very different and has brought something different to my life. They are getting older and I don't get to see them very much. Their ages range from 69 yrs. old to 87 yrs. old. I can't even believe that as I type it.

My mother and I went shopping one day and then had a pedicure the next day. We then celebrated Christmas on Tuesday before we headed back.

It was a nice visit.

How did y'all celebrate your Christmas?

Melanie

(since none of the photos turned out, they all have PW's actions applied to them.)