Homemaker Design

Kitchen Makeover Part 4 - DIY Counters

2012-01-27T19:24:00.000-05:00

So with just a few weeks until Christmas and 15 people set to come that day - we set out to finish the last phase of our Kitchen Makeover! 'Cause that's how we roll - the busiest, kitchen messiest, people visitingest time of year is obviously the best time to reno your kitchen counters and sink!

Or not!

Just saying.

But it's done now and it turned out better then I could have hoped!!

Here's the ol' before photo.

Getting up close and personal with the counter. It was in great shape, no dents, scratches or what have you, it was just....dated. No offense if this is your counter and you love it but it just isn't us, nor did we think it would be conducive to selling.

So hubby tore out the old barker tile back splash and added a plywood base to put the new ceramic tile on. Our kind neighbour gave us the plywood, thus reducing the budget that little bit more. :)

So here is where the most ingenious and inexpensive kitchen reno bit comes in. We have a twelve and a half foot length of counter and this is not cheap to replace! We are not even talking anything fancy, just to replace them with a more modern laminate counter top would have ran us around $1400!

You have to be kidding me!

So we did some ol' research and LOW AND BEHOLD....you can actually PAINT laminate counters!

No, seriously!

Ah ha! A challenge if I ever saw one!

So we bought a can of anywhere primer and went at it. Just coated the whole thing. I figured even if we messed it up we wouldn't be any father behind then where we were.

Looks purdy, don't it! ;)

Okay, so sometimes you read things and you are like, "That's great for them, but there's no way that would happen for me. They're just blessed/lucky/fortunate!" But can I just say that God loves to provide for us in the smallest, tiniest ways! Oh sure He can and will do big things for each and everyone of us - but I like to think He shows His real care and personal touch in our lives by providing for us in the smallest details.

And this is a little story of how He did it for us. Simple, sweet but just that gesture that says to me, "You know I'm there!"

We discovered, that in order to paint the counters, all you need is regular acrylic paint, you know, house paint - the same stuff you'd use to paint your walls!

Yes way!

We wanted just a few shades of brown, to match an existing piece of newer counter that we already have in the kitchen. So we went to the local hardware box store. We really wanted to keep this whole project cheap and weren't sure what to do about the paint.

So after mulling about for a while, we decided to take a quick glance at the 'oops' paint section. If you have never checked out the 'oops' paint part of a paint place, DO IT! You'd be amazed at what you can find and it is so inexpensive too. If you are not sure what I mean by oops paint, it is what the stores label paint that they mix wrong. So it is often great paint, just the wrong shade for the person who originally wanted it.

Anyways, there wasn't much selection in the ol' oops section that day....except for a few of the little sample cans. You know the ones where you can get a tiny can to take home and paint a big splotch on the wall to see if you'll like the colour. Well guess what?? Two of the colours we needed were sitting right there....yup! Sitting there, in tiny perfect sample size cans, just enough for a project such as ours, the two perfect colours.....

....I'm still in awe of it!

Oh and because they were sample size and because they were 'oops' they were A DOLLAR each!

*stunned look*

Yay...okay so maybe you don't find this all as exciting as I did...but seriously, pretty cool none the less!

Okay...so back to the DIY bit of all this. :)

Once the primer dried we painted a base coat over it of a nice brownish/tan colour (also an oops purchase from the summer...but I won't go into details on that one....not this time - but it was a pretty cool story too!)

So yes, primer, base coat and then the fun bit.

I lined a baking sheet with parchment paper (ask me how much I love parchment paper, 'cause I really, really do!) and then poured a big glob of paint on it. Take a plastic grocery bag, scrunch it up and dab it into the paint splotch. Then just start dabbing away at your counter.

Try to be very random - don't think about it at all! Just remember to get the rounded corner of where the back lip meets the counter top and the very front edge. Oh and dress appropriately, I've never gotten so messy painting and I do a lot of it - in case you haven't figured that out by now! HA!

Work in layers of each colour, allowing each layer to dry before adding a new colour. I recommend two things:

1. Less is more - don't over do it, the beginning looks like junk but once the layers come together you will see it all working out nicely!

2. Work in at least three tones, dark, medium and light (you can add more but this should be sufficient for most beginners.) I would work in this order; base coat (which is the one solid colour, I recommend it being close to your medium tone), then dark tone, medium tone (this I made by mixing a bit of my dark tone with my base coat), then the light coat. If you like, another layer of the medium should finish it off nicely. But go with your gut feelings though all of this!

Finish with a water based varnish, we used semi gloss, two coats.

And Voila!

Sooo, do you like it? Because we really do! It turned out so good! We have fooled just about everyone who has come to our home, including our agent! ;)

Now a quick before and after.

And hey, don't our floors look fantastic?!?! Crazy, it's really just a different angle and maybe different lighting. But you'd swear we had waxed them or something.

My tile talented brother-in-law tiled the back splash for us and my hubby grouted it. So that only cost us feeding the brother-in-law a steak dinner and materials. Oh and we had to get a new sink as ours was rotten out in the drain, but we found a great one on Kijiji for $40! :)

So I think for the entire Kitchen Makeover we spent just under $600! That includes:
-tiles for back splash (purchased on sale! Oh yay!)
-grout, glue and other tile associated things
-paint, paint and more paint
-new pillows for my beloved window seat (I could have saved money here...but hey, that's why I ~~cheaped out~~, went inexpensive on the counters!)
-varnish and primer for the counters
-new sink
-and other supplies that I can't remember about! ;)

One last note on the whole counter thing, once you do this it is no longer 'food safe'. Meaning something like - don't cut food on your counter....not that you should anyways, but they just are no longer 'safe' to do so. Though there is no product out there that truly is...it's just the legality of it all okay?!?

If you want to see the complete Makeover from start to finish, here are the other links:

Kitchen Makeover Part 1: Kitchen Cork Board
Kitchen Makeover Part 2: The Coffee Corner
Kitchen Makeover Part 3: Kitchen Shelves

So there you have the completion of our suppose to be long weekend makeover project....from August! Hahah!

I'd truly love to hear your thoughts and learn any inexpensive home reno projects you know of! I love a good DIY and a DIY that saves real money...money to spend on pretty things, like pillows...is a good thing! ;)

Happy Homemaking!

.

House stuff update

2012-01-24T08:40:00.002-05:00

So our house hit the market last Thursday - we had three showings over the weekend and one more tonight - my house has NEVER been cleaner....or more organized!

I want to thank you lovely ladies for your sweet comments, prayers and encouragement!!! It really means a lot! Thank you! ♥

There is still no word on the place we are interested in - so we checked out an open house on the weekend. It was nice.....okay nice in a "handy man special" kind of way.....

Why is that always 'nice' to us?!?!?

Can't I have just ONE kid and not be head long into major renos? No....okay, just thought it wouldn't hurt to ask....!

The story is the same on the one we saw this weekend. Bank owned, can't put an offer in with a house to sell, already offers are going in on it.....

....so we sit and I ~~worry~~ trust!

;)

It's all good though, I feel good about it....most of the time. I had a bit of a break down the other night, when I realized that I had no, and I mean NO control in any of this.

But the Lord knows!

And I put my trust in Him and in my husband!

♥

Speaking of husbands....have you seen Courageous yet?

We finally did! A local church played it on the big screen, which was nice...sure beats our 22 inch! ;)

It was good! So good!

I had heard it was good but I didn't expect that!

What a rollercoaster of emotions though....that's tough for the average person....now throw pregnant ME into it! Hahah, oh well at least I brought lots of tissue but I also wasn't thinking and did my make up all purdy before leaving to see it.

Ah well! ;)

Anyways, that's all for today...just want to keep you posted on the house business! Thank you again for the prayers. Oh and go see Courageous - and if you have, see it again!!! ;)

.

Microwaved Potato Chips

2012-01-22T19:02:00.002-05:00

Intrigued???

Because I know I was....

My mom mentioned to me the other day that she made potato chips in her microwave - so naturally I HAD to try!

And can you say "Answer to prayers!"

;)

Crazy thing is that there is no oil needed of any kind!

Want me to repeat that,

NO oil!!!

The only things you need are...

potatoes and (optional), sweet potatoes
paper towel
plate - paper or regular
salt and or seasoning
microwave
mandolin - the food slicing thing, NOT the musical instrument (that should clarify some things!)

So I borrowed my mom's mandolin - (so we ALL know what this gal has on her wish list now! )And I got to slicing.

Sooo easy!

Slice up a potato or two, I decided to try the sweet potato too! Lay them out on a paper towel or dish towel to dry for about ten minutes. They won't be completely dry, but it helps.

Now, for the fist two batches I used this fancy cooking thingy that my mom has, did I forget to mention she works for a kitchen supply place.....did I also forget to mention we get a discount....did I forget to also mention this is NOT a good thing....know what I mean...!

Anyways...she told me you don't need to get the expensive cooking thingy, that an ordinary plate and paper towel works too! And after trying it both ways, the paper towel and plate way is the best! And by far too!

So, you scrunch up some paper towel and put it on a plate. After the chips dry a bit, season them and lay them on the paper towel, don't be too neat about, just try to make sure the don't overlap. They'll look more like kettle style chips if you just let them lay which ever way!

Put the whole thing in the microwave. Mine took about 10 minutes, but we have a much older microwave...so watch, start with 7 or 8 minutes and go from there.

And let me tell you, I was skeptical at first! But whoa! These totally rock!!!! Okay sure, they don't taste exactly like regular potato chips, they taste more like the expensive organic type!! They are full of flavour and not heavy and oily.

And I'm a girl who likes her savoury and salty snacks....notice the kosher salt...tee hee....maybe regular salt next time...maybe...... ;)

But for someone who enjoys a good chip, these may just be my new staple! So cheap, so easy, so good!!! AND because they do take a little more effort then opening a bag and devouring away, I think I will enjoy them more and eat less...follow that?!!?

Plus they are awfully pretty too!

Go on, give em a try - betcha can't eat just one! ;)

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Moving On...again

2012-01-17T18:22:00.001-05:00

Well...haven't I been silent as of late....it's not that I've been overly busy just, you know - life. That and also, I haven't used my camera much lately and I hate posting without pictures....it's the visual learner in me - I can't focus if there aren't any pictures....so I hope you all can....maybe I'll dig around and find some to go with this post.

I should have some photos since we have had the most amazing dumping of snow and ice here over this past weekend - it was terrible and mighty beautiful at the same time. But it was also very cold! So combine that with me not loving the cold and my youngest daughter having Raynaud's phenomenon, we don't head out much when the temperature drops well below zero! So sorry, no photos but trust me it was real purdy!

Well...hmmm how to write this out. We're doing it again....yes having a baby, but no that's not what I'm talking about...I already covered that one.....we're going to sell our house.

By now you think we either really don't like the place or we are some crazy fools! The first one couldn't be more wrong....and...no comment on the second.

So hmmm the long story or the sweet and simple....let's aim for something in the middle...especially because I have no pictures to really share with you...

Hubby and I can't help but keep feeling the desire to move to the country. When we aren't buried underneath mounds of snow, we often will take drives though the beautiful country side around here. Anyways, we had our house on the market back in May because we had an offer on another place but someone came along and took it right out from under us. They didn't have a house to sell....we did.

Now, every time a place that we like comes up - it's the same story, we can't put in an offer because someone else has an offer in, conditional on the sale of their home or that condition isn't there at all. Am I making any sense....are you bored to tears yet?!? If not, great, hang in there!

Sooo that being said, and this is where I'll make a long story short, we found another one - ooooh we both really, really like this one. This one, is finally the one that checks ALL the boxes! BUT... and oh it's a big ol' but too, we can't put an offer in - not yet - this other house just might be under a little legal issue and so we are waiting until that all clears up to put in an offer. The thing is....so are like four other people and guess what - none of them have a house to sell....

Riiight......

Sooooo we've done some serious praying and then some more serious praying and then asked some other people to do some serious praying and well we have decided to finally list our home and sell. Now, the scary....and "okay, let's be crazy and trust completely in God and leap without exactly looking" bit is that we have no idea if we will be able to get the other house.

We don't know if we will sell in time.
We don't know if it will even be available when we do sell.
We don't know if our offer would even be the winning one.
We don't know how long the legal issues will take to work out on that property.
We don't know if we'll even sell our home.
We don't have a clue what the other house looks like on the inside - as we're not allowed on the property until the whole mess clears up.
We don't know what we will do if our home sells and the other one is not for us...
We don't have a plan B.

We DO know that we will be taken care of regardless. Luke 12:24
We DO know that the Lord will bless us when we seek Him first above all else. Psalm 9:10
We DO know that our intentions good and our plans are to glorify Him in all things. Romans 14:17-19
We Do know we have nothing to fear (even though I am scared...just a little bit) Psalm 27:14

So I have contemplated over a lot of this....seeing as I wake every morning at 4:00 am and lay there thinking and praying....for an hour.....it's all just prep for when this little one comes, I'm sure! But I realize that though we love our home and feel it has been a blessing from the Lord, it is just a temporary thing.

God has blessed us with this home, a place that we have put many hours of work into. A sad house that we have poured a lot of love into and made it into a home of love. But in the end, it is just walls, floors and what have you. That no matter where we might go, where the Lord will lead, home is where the heart is.

I walk on the path of fear, fear of losing something - this blessing we have but in the same breath I have fear of being held back from what could be by hanging onto....onto something so material....onto something that is hindering the vision my husband has for us and a vision that I share with him.

So with butterflies in my stomach I anticipate the coming weeks - we are already in contact with someone who may want a private sale....but I'm not counting any chickens yet....not until we're all settled in a sweet little home in the county and the coop is built and the kids are chasing those birds...then I'll be counting chickens! ;)

Have you stuck with me so far...?? Nice! Well I think I have some photos for you. House photos, 'cause who doesn't love house photos. If you want to see the whole transformation, the before renos and the afters, you can see more here on the posts I did when we listed last May. Here and here.

We've repainted a bunch since then, rearranged a few things and updated the kitchen, so I'm posting here the changes since May. I hope you like 'em. I plan on blogging about the last phase of the kitchen makeover soon - we updated the counters for $30!! And you won't believe how easy and amazing it was!

So I leave it all in the hands of God - for where better else should I place it? I am following the lead of my Godly and blessing of a, husband and taking each day as it comes. There are worse things in life then selling your house and looking at the unknown and wondering where you will go - so I rest in the blessing of my Saviour and looking forward to where He will lead.

But I will keep you all posted - at least hubby has told me that if we don't sell before June we will take it off the market - so I can have some time to enjoy my newborn and not have to clean the house!

Of course your prayers are welcomed! :)

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23

A New Direction OR Two Years Ago

2012-01-05T12:11:00.000-05:00

Hello Dear Readers!

Happy New Year to you!

I made it- I stayed awake until the ball dropped - yay me!

This year feels full of promise, do you feel it? I see it around me, I see it all through blog land and though most new years come with their hopes and prospects - this one feels a little different. People seem more optimistic, more hopeful and more willing to embrace what lies ahead.

So here is to what only the Lord knows - the future and the hope of the coming months.

I sat down, thinking on my blog and where I have come with it and what I had originally intended with it...two years ago.

Whoa.

Wow....

....two whole years have passed since I fist sat down and took the leap to put myself out there.

Two years ago I never thought I could do it. I never believed I could write, let alone have people actually interested in what I had to say. Two years ago I figured I wouldn't last more then a few months. And two years ago all this was started to be an online magazine.

Homemaker Design - making your house a home - was to be the title and catch line for my ezine. After pouring myself and some supportive people into it for three months, I decided this was not the season for an online magazine...at least not my season for one! So I kept the blog portion of it and stuck with that.

Two years have passed and the direction and feel of my blog has changed a bit. When I started I tried to keep it less personal, more informational and magazine-ish. But I've come to change and see that I enjoy the personal part of blogging, the satisfaction of expressing myself through the written word and working out my thoughts and struggles on here.

So I have made, and plan on making, a few changes to my blog. Nothing big but for starters I have removed the 'catch phrase' -making your house a home - from the header. I thought it fit so well with my ideas for the direction of the magazine...but I don't feel it makes much sense with my blog now. Though I always try to make whatever environment I live in a home - it is not necessarily the focus of my blogging.

Homemaker Design is me though- the name came to me one night after thinking along time for an appropriate name. With the craze of Home Design and my interest in all things art and design and with my ever growing discovery of my role as a homemaker and what that means, I think the name was God inspired and I'm sticking with it!

A technical change that you might not notice is that I finally got my domain to work properly - if you aren't tech savay...not that I am really- you may not get what that means - but what it is, is that instead of finding me at: www.homemakerdesignblog.blogspot.com, you can find me at homemakerdesign.ca.

I've had the domain for the last two years but could never get it to work out where it was a direct link.....whatever that all means right? Anywaaaays.....just basically, the old address will work but if you want to, you can update your links to the new and simple - homemakerdesign.ca

just saying...

Okay so what does this all mean you ask. Well it means I plan to delve more into our personal lives, into our joys, our struggles, our crazy antics and of course our endless renos!

I plan to be more open. It will be a struggle in some areas and not so much in others. My hope is to be real, honest and true. To share the good and the bad...I think this is what I need to do.

I've never been good a keeping a journal....as in I have never done it at all - but for whatever reason I like the blogging format. And so I shall record here, our lives, our lives as God leads us and as we continually learn to follow Him.

So I hope you'll stay with me, I think it will be much of what it always has been but with even more personality to it...or at least I hope so.... ;)

This means you will still find delicious recipes, oodles of pictures of my kids, stories of family fun, struggles in faith and joys of working through them, stories of lessons leaned and of course photos from our latest projects. (hint...wait for the last instalment of our kitchen makeover coming soon!)

What will be new will be more stories of our family, more in depth into my life and thoughts, I will talk more about my pregnancy and life with my two darling girls. More of what I have learned in (almost) eight years of marriage with my best friend, more of our continual growth in our faith, more of our church life and well just more of our lives altogether.

I think for me the hope of this new year is that I find more of me in Him and that I can share it all with you. My prayer is that your find yourself longing more for Him and sharing with me all your thoughts and struggles along the way!

So a Happy New Year, once again and may God richly bless you!

.

Christmas come and gone - a New Year on the horizon

2011-12-31T19:02:00.003-05:00

Christmas, has come - the gifts exchanged, excitement dealt and food enjoyed.

Littles enjoyed each and every experience, including the learning of many a Christmas carols and new traditions. A happy four year old who receives - but what else - ♪ ♫ a hippopotamus for Christmas ♫ ♪

Hand made toys and less commercialism was our goal this year and I purchased this adorable hippo at a local craft show...though you can't really see it as it is clutched so lovingly in her hands.

And little sister got the joy of a homemade teddy from a woman and friend from our church. It was loved so deeply that in a few short days it lost it's eyes. Ah well, it is still great for hugs!

We were given this sweet cleaning set from a relative who picked it up new but second hand...if that makes sense - but yes, they said it was fine to give it to the kids for Christmas. So after stashing it away for months it was finally unveiled that morning.

And thankfully much to the delight of my little ones and I'm sure they will be big helpers now! Or at least they get a kick out of tickling each other with the duster.... *sigh!* :)

And ahh, a little kudos to myself next - for I had set a crazy goal of making dolls for the girls for Christmas. I mean you know, being pregnant, having to make Christmas dinner for my large in-law family, shopping, cooking, baking, kitchen renovating...it just wasn't enough - so I set forth on a doll making adventure.

Let's just say...it's been a few years since I've sewn...and my latest 'sewing' endeavours have included such tasks as hemming curtains....where in I sorta just cut them.....then leave 'em that way....

*sheepish grin*

But I did it! Oh yes! Only 10 legs, 9 arms, three bodies and four heads later, I completed my challenge!

Not too shabby for someone who hates all things math and measuring!!!!

And this momma was proud and overjoyed to see how it was love on first sight on our Christmas morning!

So dinners were enjoyed, family time indulged in and a whirl wind of days flew by. We set new traditions, including the moving of our gift exchange off of the 25th and to another day...officially dubbed Giftmas!

Thanks to you all who supported the idea - I appreciated the comments - it's nice to know I'm not complete off the edge.....yet!

;)

We continue to look at this season in new light each year - trying to figure out, for us, what the celebration of our Saviour's birth should look like. But family, worship, love, peace of heart and the simple things are all a good place to start!

With all the business of the season, a sinus cold and a growing human in my body we have canceled our annual New Year's party. It's a shame, I enjoying having people in and bringing old and new friends together but I had to let something go - I have the bad habbit of taking on the world and it's just too much! So we got some munchies and a family movie and took the night to enjoy being alone together!

My hubby is putting the girls down now, so I stole some time to log in one last post for 2011.

I look forward to the year ahead, to all the Lord will have for us - for the blessings and even the challenges....(feel free to remind me of that at a later date!) I look forward to growing closer to Him and learning more about loving Him - as scary as that can be at times.

So I sit here at the dawn of a New Year and though we don't do resolutions and the such - who doesn't appreciate a fresh start? My children are about settled in bed, a blessing grows in me and hope for all the next year has, is only hours away.

Whether or not I'm awake to see it come in....

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Jeremiah 29:11-13

Holiday Fun

2011-12-19T11:03:00.000-05:00

So in between bouts of extreme tiredness - which is my main pregnancy symptom, (no morning sickness for me...so I can't really complain!) -and a couple of small(ish) 'home improvement' projects, we have sneaked in a bit of time to take in some holiday fun!

First we spent a morning at my mother-in-law's, where the girls helped set up Granny's Christmas village.

It is a fun little village, full of tiny houses, churches, stores and some of the buildings light up. There are all kinds of people to place in the scene and accessories. Oh and the cotton snow, the kids LOVE the cotton snow!

It was a nice relaxing day. I got to sit back, watch the action unfold, sip a cup of tea and take a moment to slow down and enjoy the season.

Amidst our small(ish) home improvement project - which included my kitchen being semi out of commission; my dad came to bake cookies with the girls. Because if you know me at all by now, you know a reno project never stops us!

My dad took care of all of it, so again I got to sit back and relax...and well, I'm okay with that! ;)

The girls had fun mixing and making messes!

My dad kneaded the dough and using a cookie press he purchased second hand over 30 years ago, he loaded sheet after sheet of delicious short bread.

The kids adorned each cookie with cherry bits and even managed to not squish them flat!

While the cookies baked and then cooled my dad was invited to read to my girls. It's rare that anyone who comes for a visit gets to leave without reading at least one story.

And at the end of it all.....

Not my photo - this was taken by my friend Rebecca- good job Rebecca! ;)

This Christmas season has come upon us so fast. Be it that I've been so tired, or that the weather has been so very unseasonably warm for us here or the fact that I'm getting older and time just moves so incredibly fast these days - whatever it may be, it's only a week to go now!

I love Christmas...I don't know if I can say it enough - for me it's such a wonderful and wondrous time of the year! And though I realize we don't know the exact day our Saviour was actually born, I enjoying taking at least one day of the year to truly focus on that miraculous event!

For my husband and I, we keep trying to find more ways to make Him the focus. To actually make Christmas a celebration of just that, Christ! This year we have decided to move our actual gift opening day to a few days before Christmas...I'm thinking of calling it Giftmas day - in that it is the day we exchange gifts in representation of the ultimate gift God has given us.

I still have to run that name by my hubby....

No matter what we call it, having the gifts on a separate day will allow us to have more time to focus on Jesus, on the day that is suppose to be all about Him. This year is especially nice as we will attend Church and worship Him with our Church family before enjoying the rest of the day with extended family.

We are constantly trying to focus our lives on God, making Him the center of all we are and not making Him fit into our lives. It can be a challenge at times and the convictions that come with that are not always easy but they are, in the end, rewarding!

I'd love to hear how other people celebrate Christ at this special time of year. Let me hear about your traditions, celebrations, convictions, etc. We do best when we strengthen each other!

Now, I have to get to work on a load of things today...wrap presents, make food, finish some homemade gifts and maybe clean something.....maybe!

Anyways, in case I don't get back on here before Christmas, I say God bless you and have a safe and wonderful Christmas!

December Days and A Special Gift

2011-12-09T16:52:00.001-05:00

Oh how the days keep marching on! November is long gone - and with me posting a measly three posts that month! :P So in due fashion of blog slacking I am giving an update of our December so far and letting you all in on a special little gift.....oh the suspense....

So far our days have been bright and crisp....

with unseasonably warm days....

....followed by just enough snow to break out the winter gear and build a snowy friend.

And when you have been anticipating snow since October, any amount will do!

We have enjoyed visits with family and dear friends. Play dates and park fun. Oh and sweet drooly smiles from a darling nephew!

With pajama days and snow watching to get us in the Christmasy mood.....

..... we broke out the decorations and adorned the tree and most of the house, surrounded with sweet smells, joyful tunes, and festive food!

So we bask in this season. A season of Peace, Joy and Love...at least under the King. A time to reflect on all He has done for us, all He has given us and ohhh; all the ways He blesses us!

And so that brings me to our special little gift. An early Christmas present...but one that cannot be 'opened' until June. The miracle and blessing of another child.

*blushing, bashful smile*

We feel very blessed!

I don't care what's under the tree this year...we are already spoiled!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17

If you don't love cabbage, you will now!

2011-11-23T08:40:00.001-05:00

Here is a super simple, inexpensive and DELICIOUS recipe for you! This turned my cabbage hating husband into a real fan of this cheap, fall staple! I'll often make this as a side to a nice grilled steak and we usually devour the cabbage first - and we are serious steak lovers....so I'm just saying - this is pretty darn good!

Roasted Cabbage Wedges

*One small green cabbage or half of onelarge cabbage
*Olive oil
*Kosher salt
*Pepper (optional)
*One lemon (or lemon juice, but fresh lemon is best)

Cut cabbage into wedges, keeping the coreintact. Should make about eight wedges.

Brush both sides with olive oil, (or use an oil mister if you have one) then and salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange onto a baking sheet laying each wedge on its side.
Roast, turn the wedges over half way, in pre-heated oven at 450⁰ for 25-35 minutes, or until the edges are crispy and brown.
Remove from oven and squeeze lemon over wedges. Serve and enjoy!

It may not look like much but the taste is fantastic and every time I serve this, people can't believe how simple yet tasty it is!

Well, we've finally gotten the first snow fall of the season, it's so pretty - makes me want to put up our tree, wrap presents, make Christmas cards, bake, snuggle with the kids....and well, all those things that fresh, Christmassy snow will make you want to do. So I think I shall do at least the last two things mention there - bake something good and snuggle a couple of cuties.... that is, before they drag me out into this winter wonderland!

NOTE: so I was just checking over some things on my blog when I noticed I had posted this recipe before, like over a year ago, well...it's just that good. Anyways....try it, I'm sure you will love it! I'm totally making it for supper tonight! ;)

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Fabulous Fall Photos

2011-11-16T10:37:00.001-05:00

Hey y'all.

I did it - finally finished!! Finished photo editing for the season! Yippee!!!! It been busy these last few weeks but it's all behind me and I can now, truly, focus on the glorious season ahead - Christmas!

Sorry to my American readers, you still have Thanksgiving to celebrate, but I can't wait! I'm getting the Christmas itch and me thinks the boxes of decorations shall be released from our basement later this week.

:)

If you care to check out any of my photography work and even some art (though that's sadly being neglected as of late) you can see it all here on my site: http://www.kaitlinandrews.com - yes, shameless plug, especially before Christmas -but a girl likes to do her craft and think, unique Christmas gifts anyone?!?!? I'm just saying....

;)

Since I have been so busy, I now have a visual feast of colour to catch up on for all of you. Our season of fall seemed to peak over night and was gone in a weekend. It was quite sad! I had great plans of locations to visit and photograph with my 'new' camera this year but never got the opportunity. But we were out for a walk the other day and I looked hard and did find some gorgeous colour to share with you - I did promise to keep up on my Spectrum of Light photos and help, not only you but me, to see the colour in the everyday!

It's now quite bleak around here, hence the ~~need~~, desire to pull out the Christmas decorations but strangely enough it's been quite warm for our part of the globe - not that I'm complaining! So even though the trees are bare and the days are getting darker - there is ample time to meander through leaf litter lawns and play in pretty parks due to our unbelievably warm weather!

This little grouping of colourful chairs made me smile! A nod to summer past, of friends and family, good laughs and good food and to the stand that winter is not here yet and we shall enjoy each outdoor moment until it does arrive - that's how we do it in the North! At least that's what I got from seeing these....or it could just be that they are like me and haven't gotten around to packing away the lawn furniture.....either or!

I love warty pumpkins!

And though nature is absolutely beautiful, man has made some pretty cool looking things too....

...especially when it's combined with beautiful scenery! Though I am blown away by all the wires in this photo - I didn't really notice them when I took the picture but now I see them - the juxtaposition of this photo is something all of it's self! Either way, that's one pretty tree and one lovely house!

More pretty!

And some kid cuteness! ;)

I love fall SO much, it's such a beautiful, colourful, perfect weatherful, time of year!

I am always amazed by the beauty God has created in this world - hard to imagine what Heaven will be like, if it is to be greater that what I see all around me.

But thankfully God has a much better imagination then me!

;)

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Time

2011-11-03T15:48:00.001-04:00

Okay, so I've been a little absent as of late. I'm keeping busy but here are three truths to why I haven't been blogging for the past couple of weeks.

1. I'm kinda behind on photo editing for my last (three) shoots so I have been working on those over blogging.

2. I've been really tired lately, got a cold, it morphed into the flu (or something like that) and now back to a cold....so whine, whine, blah, blah - but it kinda steals the creativity out of me, not to mention my energy! :P

3. I'm trying to relinquish my ~~complete~~ slight addiction to all things computer. So that means, way, way less time on the computer - to the point now that there are days I don't even turn it on. This may not sound like a big step for some of you, but for me it is! How sad eh!?! Anyways, it's going well.

I know that I spend too much time on the computer and online so I thought about where my husband and I hope to go with our family (Lord willing) with the idea (and you all know how we are such dreamers so don't put too much stalk into any of this, just bare with me! ) that someday we would like to have a small hobby farm, that I realized I would have even less time to be all up on the world of Facebook and the likes. I just see that I'm not really interested in all the social mess it is and find that I don't need to check it every ~~hour~~ day.

I also want to be grateful for the time given. I've been thinking about this a lot lately and the point was driven to heart this previous week. We heard devastating news in church this past Sunday. One of our members and a fast growing friend of ours, was diagnosed with ALS. You can read more about that here. Just know that people who are diagnosed with ALS, usually only live 2 -5 years after the diagnosis. He's young, only mid 40's, with a lovely wife and two teenage daughters. He is also a fairly new Christian, which is a blessing - but also heart breaking as he has such a passion for God and doing His work. Pray please.

My husband and I have known for a while, but it was really hard to hear it out loud in front of everyone, making it more real and driving home the point that none of us know how long we have.

How long we have to be surrounded with the ones we love, to enjoy the beauty of the world around us, to spread God's love, to enjoy homemade goodies, to enjoy all things, big and small. And though going to be in the glory of our Lord is the ultimate home and place of joy - we can't help but want to linger here on this earth. Originally there was to be no death and so even though I know that this man's destination is far greater then this place, it still pains me.

So in realizing how ones life is so precious I have been trying to fill my time with more - more love, more family, more of God, more nature, more resting, more doing, more reading, more simple things.

I still plan on blogging and keeping up with the blogs I read but I just know that God wants me to have less in my life so that I can do more.

I know that time management has always been a struggle of mine and now I see it's also something God wants me to really work on. I want to enjoy each day, (with a cold or not) each moment and feel the blessing of time.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:15-16

Proper Pumpkin Puree

2011-10-18T10:37:00.001-04:00

Okay....so I digress....

I found a little tutorial here from Julia at Blissfully Content, about how she does pumpkin puree and I'm a changed woman!

First I must tell you how much I enjoy her blog. It is chocked full of creative ideas, useful tips, amazing photography, delicious cooking and a good heart attitude - I just LOVE that her scripture verse posted above her photo is Philippians 4:11- I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content - ah, something I need to take to heart so, SO much more then I do! But we'll talk about that another day! ;)

So anyways. I picked up a few more pumpkins and gave her puree way a whirl. And it's the best, hands down - beats my old, chop 'till you drop way - AND it doesn't take hours to bake - where do I get these crazy ideas, hours to bake a pumpkin, I tell you....?!?!

I found it easy and also the puree has much less moisture in it, then my 'old' way, which is a good thing!

Well, that's all, just wanted to let you know the change in pumpkin pureeing and oh, more muffins to share with you all. Made with the new way of pumpkin pureeing.

Pumpkin, pecan, chocolate muffins - now if you haven't done chocolate with pumpkin - GET ON IT! Seriously, why do people keep these things from me?!?

The only real thing I changed about the way Julia did hers and how I did mine, was that I still freeze my puree in one cup servings. It just works better for me, my muffins use one cup and another recipe I love uses three cups of puree, so having one cup servings works well for me. But serious check out Julia's blog, she has some amazing pumpkin puree use ideas below the tutorial - I really want to make the cinnamon buns! Yum! :D

Anyways, that's all, the weather was awfully stormy over the weekend and most of the trees have lost their leaves now, so my Spectrum of Light series may pose more of a challenge then I had anticipated....sure, first fall with a nice new camera and the season is over before I know it.

Funny, I say nice new camera, but in the six and a half months I've had it, I've take over 15 000 photos! Maybe not so new now?!?! ;) But still nice!

Okay, okay....speaking of photos, I'm actually suppose to be editing photos from the last wedding I did- paying my sitter to watch my kids while I blog....maybe not the most practical idea. *wink*

Man, I seem awfully rambly today....okay well, have a great one y'all ('cause I love a good, y'all!), get baking and enjoy fall because I'm itching to get the Christmas season under way!

;)

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Pictures of Thankfulness

2011-10-13T15:18:00.001-04:00

Well Thanksgiving has come and gone for us here in the North. But I have to say it was the most fabulous Thanksgiving weekend in a long time! I mean the weather was out of this world, it was sunny, hot, breezy, sunny - to the point that we actually ate one (of our three!) Thanksgiving dinners out doors!

So we were blessed with much family, way to much food and amazing weather!

I took copious photos this weekend and wish to share all my thankfulness in the form of a visual feast. Get a cup of something hot, sit back, light a candle and come along and share in my weekend of Thanksgiving.

I am Thankful for....

...beautiful flowers...

...homemade red pepper jelly and crusty bread. Small silly dogs and the people who love them!

....tomatoes still ripening on the vine in October and even more thankful for 'fresh from the vine', tomatoes, being served for supper.

Little nephews!

Family from out of town.....

and the sweet treats they bring with them!

And canned cranberries, that look just that! ;)

I am Thankful for...

...dear friends who invite us to partake in their family feast. For their faith and the sharing of it!

The faith of little children!

The blessing of setting a place for our children.

And friends who can always make you smile. :)

I am Thankful for....

....children at play.....

... and family games of ring toss.

Tire swings and the kid in all of us.

More games and more family.

Sweet smiles....

...and young love! ♥

All of God's creatures....well most of them. ;)

And for all the beauty around me, even in my very own backyard.

Last, but most definitely not least.....

I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.

Psalm 118:21

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Apple Cake and Thanksgiving

2011-10-07T08:48:00.002-04:00

Naturally, after going apple picking we had to bake something! So I did some quick googling and found this recipe. It was pretty straight forward, I substituted the walnuts for pecans and I didn't mix it for the entire 15 minutes that it said to.

That's just too long....

....plus my mixer is super fast.....

....and, are you kidding me, fifteen minutes!!!

Anyways.

So my 'helpers' and I got busy. Aren't they cute in their little aprons? These sweet creations are courtesy of their granny, because she's good like that and because this gal don't sew much.....at least not yet! ;)

The cake turned out pretty good. It wasn't fabulous, but it was very tasty and easy to make, so that works for me.

I had totally meant to take photos of the finished product to share with you .....but that didn't happen and now the cake is all gone.

But trust me it was good and it actually made a large amount, lots to share or give away!

Ah another beauty of homeschooling - we have all the time in the world to bake and it counts and both Math and Science!

My husband says we should do math and science every day!

Well here in Canada it is Thanksgiving this weekend - I know we're crazy eh?!?!

;)

But oh joy, the weather is suppose to be gorgeous, the leaves are turning such lovely colours, the mornings are crisp and cool and the days are sunny and warm and we have three turkey dinners to go to!

:)

And there is always much to be Thankful for!

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works. Psalm 9:1

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Making Pumpkin Puree

2011-10-05T09:03:00.001-04:00

Good day!

So I'm at it again, basking in the glory of fall cooking and all that it has to offer. I'm seriously enjoying other bloggers that are also deep into autumn yumminess and inspiring me to make more and expand my repertoire...if only more of you lived closer, then I could share all my goodies with you! :)

After apple picking, then next fall essential on my list - pumpkins!

I went to a local garden/farm place and inquired what was my best 'bang for my buck' - in that, I wanted to use the flesh for cooking and baking but also it must and I mean, must have lots of seeds for roasting.

I left with four, inexpensive and cute, pie pumpkins.

:)

The people at the garden place were right, these little guys were loaded with seeds, about twice as much as a larger pumpkin!

Nice!

So I roasted up a bunch of seeds and set to work on making my first batch of pumpkin puree for the season. Here is my little tutorial on how I make pumpkin puree. It's not the traditional way, in that I do not roast it in the oven but it works for me and the results seem just as good. It involves a lot of chopping though, so it's up to you - oven on all day or chopping for a bit?!?

Oh and I must give photo credit, the first five photos are taken by my sweet hubby. After graciously helping me by taking these photos he said he thinks he likes this photography thing now. ;)

Pumpkin Puree, Kaitlin's Way! ;)

1. First I cut an opening in the top of the pumpkin and removed the seeds, saving those for roasting! Then I cut the pumpkin down into more manageable chunks.

2. Take the larger chunks and break them down into even smaller chunks. About 3 inches by 3 inches or so.

3. I then cut off the gooey flesh bit that is left over after removing the seeds.

4. Followed by cutting off the skin. Being careful, all the while, to not remove any finger tips! ;)

5. I cubed each chunk, cutting it up into even smaller pieces, about what you would do to make mash potatoes. Throw those pieces into a large pot, my one small pumpkin almost filled the big pot in the picture.

6. Add water until covered and then put the pot on the stove and bring the whole bit to a boil. Turn heat down and allow to boil until tender, about 8-10 minutes. It's basically making mashed potatoes but with pumpkin. When it is tender enough to easily pierce with a fork, drain and then mash. I used a potato masher this year, but I've used a hand mixer or blender before. Whatever you fancy!

I let the whole mess cool for a while, I think until the next day - I just got busy, you don't have to leave it quite that long! But once cooled, I measured it in one cup servings, placed those into sandwich bags and frozen them in a larger freezer bag. I got about 4 cups from this one little pumpkin. You could be more careful when breaking it down to preserve as much as possible and you might get even more.

So now when I need some pumpkin, I just go to the freezer and take out those single servings. Most recipes only call for one cup of pumpkin, so that's why I recommend doing it in one cup baggies. Plus they defrost really quickly in warm water!

And then you can create yummy things like these Pumpkin, Apple, Pecan and Cinnamon Muffins!

Again the, Super Fantastic Muffin Recipe to the rescue! I just swapped out the banana and apple sauce for one cup of pumpkin and added little more milk. Fantastic! Though I think I would use applesauce next time but I didn't have any applesauce when I made these, hence the extra milk. :P

There you go, my fairly easy pumpkin puree. Though there are other ways to do it, even in the slow cooker apparently, that's how I do it. So go ahead and make up some yummy, nutritious and fall fantastic food and share it with us all! Oh and don't forget to stop by, I'll have the coffee ready!

Shine Sunflower Shine

2011-10-03T12:37:00.000-04:00

Gorgeous eh?!?!

Just lovely - such a beautiful flower and what a way to welcome in Autumn! These, sadly, are not from my garden, they are grown at a local farm.

Truth be told, I actually took these photos back at the end of August but I'm so glad I did, these beauties do not last long and now that it has turned much cooler, they are all gone.

So I had taken the time to stop and smell the roses....er sunflowers one warm summer evening and enjoy their loveliness. I stayed a while, enjoying their beauty and the complexity of their design. I had come all by myself but after a short time I realized I wasn't alone....

....no, many a little 'friends' were there enjoying these flowers with me.

;)

Each year I find it amazing how God drenches us in scads of colour before the bleakness of winter sets in. This being, if you live where I do anyways. Here the autumn is such a vivacious time of colour - filled, chock-full to the brim in beauty, I so truly love it!

But then alas, winter sets in. And, in it's own right, it is beautiful but fall has such splendor! So once again as the colours fade and the cool days turn to cold, I will be starting my Spectrum of Light series, where in I try to find and show you the beauty and colour that is all around, even on the bleak winter days.

So join me as we bask in the beauty God bestows on us before the grayness of late Fall and the whiteness of Winter set in and stay with me throughout these days as we search for colour and enjoy the wonders that the changing of seasons will bring.

Apple Picking Fun

2011-09-27T08:48:00.000-04:00

I just read from another blogger, Bevy, about being behind on posting and I totally agreed! Mind you, she just had her third child a few weeks ago....so she's got a pretty good reason....I on the other hand....do not.

Anywaays....

I've been meaning to post about starting homeschooling this year. Olivia is four now and so we've decided to have a more 'formal' school time. So I will post all about that, just not today....

No, today we're going to jump right in on the homeschooling adventure in process and I'm going to share with you our first family field trip. Oooo, fun! ;)

It was fun though! Oodles even! And of course, where should a family go, in September for their first official family field trip - an apple orchard...of course!

And in true form of all that we do, we took the lovely back roads, meandering through gorgeous country side, ogling farm houses nestled among beautiful landscapes, getting lost (even with a GPS) on crazy dirt roads and eventually ending up right at the door step of the orchard we were looking for!

Nice!

The girls were more then happy and ready to roam after being cooped up in the car!

Now, I will say, there are places closer that we could have gone to., but they did not have the kind of apples I wanted....and we all know how much this gal loves a drive in the country! ;)

So apple picking ensued!

The weather was perfect, the girls were happy, stripped socks were worn, it was all good!

And I even came prepared with my tripod, to take advantage of nice scenery, gorgeous weather and a happy family. Our last family photo was over a year and a half ago! :P

After a successful family photo shoot, there was more of shoving apples at the camera lens and then it was time to head on our way.

It was a lovely day! My husband's job has been reduced to four days a week, which is okay - it's really a kind of blessing - so we now reserve Mondays as Family Field Trip days, not to say that every week we will go somewhere but it's nice to be able to do it together!

And they beauty of homeschooling is having these opportunities together! To spend time as a family, just as God intended! I have more to say on that, but on another day. Until then I leave you with a part of my favourite Psalms;

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
Show me the wonders of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings,
Psalm 17:6-8

Garlic Bread Goodness!

2011-09-21T09:06:00.001-04:00

Here is a most fantastic garlic bread recipe! Seriously, it's delicious enough to make and eat all on it`s own......not that I have ever done that....

Here`s how you make some serious garlic bread goodness!

First you go and get one of those fresh French bread loaves they sell at the grocery store or local bakery. At our local grocer these loaves sell for a $1.00 and depending on how many people you are making this for you might get two servings out of one loaf.

Truth be told....this isn`t actually a French bread loaf, they were sold out. But it worked just fine...but I still say the French bread loaf is best!

Next you make up some garlic butter, or buy some...it`s up to you. Here is what I do:

Garlic Butter

Ingredients

A whole bunch of butter....okay again not accurate with measurements...I usually eye it up, but it is a lot, I`d say like a cup or more. I know it sounds terrible (terribly good that is!) But this is garlic bread goodness and the ratio of goodness is equal to the ratio of butter used!
Four or five (or more) garlic cloves. I chop them really fine or use a tiny grater to ``puree`` them.

Add garlic to butter, mix together. If time allots, allow to rest for a few minutes - I'd say no more then 10 minutes should do it. And there you have delicious homemade garlic butter. You can do it with margarine and you could even substitute in garlic powder, but I have tried these other alternatives and this is the best way to make it...in my opinion.

Now while your garlic butter is resting, take your nice crusty bread loaf and proceed to cut it into slices, stopping before you cut all the way through! So each piece is still connected at the bottom of the loaf. It should look something like this, mind you I was using a half loaf here.

Mmmm...I could eat it right at this point....but wait, it gets better...Ooooo so much better!

Spreading the slices apart, slather in the butter. Make sure to butter both side of each slice and if using a half loaf like I did, make sure to slather some butter on the end piece (of the cut side).

Don`t be stingy now! ;)

Now wrap that buttery sucker up in tin foil. Like a delectable little present.

Place this bundle in a preheated to 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. When the time is up, remove (carefully with oven mitts) from the oven and turn your oven from bake to broil.

Unwrap your present!

The butter should be mostly melted into the bread (sorry no pictures here). But again, be careful, it is surprisingly hot! Now, cut the slices the rest of the way through, separating them and lay them, single layer, on a baking sheet.

Stick them back into the oven, under the broil and watch them turn to a beautiful golden goodness! ;) Turn them once one side is finished, making sure to golden up each side.

Now all you have to do is serve it up!

Like I mentioned, it is tasty enough to almost stand alone. We had it one night with a nice summer salad.

And of course, it goes amazing with pasta, soup, chili, stew or any other hearty supper.

This is such a fantastic garlic bread recipe, it`s really quite easy, a crowd pleaser and a sure way to make for some happy kids!

BON APPÉTIT!

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Breakfast or Dessert? You decide!

2011-09-15T09:01:00.002-04:00

I have been a fan of oat meal for some time now, especially since my childrenLOVE it so much. Seriously, they totally LOVE it, as in it's a treat for them, which is afar cry from where I was when I was little!

Anyways, I posted way back in January....thispost in which I talked about making oatmeal and then throwing frozen fruitinto it. The oatmeal cools off nicely and thaws the fruit and when you sit downto have breakfast everything is one happy bowl of goodness and I thought, 'Itcan't get any better then this!' That was, until yesterday.

Yesterday I went to visit my newly married sister-in-law, (who's blog you can read here and you can also see herwedding photos hereon my website shameless plug I know.)Anyways we got talking about oatmeal....because that's all newlyweds and stayat home moms have to talk about....*blank stare* not quite! We got to talkingabout oatmeal because the days are getting cooler and we are both avid loversof autumn days!

So I was telling her about frozen fruit in oatmeal when she revealed to methis interesting and yet at first thought, revolting idea;

Topping said oatmeal with yogurt.

Okay, so revolting is a bit strong of a word. But when shefirst mentioned it I just couldn't think through the idea of the textures and Idon't know, it just didn't seem to fit. Then she proceeded to sway me bycomparing it to melted ice cream on apple crisp.....

I do like apple crisp......

.... and I do so very much like ice cream.

So giving her the benefit of the doubt, this was mybreakfast today....

And wow, was she right! I'm sorry for doubting you Stephanie! It wasdelicious, blueberry oatmeal with vanilla yogurt, tasty, filling, healthy, wondrous!

Dessert for breakfast...yum......this is gonna be a good winter!

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Kitchen Makeover- Part 3: Kitchen Shelves

2011-09-12T21:27:00.000-04:00

So here is the final instalment....for now. Until we have the money and gusto to do the counters and the back splash.

*rolls eyes at thinking of where said money and gusto shall come from!*

Anyways, here are the shelves before and after:

And since we are in the spirit of DIY and easy home projects here is how we made our rustic country shelves.

First we were blessed with an abundance of old barn board, left in our basement, when we bought our house four years ago. If you are not in possession of left over barn board, scour yard sales, classified ads or ask friendly barn owning neighbours if they have any to spare.

We used an almost empty can of primer, any white paint will do including acrylic or tempra from say, the kids craft supplies!?!? You don't need much so just use what you have. I think we only had about 2 inches or so left in the bottom of our can and it was plenty to do this job!

Add some water to the paint.

Okay, so my measurements are a bit vague but really you don't need to be exact. You are really just making a wash. So add a little and test it out. Remember you can always add more, you cannot take it back out. Mix it in a separate container if you are worried about messing up - but seriously don't stress about it, it's all good!

Next, slop that white wash on!

Yup, just slop it on there...hence the newspaper protecting the floor...though if you slop like I do I recommend more newspaper....a lot more!

Coat as much or as little as you like. But when using a material like the old barn board don't be skimpy on the wash as they tend to soak it up. Slop it on and then using a rag, wipe it off. Wiping off more or less of the wash, depending on the look you want.

Don't worry if it drips over the edges, it's all part of the rustic appeal. When you are satisfied with the amount of coverage, (or lack of) let it dry and repeat on the other side and remaining boards.

Boards are done!

Now here is a great secret of hubby and mine. We love to use plant hanging hooks for shelf brackets! Seriously, they are inexpensive, sturdy and look far nicer then many other shelf brackets - unless you want to spend some extra bucks...but who wants to do that?

Aren't they purdy!?!?

I just warn you, that you need to use good heavy duty wall anchors when using these and try hard to hit a stud, important for when you want to load up your lovely rustic shelves after all your hard (well it's not that hard) work!

And now the fun bit; adorning your new shelves with many a kitchen lovelies!

And yes even some practical things too.

And a neat idea I got from a friend, a handy and decorative way to store candles.

Lastly and most definitely not least, a central location to set our bibles, devotional material, journals and inspirational memory scripture.

So there you have it, another easy, practical and pretty idea to both dress up and personalize your kitchen. I love this area....apparently I love every area of my kitchen...anyways, I like how this is all usable space, organized and totally us at the same time....because believe it or not we are NOT organized people - but that's a story for another time...we'll just say the power of God is amazing! ;)

Well get to it ladies, let me hear how you organize and personalize your kitchens. Big or small, old or new, share your ideas, we can all use the inspiration!

Happy Homemaking!

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Kitchen Makeover -Part 2: The Coffee Corner

2011-09-05T13:03:00.000-04:00

Well folks this is where the day truly starts. Though my devotions, breakfast, most of my blogging, and what nots happen from the window seat - none of it would be possible without my coffee corner! This is the spot in the kitchen designated to all things related to coffee or tea...except the cream, of course.

I'm sorry, but I don't think I have a very good before picture of this part of the kitchen. Just know that it was more unorganized, the canisters were on the counter and not on the shelf and well it just didn't look this darn snazzy!

I've had these great canisters for years now, since shortly after we were first married. I originally only wanted to purchase the "Three Crows Coffee" canister, but the lady at the store offered me a great deal to take all four, so I did - and they have been an integral part of our kitchens since then.

And next; the machine that makes it all possible! Originally I had an old, old, old coffee maker and I had a real bad habit of leaving it on and going out for the day....bad, bad habit! So hubby and I switched to a french press for a few years. Now that is some fine coffee making there I tell you! But after two kids and a slight growth in my ~~need~~ desire for more coffee, more often - we switched back to a regular coffee maker. But that's not the one pictured here...no we, er...umm...well...loved our other one too much and we also out grew it's eight cup capacity. It has since "gone to a better place". We now have this FOURTEEN cup monster!

It's a great machine! Not only does it make a mean cup of coffee but it beeps as soon as it is ready, so I don't have to miss one second of fresh, delicious, hot coffee. ;)

I found these cute and vintage canisters at our local Goodwill, a few years ago and I use them to store various types of tea. I love coffee...in case you hadn't guessed that by now, but I take the occasion to enjoy a cup of tea in the afternoons or evenings now and again. A friend has recently introduced me to chocolaty chai tea and it is amazing! It will be a staple in my home from now on, especially as we move from the summer into cooler days.

So there you have it, just a little corner of my kitchen. I love having coffee and tea on hand, it's rare you meet someone who won't drink either and it's such an inviting way to get to know someone or to pass the time. Sitting, chatting, sipping, sharing. I think summer is fabulous, but as these cooler days set in, I look forward to giving this little corner of my kitchen a real work out - so come on over the coffee's always on!

Kitchen Makeover - Part One: Kitchen Cork Board

2011-09-02T09:26:00.000-04:00

Wow, September; hello! I see that I was a bit slack in my posting for August - but I'm back in the game again. Glad to be hearing from many bloggers who have survived the multitude of natural disasters going on around them and being thankful for all I know who are safe and sound and praying for all who are and have been affected by the happenings of late!

♥

About four posts ago, at the beginning of August - 'cause that's how slack I have been! - I had mentioned in this post about how in tradition of most long weekends my hubby and I got busy with a small home reno/make over. I was hoping to reveal it to you in one glorious post but that's not going to be the case.

For one, the project grew and will take longer to complete then one weekend allowed. Also, I think it will be fun to break it up a little and focus in on the details that make up the whole!

And what we got busy with was the KITCHEN!

*big grin*

I have always loved my kitchen! It is bright, big, and the heart of the home. It is where I have my devotions, where we eat breakfast together on the weekends (and the kids and I during the week), it's where I prepare meals made from love and what's found in the fridge, it is home to good conversation and quiet moments of contemplation.

But it was also the first room we painted, four years ago. My husband and my dad lovingly and painstakingly restored the once black painted original plank flooring to their glorious state that they are now and hubby built the window seat, but like I said, that was all four years ago and I found the room looking a little.... tired lately.

So as we were out shopping on the long weekend...at the beginning of August...I said to my sweet hubby, "Hey, I want to paint the kitchen, chocolate brown. What do you think?" and sweet hubby replied, "Sounds good!" Hence why I call him sweet hubby! ;)

Well here is the kitchen before:

And the 'before' of my beloved window seat;

And the 'after', I keep saying "Now my kitchen has personality!"

Oh, I love it! It's bold and dramatic, yet warm, inviting and still holds it's country(ish) charm! :)

Other then revealing to you the result of a couple of coats of paint, I'm sharing with you a nice little project. Easy and a great way to personalize a space.

I realized, after going a couple of weeks without one, that I need a cork board in my kitchen. It's just a must....that's all there is to it. I was also kind of tired of having my fridge covered in things - SO that being said we (hubby and me, yay team work!) made this;

Our kitchen cork board, right next to the window seat. It's great, I keep all kinds of stuff there and not on the fridge and I love how it looks like art first, cork board second.

Here is what we did:

We took an old cork board that we had, if you don't have an extra one lying around you can buy one, either one pre-framed, pre cut at a store like Walmart, or you can find it at a hardware store and I believe it's on a roll so you can select your size.

Ours was purple and just wouldn't do, so it had to be painted! ;)

See, much too purple! I mixed paint, some from the chocolate brown of the kitchen with a tan colour that is in the lower half of our dining room and viola; it went from purple to this:

Hubby then trimmed it out to make it look like art on the wall. If you don't have a handy hubby, or are not ambitious enough to do it yourself, you could find a picture frame the size of your cork board, remove the glass and frame and hang it that way. Think yard sales, Goodwill, etc. for inexpensive large frames - and don't forget you can spray paint the frame any colour so pick one you like the design of and don't worry about the colour of it! :)

I love cork boards I love how they are useful, decorative and inspiring. Already we have adorned this one with;

Inspiration for us and for a witness to others;;

Coffee and tea themed push pins, to encourage the relaxed café feel of the room and to hold notes from dear sweet neighbours;

And who doesn't like having little reminders of good friends, special times, or other such things posted to see daily?!?

I had known for a while that I wanted to paint the kitchen and the jump from pale yellow to chocolate brown seemed obvious.....okay, well to me at least! Plus, when I found these pillows I just knew there was no other choice!

Yes, roses from my sweet hubby, just because....yes he's that sweet! He also knew I'd like that the red went with the new colours of the room....*sigh* God sure knows how to bless a girl!

Oh did I mention just how much I LOVE these pillows?

I did? Okay, good, just wanted to make sure....

So there you have it, part one of the kitchen makeover. This is probably my favourite part, only because I love my window seat so and because something about friendly notes and little things that dress a cork board make me so very happy.

Simple things!

I will post more about; the kitchen shelves, the coffee corner and soon *fingers crossed* the new counter and backsplash.

Until then I have a house that desperately needs cleaning, rooms that need organizing, laundry that should be sorted from summer to fall, oh and we start the first day of Homeschool on Tuesday....

*blank stare*

Good thing it is only Junior Kindergarten.

But I warn you, as I type this I sit at the dawn of another long weekend....and well shouldn't a school room have a face lift too?!?!?

Super Fantastic Muffin Recipe, Revisited

2011-08-22T12:43:00.000-04:00

Just shy of one year ago I posted a recipe for muffins, which I titled, Super Fantastic Muffin Recipe, and well it was. But over this past year I have played with it a bit more, tweaking it and now it truly is the ultimate:

SUPER FANTASTIC MUFFIN RECIPE

2 ripe, mashed, bananas
3/4 cup milk
1/4 - 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar or white sugar or honey
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease bottoms only of the muffin cups in a muffin pan.

Combine ingredients, mixing until moist, do not over mix! (This is key to good muffins!) Add in extras, stir with wooden spoon. (see list below) Divide batter evenly among muffin cups and bake for 18 -24 minuets or until golden brown. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minuets before removing to cooling rack.

That is the basic recipe, the base for the muffins. To this you can add anything... seriously ANYTHING and they will be delicious, moist and pretty darn good for you too! ;)

Featured here is Cranberry, Pecan and Chocolate Chip.

Other ingredients to play with:

Strawberries, fresh or frozen

Raspberries, fresh or frozen

Blue berrues, fresh or frozen

Apples

Walnuts

Coco

Raisons

Cinimon

Coconut

Frozen mixed berries

Carrot, shredded

Pumpkin puree (and that's coming soon!)

Pumpkin pie spice [goes nice with the prementioned ingredient! ;) ]

Jam

Add more bananas

Peanut butter

I'm sure there are many other ideas, these are just a few to get you started. Have fun, add what you like and enjoy! Ofcouse don't forget to come back and share with me what you used and what you like!

Oh and here's a little something else to get your creative food fun flowing. Cookies made by a dear friend of mine, she's such a sweet heart and a good and talented baker to boot! ;)

Happy snacking!

Farm Fun

2011-08-17T08:44:00.006-04:00

Seeing as we came SO close to country living this summer, with God saying last minute, "No my children, not yet, I have other plans for you." we relish any opportunity to spend some time away from the city. So when some new friends invited us to spend the afternoon at their home and hobby farm, we were all to happy to oblige!

This family has a lovey home and beautiful property! They were so kind to allow us to come and invade them on really, their only day off during the week!

Needless to say, our girls were ecstatic to see all the animals. And after taking them to a sad, sad excuse of a petting zoo a week ago, this was a much better way to see and interact with animals. And interact they did!

Maybe a little too much......

They call it a hobby farm...but it seems more like a full time job then a hobby! They had goats, horses, chickens, cows, turkeys and even chiche pink pigs in mud!

And reliving childhood fun, my hubby even had the opportunity to catch a frog. To which our girls were both delighted and disgusted!

Yeah, that's right, she hugging and kissing the frog!

They not only have tons of animals, they grow much of their own food. I tell you, it's both inspiring and intimidating!

They invited our girls to help dig up the vegetable that were to be served for supper. I don't know if I have mentioned my lack of ability to garden, but lets say....there's a reason dandelions are one of my favourite 'flowers'...they're about all I can grow! :P

So this was a novelty!

They prepared the most amazing dinner for us, with all the food fresh from their farm; right down to the homemade butter!

It was a wonderful afternoon! I believe it spoke to a part inside both my husband and myself, a part of our childhoods, and a longing for open spaces. We came away, happy and renewed and glad to have made some new friends! And though we both feel that someday we shall end up in the country, Lord willing, we are content right where we are!

And until that time, we will enjoy what our city has to offer and the blessing of living in the heart of it! We will enjoy this all with, more trips to playgroups and the library, to visiting with friends and park time fun, to rainy days snuggled indoors as the world goes by and sunshine days filled with sidewalk chalk and bubble blowing.

But when they day comes to stretch out and enjoy open spaces, fields of grass, and fresh county air, I think we will be ready....

Making Time

2011-08-11T11:06:00.000-04:00

Finding or actually, making, the time to sit and be with God seems to be an endless challenge! It starts with marriage, where in you adjust from having just you to think about to now having us. And though you have good intentions, the time flies and you see days whisk by with hardly a moment devoted to the Lord. Then children enter the picture and those once sweet, quiet moments alone with the Creator seem but a distant dream.

No wonder Paul suggests one remain single! (1 Corinthians 25-40)

But I am (always) learning and this thought impressed on me the other day. In the role of wife and mother, it is not simply enough to say, "I am too busy." "My kids keep me distracted." "I just can't find the time." or "Some days are better then others" No, we must make the time, better yet we must want to make the time. How often do we cry to Him in times of trial and tribulation but do we stay faithful during the out pouring of blessings or the mundane days or life? For surely God has appointed one as well as the other. (Ecclesiastes 7:13,14) It is this daily communion with God that I am talking about.

It is here we need to discipline ourselves. For we would never choose to not feed our children their breakfast, it is fundamental, it is needed and not to mention they wouldn't let us forget to feed them! And though many a days we would rather roll over in bed, ignoring their requests, or read the paper instead of making more toast, we do not, we feed our children.

But how often do we neglect to feed our own souls? (Matthew 4:4)

We say we will find the time, we say it with good intentions - but how often do you find something that you aren't actually looking for? The truth is we must make the time! Just as you make time to get dressed, to feed your family or to walk the dog, we must make the time to be in God's word.

I once heard it put like this, if you had to take a pill everyday just to live would you remember to take it? And would you ever skip it, even once? Time with God is our 'pill' and we need it to live - to truly live!

So I have purposed to make time for God. I am rising early to be alone with Him and when my kids wake up earlier, for they surely will, then I will just have to get up even earlier. This isn't some household task that I can continually put off, like cleaning up cobwebs or washing my windows, it is necessary, a daily part of my homemaking.

For if I do not make this time for God, then the cobwebs will cling to my heart and 'windex' will not be able to remove the fog in my mind. It says in James 4:8, come near to God and He will come near to you. It is true, I want to grow ever closer to Him and spending time with Him is the only way to do it.

I have been reading many other 'good' books as of late, other biblical sound books on topics of importance and interest to me but this is not enough. I can not grow a personal relationship with my God by reading what others say, just as I cannot create a friendship with another person if I only speak to their other acquaintances.

A personal relationship with God is just that, personal, between Him and myself.

So I am challenging all my readers - make the time, don't find it - make it! Join me in these early mornings, as the sun rises later and later and the weather grows cooler, to make the time to be with the One who made you and knows your inward parts. (Psalm 139:13)

I am no longer leaving it to the day, circumstance or good timing, no I am making the time to be with Him, daily! Choosing to do whatever it takes - but pray for me, 'cause I'm sure going to need it!

God bless!

.

Cookies and Cake

2011-08-04T11:23:00.001-04:00

Ah, another long weekend came and went here in Canada...not sure why we get one at the beginning of August, but I'm not about to argue with it! So hubby and I got ourselves into our usual trouble over a long weekend...we started a small reno/face lift project....it was suppose to be easy and quick....but it's grown a bit.....

*sheepish grin*

So at this point I do not have any pictures to show you but hopefully by the end of the month....

...until then, enjoy these goodies!

With the weather actually cooling off slightly...which I'm assuming is only temporary...right? I got the itch to do some baking. But low and behold, after settling on cookies I discovered that I had no eggs.

What's up with that? Anyways, I wasn't about to let that stop me....not to mention I had little girls at my heals ready to devour cookies the moment they would be ready! So spotting bananas 'riping' on my counter I decided to substitute them in and hope for the best.

And well, it's all good!

The cookies turned out great...a slight cookie meets banana bread flavour...but is that such a bad thing?

So here's the recipe in case you are silly like me and buy too many bananas for these hot summer months and need a way to rid yourself of them.

No Egg, Chewy Chocolate Chip and Pecan Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups flour (I used all purpose this time, but whole wheat would work fine, though I'm thinking only 2 cups of flour in that case)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 riped bananas
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (or more) pecan pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease (or line with parchment paper!) cookie sheets.
2. Sift together the flour baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mash bananas and cream together with the sugars and the melted butter, mix until well blended. (there may be some banana bits left, don't worry to much about those!) Beat in the vanilla. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans with a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheets - I use a large table spoon for this or an ice cream scoop would work well. Cookies should be about 2 inches apart.
4. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheet for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

YUM!

On to the cake!

One of our dearest friends is originally from Holland. He moved here to be with and marry his sweet heart about 9 years ago. The last time they visited his homeland was when his wife was pregnant with their daughter...she's now 5! So they left the other day for a twenty five day holiday. But our friend's birthday falls during their vacation and so his wife threw him a little party before they left.

And I got to make the cake*!

*code for; she left everything to the last minute and we pitched in to help!

For those of you who may not know...it's based on the board game 'Settlers of Catan'. We play this ALL the time with this couple...I mean ALL the time....and in admitting this you may now realize how geekish we just may be - but that's okay!

Anyways, our friend is turning 30 and his name starts with R hence the tile in the middle. (I only clarify, because other fans of the game might notice the inaccuracy there! Okay...clarifying that I think moves my geekiness to a whole new level....not to mentioned I used the words 'geekish' and 'geekiness'...)

*blank stairs from my readers*

Riiight.....okay, well it's a really good game and he loved the cake - and it was a fun night. But we're going to miss them these next 25 days....

So I'm busy trying to finish up the photos from my sister-in-laws wedding...don't tell her I'm doing a blog post instead of working on them! ;) Haha, I know you're probably already reading this Steph....but they're coming I swear! ♥ And then I have another wedding this weekend, oooh so exciting!

Oh and yes that reno project.....hmmm summer, you go to quick! Anyways, let me know how your summer is going, is it flying by like mine? And will you still read my blog now that you know my geeky side?!? Hahah!

Have a great week!

Pivotal, a Recap

2011-07-22T09:15:00.002-04:00

So I was sitting here thinking....a little too hot to be thinking really but I was still trying! ;) Then it came to me...that a lot has happened in the last year, which lead me to go searching for a post that I had from about a year ago. I titled it Pivotal and it's from June of 2010. It's a real short one but I was just talking about how it seemed that ourselves and people all around us were on the cusp of God doing things in their lives.

I thought a little more on that and thought I would recap and reveal some of what I was referring to. Not all are big things, not all are significant things, and not all things came to be as I had imagine...but none-the-less a year (or so) later and there has been some changes...

* After three and a half years, we have finished the major renovations on our house.
* I have also fallen for many houses and even listed our house for three weeks.
* I am now banned from MLS.
*My sister got married (to a good guy too) and had a baby....the first was a surprise (her track record isn't so great) the second is a miracle!
*Our house finally has a driveway....our home is a century old home so this is kinda ground breaking and freaking exciting! You don't know what you have until you don't have it! ;)
*We have put WAY to many miles on our car - but everyone of them were so worth it!
*My husband has recommitted himself whole heartily to God - this is both exciting and scary!
*As a result our family has returned to church...and are enjoying it!
*My sister-in-law, after much waiting on the Lord, is getting married.....TOMORROW! ♥
*We have learned and are learning to live with less in our lives.
*We are finding comfort in good Godly friends.
*I have been expanding my creativity, now to include photography...and even making some money at it.
*There are no answers yet to the genetic issues with our daughter, but she continues to grow and develop into a lovely, inquisitive, extremely caring little (big) girl.
*My husband is beginning to see a plan laying out before us and is leading our family as a truly God fearing and God honouring man...this goes back to the exciting and scary bit.

Which leads me right back to being at a pivotal point again....

That's how life is, though, isn't it? All those things I mentioned (and there was more then I thought...and more I'm sure I have left out) will in turn all lead to other things.

I look forward to the horizon...to what God has in store...not just for us but for all those around us! I sit and wait on Him....because really it's too hot to do anything else! ;)

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Fun with my FOUR YEAR OLD!

2011-07-20T09:38:00.000-04:00

Aah, four years....already?!?!?!

It was a beautiful weekend and a perfect one for celebrating our little girl...who isn't a little girl really... but a big girl, or at least she tells me so! And seeing as she has a lovely, middle of summer kind of birthday....and I suffer from having a middle of lousy old winter kind of birthday; we celebrated in the only way one should....

...with BEACH TIME FUN!

Ah, our little beach - I think I'm in love with it... *bashful grin*. It was a beautiful, cloudless day...which even I, the infamous cloud lover, enjoyed! So after a few hours of hot fun, the gang headed back to our house for, what else, but a barbecue!

We decorated with summer fun stuff...and to tell the truth....I have been enjoying the summery feel with the paper lanterns, pink flamingo and bright colours that I have left most of the decorations up.....and really it has everything to do with liking them and nothing to do with the heat and sweating and lazy summer days....

For the loot/goodie bags we did sand pails. It was great, they fit with the theme and they are totally useful after the party. I found some great bargains on fun summer things and filled the pails. I like sending something home with the kids that they enjoy but that the parents will find useful and not just clutter.

It's nice that our daughters closes friends are the kids of our closes friends too. Which makes for good fun before and after the kids go to bed! Here is the gang of kids enjoying the BBQ food! They let me take pictures of them eating, why won't their folks? ;)

I took a tradition from my mother in law, making special cakes for birthdays. I liked her idea and thought it would be fun. I've made it my own by branching into three dimensional cakes but it's keeping to the tradition, keeping it going and in today's age traditions seem to get lost. So here's to you Granny! ♥

A beachy theme cake. You can see/read about my other cakes from over the last year, here, here, and here. They are fairly easy to make and I really like to do it, plus I'm pretty sure the kids like them to....

....yeah...I think she liked it alright!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLIVIA!!!!

Provision and Baptism

2011-07-10T22:06:00.004-04:00

What a week - I came down with this lousy summer cold! :P It was bad enough being all stuffed up and with a soar throat - but then it morphed into a flu like thing and well I was pretty much down and out for the entire week! My hubby was only at work for two days last week as he stayed home to watch the kids for me - what a good man! So anyways, I'm feeling much better - actually I was better just in time to do my first paid professional photo shoot on Saturday.

I'll share more on that after I get the photos to the client. But it went well and it was good to get the first one done ...hopefully that will help ease my nerves on all my next shoots.

So it was good, because like I said, it was paid, important when your hubby has been off work for almost a week. Then upon returning home tonight, there was a cheque in the mail box. It was the 50% deposit for a wedding I have booked in August.

All this got me thinking - here was, what was suppose to be 'extra' money, money that we could really have been used but because I was sick it goes to paying just the basics. And yes, my first thought, was "Thank the Lord - provision for the lack of funds!" And I meant it, truly, because I know how important the basic are. But then I got thinking more...

God could have easily allowed me to not get so sick, for surely He knows how important any extra money would be to us.

But then I got thinking even more....

This money coming when it has IS a blessing and what it is, is a testament to the greatness of our Lord. He allowed me to be sick so that He could provide for us.

Are you with me?

In my being ill we lost some income - but with the 'extra' money coming in, we are still on track - not any farther ahead but certainly not any farther behind! God didn't allow us to make extra money, He allowed us to make just what was needed. It's quite beautiful really!  My being sick was a tool for showing the goodness and glory of God. He provided where there was a real need and if any 'extra' money is truly needed, well He will provide that as well! He's just so good like that!

Now that's provision!

Speaking of provision the Lord seems to never be at an end it specializing in it!

For a while my husband and I have been on the topic of Baptism.   We attend a Baptist church but up until recently we had not given the whole idea a lot of thought.

My husband made a commitment to the Lord when he was three and was baptised at the age of 7 and so this has carried him all these years. When I became a believer we never really talked much about the whole thing and well that was that about it all.

But over the last year my husband has really re-found his faith. He has been lead and is learning to know what it means to really love the Lord. To want to want the things God wants and to truly follow after Jesus. And I am more then happy to have him stepping up more and more as the Spiritual leader that God calls him to be!

So in my husband's devout and endless reading of Scripture he, as he put it in his own words, "could not escape the idea of Baptism." He talked to me about it a few weeks ago, we went through the word and well it convicted us. It spoke clearly that we should be baptised.

Now the city we live in is on the beautiful St. Laurence River - a stunning river and I'm not even being bias!  My husband and I had said that even though our church does baptismal services in the building, that we would prefer to have it in the river. More natural, more real and much more public! ;)

So we had no plans to go forth, that is, until the following Sunday.

As we took our seats for the sermon that day, we opened the bulletin to read the weeks announcements and lo and behold....

BAPTISMAL SERVICE TO BE HELD AT THE RIVER!

*stunned silence*

Well when the Lord calls - you answer!

So today was the day of the service. And OH the Lord is Good. It was such a fabulous day - really!.....though I seem to be saying that a lot lately....but this has been one incredible summer so far.....but back to where I was....

Well for starters, here's a little peek at where our service was held today.....

I don't know if crystal clear water, lazy clouds, dappled shade and a rolling hill side are your thing...but they sure are mine! So we had a service in the park and it was just beautiful!

We had our worship time and a small message and then it was time for us 'candidates' to give our testimonies. My husband explained that though he had grown up in a Christian home and had made a commitment young, he had only really come to whole heartily follow and love the Lord and that for the first time in his life he actually felt that he was living for God because he fully wanted to and not just because it was the right thing to do. He was getting baptised to show that he is God's and wants to commit his whole mind, heart and strength to Him.

And Oh our God is STILL SO good!

Because after him I had to give my testimony....and the Lord blessed me and honoured me by having all of my family there. Yup, that's right, my Dad, Step Mom, Step sister, my Mom and her husband - all unsaved but all there, to support us and to....listen!

It was a blessing, one that is hard to put into words.

Knowing they were all there and that they were all listening, I shared my testimony, laden heavy in the gospel and the glory of finding a personal and fulfilling relationship with our Heavenly Father and our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Well....anyways, I won't go on much more.....this already is a very long post....probably could have been two....but like I mentioned before this is a busy month, so since I had some time to sit and write I figured I better get it all out....who knows with days like these I may not get back to the computer any time soon! ;)

So I'll conclude with saying, I got to say some things to both sets of parents that needed to be said. Apologises for dishonouring them and kudos for raising me well. I got to share how even though I was blessed and came from good homes that a life with out God is still an empty one and that only salvation through Christ and a relationship with our Creator will complete us.

My husband and I were extremely fortunate to be surrounded by so much love, from family, friends and our amazing church family as we both were baptised one after the other.

First hubby, then me, then sweet hubby
taking my hand as we left the water! ♥

The day was spent, in glorious sunshine, loving fellowship, amazing music (okay I might be biased on that one), fun in the sand, and even a visit from my little nephew!

And so another magnificent weekend has come and gone but this one brought with it so much goodness and so much of God's magnificent glory! And even though Christmas is still five months away....with weekend like these I guess I can wait it out! ;)

Lovely LONG Weekend!

2011-07-06T09:03:00.000-04:00

So a belated Happy Canada Day and Happy Independence Day!! And no matter what side of the boarder you live on it was a long weekend - and for us here it was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL one!

And well, we soaked it up - every - last - minute - of it!

Oh and what better way to kick it off then with a day at a ....secret beach! ;)

Our friends know this great little beach and no one is ever there - so a gaggle of us took it over for the day. The sun shone, the wind blew, the waves danced across the shore line....it was a little slice of heaven!

Life is good on the beach....especially on a long weekend!

Sand in our toes and big boats meandering by, cool water and warm sunshine....

.... complete with a picnic...and even a cliche picnic ant!

And so that's how our long weekend started...and well it did not get any worse! We enjoyed family, friends, fireworks and (of course) food! It was great!

I have noticed a trend across blog land - summer is busy and summer is too nice to be inside blogging - so I'm not feeling (too) guilty about not posting as often. I have some plans, for more regular posting...but not right now, because...well you only live once and I want to soak up these gorgeous days. I've got some photography shoots over the next few weekends and family events and lots more going on! It's busy but it's good!

So here's to summer fun and seeing you all when I can!

Now go on, soak it up!

He's Here

2011-06-20T10:30:00.000-04:00

Aaaaaa - this was my sister last Sunday!

And this was her Tuesday afternoon!

I'm finally an aunt!!! ☺

Can you tell I'm just a little bit excited?

She had a healthy baby boy. Marcus - 6lbs 10 oz.

And well, we're all pretty smitten!

Just wanted to share the good news! ☺

tee hee!

Country Fun and City Fun

2011-06-13T13:05:00.005-04:00

The last couple of weeks have just flown by! Thankfully though we got to escape to our friend's house out in the country for a few days. *bliss*

They're a family from our church who we have greatly enjoyed getting to know better these last few weeks! They have a small hobby farm, complete with a few cows, some chickens, a donkey and this pretty adorable barn cat.

The cat liked our kids...

...and our kids liked the cat!

It was beautiful out there and my heart still aches for the country life but...and I mean BUT - we have been praying (hard) and conversing and we have decided to take our house off of the market.

I won't bore you with the details but I know God has been doing some serious workings in our life for the past year and these last couple of weeks He's really been pressing on us some things. And it's in these things where we find our answer - to stay.

So stay we shall and in staying I can actually live in my house and not have to have it 'market' ready all the time.

This is one happy Homemaker! :)

So until things change I'm am a city girl and will escape to the county to visit friends, to take beautiful photos and to pet Pablo!

And here in the city I have many perks! We live in the downtown section, just four blocks from the beautiful St. Lawrence river, three blocks from the downtown shopping area and a few minutes walk from the library. And if the rain ever lets up this summer, we shall spend many more days at said library!

And when it does get hot, we shall take advantage of their air conditioning!

And when the days are not too hot, we shall then take advantage of the park that is only a block away from home. A gorgeous park full of big old trees where we can play on the swings, dig in the sand and slide down the slides.

For if my girls can find contentment in any place, so shall I!

So I am happy and content and God is working in my heart in many ways and I am truly thankful for that! We get to stay in our home and take time to focus more on our family and what God wants from us, right here, right now!

Art Show and Sale

2011-06-06T08:02:00.002-04:00

Another beautiful weekend has come and gone. I spent it yard sailing and nose blowing, I have come down with the classic early summer cold! :P Ah well! So the majority of this weekend was lazy but good and we were blessed to get a diaper box full of baby toys, books and a gorgeous mobile for my sister - all for $3.00!!!

But last weekend, well I was busy then - and thankfully not sick! ;) A woman I know has her own gallery space and it is here where I showed for last year's Art In The City Tour, which, if you like, you can read a bit about that here. You'll also see in that post, from about a year ago, that we were working on our master bedroom and thought we had found a home in the country.....ah how a girl dreams....it was a pretty nice place but obviously it wasn't what God wanted for us.....I think I'm just going to stop calling it from now on. What will be will be! :)

Anyways, back to the art! It was good to get everything hung and the place looked great - but we sadly had to compete with the first sunny weekend in months, so the traffic to our show was a little....quiet. But a few people wandered in and had a look around and since she has such a great location we may just do it a few more times this summer.

Our art is very different yet shows well together and our sarcastic humour helps pass the time.

Her space is so neat and full of great oddities and eclectic pieces of furniture.

And knowing that many of you couldn't make it due to gardens calling and boarder crossings, I will give you a closer look at some of my work that I had hanging. I hope you like it and I recommend you grab a cup of coffee as you meander through the gallery.

Awaken Memories
Graphite

Back to School
Mixed Media

By Any Other Name
Acrylic on Canvas

Cloud Meadow
Acrylic on Canvas

Daisy Land 2
Acrylic on Canvas

Curious Creature
Coloured Pencil

For the Tree is Known by it's Fruit
Mixed Media

Spring Fling
Mixed Media

John 8:31,32
Mixed Media

Coffee Break
Coloured Pencil

Country Scene
Acrylic on Canvas

Hidden Potential
Acrylic and Ink on Canvas and Board

One Small Step
Graphite

Jam Session
Graphite

Well I hope you enjoyed the Art show! I'm building a new website to combine my art and photography - my old art site is here at PiccoloStudios.com but you can check out my new site at KaitlinAndrews.com is you like. I'm still working on it but it's getting there. Seeing as I have a large body of art at the moment, I think my next step is to focus on my illustration work. I'd like to build of a nice portfolio for that...or hey even write my own book and illustrate it...who knows?

My original passion was for illustration but I have had fun adventuring out into other forms and mediums but I think I shall get back to my roots....at least until I can sell off some of my other stuff and make room for new work! ;) I'll let you all know next time we open the doors on the gallery and maybe you can pop by for an in-person-look-see!

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God's Calling

2011-06-02T10:56:00.001-04:00

So I showed you through my home and again thank you for your compliments! I do so love our home - it is sweet, simple, cozy, inviting and well... home!

But obviously we have it listed to sell...and many people have questioned us as to why. All we can tell them is that it's where we feel God's leading.

This has been a big struggle, to say the least! It has been going on since last year but with our house under construction we were never able to act much on these feelings. For a time I have felt that moving to the country was the next step.

I actually long to move out of the city. I ache to see open fields, gaze upon vast expansions of sky, to watch lazy clouds meander across a sea of blue and to listen to the wind dance through the trees.

I dream of crisp Autumn days, leaves crunching under feet as we putter around the yard, of cool nights sitting on a porch, of bonfires full of music and friends, cozy fireplaces crackling away the nights, of five foot snow drifts and a long gravel driveway.

I pray that this is what is next for us....oh how I pray....

But I am afraid that it just might not be.

We feel that God actually might be calling us to almost the exact opposite. That He is calling us to sell and move to another city...a days drive away. And I try to ignore this, oh how I try! I put on my best Jonah face and continue on my own path.

The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak.

And oh what a weak flesh my spirit seems to inhabit!

I must say though, that we have come along way over the last year and truly, I will follow my God, no matter where He leads.....really, I will...! But seriously - how do you fight that battle between spirit and flesh? What my flesh wants is not wrong, it is not unbiblical, it does not build us up in anyway, it is just a move to the country for many a wholesome and God honouring reasons!

But it doesn't feel like it is what God wants for us.

And in that, my flesh's desire is wrong.

But it's hard, for apart from that gnawing feeling in the pit of me, everything else says stay. Everything else says, you're crazy. Our family, our friends, our church, our connections, our work, our home, they are all here, all of it!

But God's calling.....the question lies....where is that?

There are countless scripture to support what God is telling us, countless....! I just can't come to terms with it. So much is happening around me, so many beautiful blessings that I want to be apart of....and yet my Lord calls.

I guess I just needed to put this out there, to write it out and let you hear my thoughts. I've struggled with this for such a time now. My husband and I have not wanted to say much as too often we say we are going to do something and for whatever reason it never comes to fruition. But I can't seem to shake this, the calling of moving and moving away.

I've tried to post about this before but I ended up deleting the other three drafts.....I think in hopes of keeping us on the path that I want..... and because I was scared.....scared of where our faith may be taking us and scared of what might happen if we do not listen.

I also wanted to share this with you to get you to keep me accountable - to keep me on that path to Nineveh because I really do not want to be tossed out of the boat. I hope and pray that I will listen to God's calling, to leave all for the sake of my Saviour and to value nothing else above Him.

“Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come, eternal life." Mark 10:29,30

Our House Part 2

2011-06-01T09:04:00.000-04:00

Aww, thanks for all the lovely comments on the first part ladies! *heart* You are all so sweet!

On to the second floor!

I'll start with the biggest and longest project, our master bedroom. It was suppose to be the first room we tackled when we bought the house. In our first home we had put the master bedroom reno off to last and then when we finished it, right before selling that house, we thought how nice it was to have a functional and pretty space of our own. But then after purchasing our current home and then getting pregnant with our second child, our bedroom got pushed to the bottom of the list. We finished it about six weeks ago....just in time to list.....hmmm....see a pattern here?

Anyways, when we bought the house, half of the upstairs was gutted down to just studded walls. This is a picture taken from the bedroom beside the master (what is now our youngest daughter's room) but I kinda tried to show you where the master is. Not that there is really anything to see - but at least you have an idea where we've come from.

I won't list the massive amount of work we did....because well we did everything! I mean there was no room and now there is! :)

Before


After

After - complete with his and her closets!

The wall to the left of the rocking chair is the master bedroom side of the studded wall the arrow was pointing to. Does that make any sense? Anyways all of it pretty much looked like that first picture - lots of pine 2x4's and pink insulation. But now, it's much much better!

Catherine's room was in the same state as ours. When we were in the midst of renovating it, my husband was out of work and money was super tight, but God is so good and it was one blessing and one miracle after another and her room was finished and in time for her arrival!

before

after

before

after

There is a three piece bath and linen closet upstairs as well. I don't have a picture of either - we built the linen closet stealing some space from Catherine's room - because old houses always need more storage space! The bathroom is cute and we've updated it a bit but I just haven't taken any photos.

Next is Olivia's room. I talked about her room before when we re-did it for her when she transferred from a crib to a big bed. You can see more pictures here, this is the 'staged' version of here room pictured below.

My husband made the built-in, covering for the fact that the floor had been torn out in a large section of the room and making it a great room to grow into....or at least we had planned it that way.

Off of Olivia's room is my studio. I love it in there and honestly I do not spend enough time in there! Bad me! It gets great light and is roomy and really I should just get my butt in there more often!

Studio - crafting desk and wall easel for painting

Studio - drafting table and drawing supplies

Studio - inspirational quote - oh so true!

The studio is at the top of the second set of stairs that were pictured in the laundry room. Very convenient for me when the kids are in bed.

So I guess that about sums it up. My home - as it is.....for now......

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Our House Part 1

2011-05-31T13:37:00.001-04:00

This is my house,

and this is our new lawn ornament.

I've mentioned before that we felt God pushing us in this direction and well it's a looong story of how we came to this point. Here's the short and sweet version. For a year now we haven't known what it was exactly we should be doing - we tossed around ideas of moving to a duplex, flipping a few houses, moving to a new city, selling off everything and traveling across the county, staying put, you name it and we've probably contemplated it!

Then we were certain for a long time that God was calling us away, to a city about 8 hours from where we live now and it was this calling that forced us to finally finish the renovations and get our house market ready.

So we did, finished it up and after much prayer and some more contemplating we have listed it. But I'm not sure what the next step is.

Truth is I had started this post over a week ago and in the original draft I was telling you all about the wonderful country home we had put an offer in on....but since then we got beat out by another offer. So we sit with our house on the market and no idea where God is taking us....

So until I know more I shall just delight you all with pictures of our house. It has been three and a half years of renos and I have a few before shots but not many. I guess moving into a reno home when your first baby is only five months old means you don't think to take pictures of the dumpy wreck but instead, a few thousand of your kid! For example, here's Olivia at 5 months old, shortly after moving in.

Awww baby girl! Don't you love her mohawk? She had it from the day she was born until she turned one and her hair got too long to stand up. I'll have to show more pictures another day about that....but not today, today is suppose to be house pictures... ;)

I'll start with the living room. We didn't do a whole lot in here, paint, crown molding, new ceiling fan, refinished the floors and my hubby did the built-in corner book shelf. It's a nice cozy room that gets great afternoon sun!

Next our dining room. Again, mostly cosmetic. Removing wallpaper, painting, new chair rail, refinishing the floors, new light fixture, removed a wood stove (because it took up the whole room and there was no where to put a table) and fixed the hole in the ceiling from the chimney.

Before

After

I'll post another time about how I fixed the whole in the ceiling. It turned out great and keeps with the original character of the house!

Now, my favourite room - the kitchen!

I didn't get a picture of it with the old appliances, the ones here are the ones we bought when we purchased the home, the old ones were black....and kinda scary.... but yes, that is the floor, not sure why the previous owners did that to the floor....but anyways, we fixed it up good!

Kitchen Before

Kitchen After

And my beloved window seat - this is the space before:

Before window seat

And now, ah bliss! This is where we have our morning coffee and I usually have my devotional time and quite often blog from here. And bonus - it has storage underneath! Love it! :)

So obviously we redid the floors, sanded them down to their original glory. We also refaced the cabinets, painted, added crown molding, re-arranged the fridges location, new faucet and of course some loving personal touches!

Off the back of the kitchen is our laundry/mudroom with second stair case and a four piece bathroom. Here we mainly did painting and a new sink and counter top. My hubby also re-enforced the floor as it need some extra bracing.

That sums up the first floor for yah. I'll post again with the second floor and maybe by that time I'll have more info in regards to where we're going and what God has in store for us.....then again maybe not! ;)

Fun and Games - Baby Shower Style

2011-05-13T13:27:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, amongst Mother's Day and our anniversary, I hosted my sister's baby shower. It was a blast! When I plan something, I like to keep it slightly out of the box. So I found a few games I hadn't seen before and put a spin on a few classics. I love entertaining and love making sure everyone has a great time - so this was to be a baby shower unique to my sister.
Our theme, because all good parties have a theme, was cute animals and neon - and truly, that sums up my sister! She's a sucker for all things cute and cuddly and as a child of the 80's she has not been able to give up her love of neon!
We played the classic "Guess Her Age" game, done up on a bright neon orange board. It was too funny - especially the fact that my sister did not win!
There was, of course, the "Don't say the word 'baby' " game, except we did not use clothes pins, but neon hair clips! Just look how great they are, especially on her friend Jessyka - needless to say, she won!

Well I'm sad to say that we played this hilarious game and I completely forgot to take any pictures of it!! I'm soooo sad, it was super funny and I would have loved to have shared it with all of you!!! Let's just say it involved melted chocolate and diapers.....

At least I have one more game to share with you and I have pictures of it, including process shots. It's a cute game, one that you leave set up and people can play as they mingle and munch - good ice breaker/social kind of game.

What you do is, using the letters from BABY SHOWER, you find an item (baby related) that the first letter of the item matches with the letters in baby shower. So, a bib for B, apple sauce for A, bottle for the second B, etc. (Those are just some ideas, not ones I actually used.... I had to be much more creative then that! ;) Oh and by the way...have fun finding something baby related that starts with Y!!!)
Next, backing on neon paper, I printed the letters to spell BABY SHOWER. Then I adhered each letter to a paper bag. Using a hole punch I punched a hole through both side of the bag at the top. I then stuffed in the items. Some I took out of the packaging, some I did not. I then added some tissue paper to deter peekers and threaded ribbon through the holes and tide it in a pretty bow. (I love attention to detail...though sometimes this is not a positive!)

Anyways, then you line them up and people can touch, feel, squish and squash the bags, just no looking into them, to try and guess what is inside. Once everyone had a chance to guess what was inside, my sister got to open each bag and reveal the contents. The nice thing is she also got to keep what was inside so it's like a gift and game in one! And it was surprisingly harder then I thought it would be but it was also very enjoyable!

So there was good fun and lots of nice gifts for her baby boy....who is due in about a month now!

After presents and games was CAKE TIME!!! ;) I bought a couple of cheese cakes because my sis does not care for regular cake. Using homemade marshmallow fondant and some creative energy, I created some darling creatures to top it off with!

Seriously - it was fairly easy. Once you make the fondant it's just like working with play d'oh!! And making the fondant is not hard! I'll post the recipe at the end of the post - but you really should give it a try, it makes anyone look like a professional! ;)

Anyways, I'm pretty sure my sister had a good time - I think everyone did. And once again I'm sorry I didn't get pictures of the "Guess the Chocolate" game - the one with melted chocolate and diapers...but I'm sure you can use your imagination...oh too much fun!

I'm so excited for her and can't wait to meet my nephew!!! SO excited!!!!

Well have a great weekend and get creative, I'd love to hear and see what you come up with!!!

Marshmallow Fondant - So easy, I could do it! ;)

Ingredients:
•8 ounces miniature marshmallows (4 cups not packed, or half of a 16-ounce bag)
•1 pound powdered sugar (4 cups), plus extra for dusting
•2 tbsp water

•Food coloring or flavored extracts, optional

Preparation:
1. Dust your counter or a large cutting board with powdered sugar. Place the marshmallows and the water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, until the marshmallows are puffy and expanded.
2. Stir the marshmallows with a rubber spatula until they are melted and smooth. If some unmelted marshmallow pieces remain, return to the microwave for 30-45 seconds, until the marshmallow mixture is entirely smooth and free of lumps. If you want colored or flavored fondant, you can add several drops of food coloring or extracts at this point and stir until incorporated. If you want to create multiple colors or flavors from one batch of fondant, do not add the colors or flavors now. Instead, refer to step 6 below for instructions.
3. Add the powdered sugar and begin to stir with the spatula. Stir until the sugar begins to incorporate and it becomes impossible to stir anymore.
4. Scrape the marshmallow-sugar mixture out onto the prepared work surface. It will be sticky and lumpy, with lots of sugar that has not been incorporated yet--this is normal. Dust your hands with powdered sugar, and begin to knead the fondant mixture like bread dough, working the sugar into the marshmallow with your hands.
5. Continue to knead the fondant until it smoothes out and loses its stickiness. Add more sugar if necessary, but stop adding sugar once it is smooth--too much sugar will make it stiff and difficult to work with. Once the fondant is a smooth ball, it is ready to be used. You can now roll it out, shape it, or wrap it in cling wrap to use later. Well-wrapped fondant can be stored in a cool room or in the refrigerator, and needs to be kneaded until supple before later use.
6. If you want to add coloring or flavoring to your fondant, flatten it into a round disc. You might want to wear gloves to avoid getting food coloring on your hands during this step. Add your desired amount of coloring or flavoring to the center of the disc, and fold the disc over on itself so that the color or flavor is enclosed in the center of the fondant ball.
7. Begin to knead the ball of fondant just like you did before. As you work it, you will begin to see streaks of color coming through from the center. Continue to knead until the streaks are gone and the fondant is a uniform color. Your fondant is now ready to be used or stored as outlined above.

ENJOY!

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Celebration Weekend

2011-05-09T15:06:00.001-04:00

Phew, what a weekend! We crammed it full!! It was, of course, Mother's day - but it was also my sister's baby shower and our seventh wedding anniversary! :)

I'll post about the shower later, for now I'll share details from our anniversary and our Mother's day fun.

We were able to go out on the Friday night - seeing as our actual anniversary is the 8th, better known this year as Mother's Day. we settled for getting out on Friday. So with a sitter at home, we escaped, the two of us, alone together! :) So, of course, our anniversary date, would not be complete without a drive in the country.... predictable, I know! :P But lovely - especially when we found this adorable stone wall lined with daffodils! *heart*

So yes, lovely, flowery, romantic ish....but our next stop on our outing....well slightly less romantic ish...

An old cemetery. I know we're not alone in our liking of old cemeteries...there are many out there who enjoy meandering through this testament to history....but probably not many who do it for their anniversary...! ;)

It was quite lovely and the craftsmanship of the old stones is something else!

We found this old broken angel statue tucked away on a rock ledge....

...and then a movie and coffee summed up the rest of the night. It was nice! Some years we get away, out of the city for a day or so and then some years we stay closer to home. I mean the best part is just being together, so it never matters where you are really! At least that's how we feel!

Saturday was pretty much taken up with my sister's shower, which was a blast but that's for another post!

Sunday, Mother's Day and our official anniversary. I awoke - after being able to sleep in....to 7:30, woohoo! to hear my hubby and little ones downstairs. This was the breakfast he so lovingly prepared for me!

So yeah, I already told him that everyone in blog land is going to think I'm one spoiled gal! And I am! ;) But trust me, he's one spoiled man as well! ;)

I don't care for breakfast in bed, so that's why we eat at the table. It's really not my thing....can't even actually figure out why people like it?!?! But that's them not me - so this was super sweet. I love my man and well, obviously he loves me! Poor guy - having to combine Mother's Day and our anniversary! Lucky enough though, we don't get gifts for either. Just a card and sweet expressions of love and appreciation!

We're slight romantics....can you tell!?!?

Breakfast was great, then church, a visit to see my two moms and then for the first time this year we broke out the ol picnic basket!

I must say it was a prefect day!

....ah but hubby wasn't done yet....one last surprise....a sweet treat to end the day!

...okay so I am pretty spoiled! ;)

For now...

2011-05-05T15:46:00.000-04:00

Okay, so things have been busy....real busy lately....not to say that no one else's life isn't busy - just that mine has been and that means I don't have the capacity to blog. Things, on a whole, are good and well I can't complain, just busy....you all know how it is!

So anyways, heres what's up.

I asked about the music and my blog. Turns out most of you don't listen to it but those that did, loved it! But sadly to say, the non-music group will win out....for now. For two reasons. One, is that I am currently too preoccupied to hunt for another way to share music on my site and secondly it takes less time to make a post when I don't have to find music to match. BUT that all being said, I still favour it and I love setting the mood with music, so possibly, some day, I will reintroduce music with my blog again. So we shall be music less...for now.

Ah, what else....

Well the endless renovations seem to have come to an end.....for now. That, in it of it's self, is a long story and I haven't yet decided to bore you with the details or not. Let's say, on the short and sweet side, that our gracious God has put a fire under us to finish up our house and now after four years, we have! Okay so it's not finished, finished, but it's at a point where we've put in a ton o' work and if we went to market it would be a gem of a home to sell! Unlike the state in which we purchased it. :P

In regards to all that....we do think God is calling us to sell....the when and why, we are not sure of....for now. Until then, we live in a nice home, complete with walls and closets! And if anyone has lived with out either, you understand how exciting that is! ;) I think I may share some before and after photos with you soon. I just sadly think though, that we didn't take many before photos....hmmmm.

Onwards....

I have been having some good ol' fun with my camera. Completely with an engagement photo shoot for my sister-in-law a few weeks ago. I haven't been out with it much as the weather here has been really crappy....and I mean crappy!!! But I did get me a second lens and started to advertise myself for professional photography work and yay, I have booked my first official client for July! :)

Thus, with all that, I have been spending what little free time I could find making a website for my photography. Check it out here if you like: kaitlinandrews.com It's pretty bare right now as my professional portfolio is small but you can at least see some of the photos from the engagement shoot. Let me know what you think, I'd love some honest feedback!!!

Oh, yes, planning my sister's baby shower for this weekend. She's due in the middle of June....that's crazy...where the heck did March go....and wait just a minute what happened to April?!?!!??

Anyways....

Somewhere in there our car broke, we towed it away, got it fixed, it broke again, we towed it again and finally, it should be good.....for now. We've also attended a few birthday parties, had Easter, some illnesses, a few drives in the country, ate a ton of kale chips, blew some bubbles and got new neighbours.

There, I think that sums up the last few weeks and should sufficiently excuse me from my lack of regular posting...for now.... ;) I do hate to do these, "I haven't wrote in a while so I'll cram a bunch of stuff into one, almost-too-long, post." But that's what you got!

Love ya!

A Glimps of Heaven maybe....

2011-04-24T11:25:00.000-04:00

HAPPY EASTER READERS!!!!

I almost wonder if this is a glimps of what Heaven will be!? Either way, this video fills me with joy and brings me to tears - just beautiful!

Turn up your sound and have a blessed and joyous Easter day everyone!

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Listen to the Music

2011-04-14T18:33:00.004-04:00

Hey y'all. I love the word y'all and I'm not even from the south. I wish I could work it into my everyday vocabulary but somehow around here that might not be received well....

But oh well, that really has absolutely nothing to do with this post!

I'm writing to talk a bit about music. I love music!! Like totally L-O-V-E music! Good thing I married a musician right!?!

But again....none of that really has much to do with this post!

Okay so what is this post about?

It's about, for those of you who noticed or care, the fact that my music player is gone. For some of you, you may have never even listened to it and for others I know you enjoyed it very much! I like having a player, I always pick a song where the feeling of it or the words match with what I'm writing. It sets the mood and well I just love music okay!?!? (I worked that back in, trying for unity here!)

But I'm having problems right now with my music player and so the question is...

How many of you enjoy or do not enjoy the music on my blog?

Do you even listen to it? Have you ever noticed how it sets the mood? Or is it a bother, do you pause it before it begins?

The reason I'm asking is that if I can't get the one I have to work again, I will try to find another...but that's only if the people want it! So do you, my people, want it?

Leave a comment and let me know! For those of you who read but don't have a google account, select the Anonymous option or the Name/URL option (you can leave the URL field blank)

So go ahead, tell me, I'd love to know what y'all think!

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Ridiculousness

2011-04-07T10:45:00.001-04:00

Okay, so I have been doing some baking. Both my friend and my mom had birthday's this past week. For my friend we hosted a little get together and jam session. So I baked...I mean isn't that what people do - get together and eat!?!?

*sigh*

So I went looking for something and well I found the most ridiculous recipe...I mean seriously, who sits around and thinks up these things?

Actually I mean, thank you, who ever you are, for sitting around and thinking up these things!

Those look like innocent enough cookies, don't they......

....but wait until you bit into them!

SURPRISE!!!

So, yes that is an Oreo stuffed inside a chocolate chip cookie...a double stuffed Oreo at that!!!

No, really!

It is!

And it's quite tasty too! ;)

It's really not that hard to make and I'd post the recipe but truth is - I hate...really H. A. T. E. writing out recipes. Sooo, google it and in all actuality, it's really just a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe surrounding an Oreo. But Oh, my, ridiculousness indulgence...so remember...eating one cookie is really like eating three!

Moving along.

A year ago my mom and I were in a bulk food store when she spotted a box for a teddy bear cake mould and went on to tell me how she would love a cake like that! Really an all fancy, cutesy teddy bear cake. So I complied and for her birthday this year created for her a teddy bear cake.

The challenge was hard enough in making it but add to that the fact that she is glutton and dairy intolerant! I found a cake mix that was glutton free but called for dairy. So I scoured the Internet and discovered that you can substitute coffee for dairy in chocolate cakes.

I like coffee and I like cake!

This is good!

The result; a lovely and delicious gluten and dairy free teddy bear cake! Happy Birthday Mom! :)

And well to complete our weekend of ridiculousness in baking and eating we were out and decided to buy the kids each a cookie.

A really big cookie.

Big as their little faces, big!

So it was a ridiculous weekend...but ridiculously GOOD!

Signs of Spring and Some Pretty Things

2011-03-31T22:56:00.000-04:00

Ah HA! I finally found it - the first green sign of Spring and in my backyard no less!

Ah, green! Love it!

So we were out for a walk and I thought I'd show you some pics, 'cause like I mentioned in the last post, things are a bit busy right now, but I thought I'd share something to keep you all entertained until I can sit down and right a proper post! ;)

I love big sister leading little sister along. I can't help but smile at the expression on Catherine's face!

Here are a couple of lovely old churches in my neighbourhood. Grand old things eh!?! Olivia calls them all castles. I adore old architecture and our fair city is bursting with beautiful old buildings!

I just love all the care and the detail. Old buildings are so neat...I'll have to get out one of these days soon to take more photos of some of the amazing places around here!

As for my abode, I think this would make a lovely front door - oh so very humble....!

And continuing in humble doors....I just love this one too....now that's a mud room! ;)

And just because it is quirky and lovely I had to share this next house with you. I think Victorian architecture is dreamy. Oh so romantic and lovely....*sigh*

And yet another view...oh, just because I like it so!

And though I found my first sign of fresh Spring green, and yes the house was all sunshiny yellow and rustic red there really wasn't a whole ton o' colour in this post.....barely Spectrum of Light worthy....but it's something. Spring is so close to bursting out and lavishing us in it's arrays of colour...but until then here's a punch of colour to tide you over!

Have a great weekend!

Cover Me

2011-03-28T09:42:00.001-04:00

So I had this brilliant - not necessarily original - idea to sew myself a pretty camera strap cover. 'Cause the one that comes with the camera is...well....not so pretty!?!?

And I feel like a walking advertisement when I wear it...now if I was sponsored by said camera company, I'd be happy to be a walking advertisement....but I'm not...so I made myself a pretty cover!

I made one for my sister-in-law as well, seeing as she was the one who introduced me to my camera and I thought she'd appreciate one too! 'Cause any girl, usually, likes a pretty thing! So I dug out my sewing machine...dusted it off....and....relearned how to use it.

And learned I did! Not too shabby if I do say so myself!

Then I had this brilliant - and again probably not so original - idea to forget to take a picture of the finished product until I had already put in on the camera....

Well I got a picture of it anyways....but then I realized I forgot to take a picture of the one I made for my sister-in-law....*sigh*....

Truth of the matter is, I don't really 'sew'...I mean I like to and I think about doing it more but my creative mind has given up on the whole measuring and numbers thing and therefore following a pattern seems out of scope for me. But these pretty pieces were bought pre-cut soooo most of the measuring was done for me - and therefore it was a good introduction or should I say reintroduction to sewing.

But I liked it. I might make more...when I have the time....

On that note....things are a bit ~~crazy~~ busy here right now...I may not post as frequent for the next bit...then again I might...all depends...but when I do I've got some interesting things to tell you!

Until then, God bless!