My Southern Cottage

I want to win this and you can too!

2010-11-03T09:48:00.001-04:00

I was just visiting The Old Painted Cottage and saw where she was giving away this grain sack bag worth $365. I would love to win but you can also have that opportunity if you go to her post and leave a comment Just click on the photo above. Good Luck to us all!

Bad to the Bone Meringues

2010-10-25T09:58:00.000-04:00

Just thought I would share with you a little treat that I made for my stamp club members the other night. There are complete instructions on my Cake blog here. I thought these would make a cute gift for classroom treats this week It's super easy too!

Mini Pies

2010-10-03T16:27:00.001-04:00

The weather outside has me wanting to bake some pie and make the house smell yummy! So I recently received my Semi-Homemade Sandra Lee magazine and saw a recipe for cobbler apple pies and figured this would be a great afternoon snack. I thought it would be nice to share the recipe with you since I couldn't share my pies, this way you can make your house smell great too!

All you need is:

1 large egg
1 teaspoon water
1 package of refrigerated pie crust
1 can of apple pie filling (I used Cracker Barrel's brand since we went there for lunch and they have the best apples ever!)
1/4 cup sugar
Variety of cookie cutters

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, lightly whisk together egg and water.

Unroll pie crust onto lightly floured cutting board. Cut out desired shapes and set aside.

Add a teaspoon of pie filling to the center of the piece of cut out dough.

Brush egg white mixture around the edges off the dough.

Add another piece of cut out dough to the top and press down sides using a fork. this will keep filling from spilling out the sides of the pie.

Cut slits in the center to allow steam to vent out the top.

Place pies on sheet pan covered with parchment and put in freezer for 30 minutes.

Remove pies from freezer and brush with egg white mixture and then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until edges are light golden brown and filling is warmed through.

Allow the pies to cool just a bit so they will still be warm in the center when you serve them. These are so yummy and the kids loved them!

Birthday dinner for Mom

2010-09-08T12:22:00.003-04:00

I feel a little bad having not written here in a while. I visit blogs on my blog list pretty much daily but have definitely neglected mine. I thought I would share the birthday dinner I had for my Momma. She wanted to have a home cooked meal that included meatloaf, mashed potatoes and peas, so thats what she got!

She used to have chickens and loved them, so I wanted to make an old fashioned farm theme. I have had the rooster for years (which mom secretly hopes will be hers one day), so I decided to put him in the middle and buy flowers from Publix to put in the old fashioned milk jars I got from the local antique mall.

Here are a few pics:

One thing I love to make is a garden salad with everything but the kitchen sink in it! This one included cucumbers, tomatoes, chick peas, avocado and green onion. I served it with homemade buttermilk ranch dressing in a mason jar.

She Looooves sunflowers, so I had to get some of those to add to the bouquet!

The kids and I made homemade butter!

All you have to do is get heavy cream and put it in a mason jar and shake, shake, shake! It takes about 10 minutes or so. Once it starts to form a ball, you just poor off the milk that's left and add salt to the cream mixture. Now you have homemade butter! Easy as Pie!

I decided since I had such a huge meal to cook I would not go too elaborate with the cake. I made a chocolate cake with cream cheese icing from scratch and boy was it good!

Yes, those tasted as good as they look! Aunt Linda (mom's best friend) brought these to the party.

I just bought this chalkboard/memo board from Home Goods (love this store). It was clearanced out since one of the clock hands is missing and the clock is warped. I love it and I've decided to start a new tradition on every ones birthday to make good use of the chalkboard by writing ten things we love about the guest of honor! I even had my nieces and nephews who do not live close by to share their thoughts on why they loved Mom.

Hope your day was great Mom! We love you!

S'more Pops!

2010-07-05T10:00:00.001-04:00

I realize I have not posted in a very long time but I don't think anyone really notices since I only have a few followers, but I thought I would share a little summer treat the kids and I made.

These are so easy and fun to make and anything that is quick and easy and can give the kids something to do during their long days of Summer, I am all about it!

So here it is:

S'more Pops!

Start with large marshmallows, lollipop sticks, chocolate chips and graham cracker pie crust.

I prefer the pie crust to the graham crackers since it is sweetened and buttery.

Melt chocolate chips in a mug or deep and narrow bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals until completely melted.

Break up the graham cracker crust using a fork.

Dip the marshmallow into the melted chocolate. I dipped mine halfway but the kids wanted theirs coated in chocolate.

Dip the coated marshmallow in the graham cracker crust.

And now you have a S'more Pop!

The Heavenly Smell of Jasmine

2010-05-05T13:19:00.000-04:00

I am loving how the back porch smells with all the jasmine that is in bloom just dripping from the pergola (one day I will be able to spell this word without looking in the dictionary). I have dreamed for years of having jasmine covering the porch and now I finally got it (thanks Chris and hubby). The smell is to die for and I love how it drops its pretty little white flowers all around.

Outdoor Photos

2010-04-23T14:36:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to share with you what I am blessed with every day...my beautiful yard. My husband has an amazing green thumb and a talent for landscaping design and our yard is definitely proof of that. As you know from an earlier post, I am attempting to get a feel for outdoor gardening and so far it has been great and my hubby has been quite impressed. So here a few photos of our yard:

This is the view from the front porch pathway. He used a mold and concrete to make this gorgeous path.

My hubby surprised me the other night by planting Hydrangeas in front of the porch. We have attempted to plant them about 4 different times and they die every single time. This time he prepped the soil with all kinds of things, so hopefully these beauties will thrive. This is my all time favorite flower besides a rose. He got them at Lowes.

They are so perfect that they almost look artificial.

This is the view out the back door. Amazing, Huh (I can say that since he is responsible for it all). There is a pond back there, but it needs some work (at least the frogs enjoy it).

This is a pergola our friend Chris and my hubby built for me for Mothers day one year. I have always wanted one that had sweet jasmine flowing from it and now I got it.

I got this old ironing board from the antique store and the lady there suggested I put some plants on it and put it on the back porch. Isn't that a great idea?

My husband is going to sod the back yard, so thats why it looks so rough right now. Its about to drive him crazy!

Thanks for Visiting!

Candles and a New Kitchen

2010-04-14T11:18:00.000-04:00

Thought I would share and hopefully save someone else from experiencing what we went through about 7 years ago. As you can tell from the photos...we had a fire in our kitchen. It all started from a glade candle burning on the counter and somehow a handle from my scrapbooking bag that was sitting nearby.

I had already gone to bed and my hubby had left the house to pick up a package for me from one of my friends house. My room is directly off the kitchen and living room so I wasn't far from it, but the problem was that I had a box fan on high and was sleeping soundly. Luckily, our house alarm went off in time and I was able to get my daughter and son out of the house. I went back in and decided that I would be able to put it out myself (huh!). I found the nearest fire extinguisher and broke it trying to get it working. We had another extinguisher out in the garage and while trying to get it working I ended up bending the handle (it was metal) since I was in a panic.

After trying two extinguishers and breaking them I decided to try the water sprayer from the sink. Well, our water pressure isn't the best in there so that failed as well... so I grabbed bowls and started throwing water onto it. In the meantime the alarm company called and were sending a fire truck. I was able to call my in laws who live next door and they came over to help, but by this time I had gotten the fire out.

So by the time the fire trucks got there I had already put the fire on the counter but failed to check the baskets that were in the pot rack. One of the firefighters noticed them smoldering and they got them out. My poor husband was terrified when he drove up and saw all the fire trucks in the yard. I'll never forget the look on his face. I was still running on adrenaline of course so I had not broken down at that point. My face was black and I had inhaled quite a bit of the smoke and fumes.

So for three months... we lived with my in-laws while our whole house was cleaned and repainted. Every baby doll, toy, etc. had to be washed and wiped down from all the smoke damage. I had a difficult time with the what ifs afterward, but I was very thankful that God had protected me and my family and that we hadn't lost our house to the fire.

SO what can YOU and I learn from all of this:

1. Never leave a candle burning at bedtime. In fact., whenever using a candle it may be a good idea to leave it on the stove .

2. Know how to use a fire extinguisher. Follow these rules (something we have to know for work)

PASS: PULL, AIM, SQUEEZE, SWEEP

I will have to admit that we got a beautiful updated kitchen out of this horrible experience, although I would have rather of saved up for it!

Here is the after of my kitchen:

I love my Chefs Pantry!

My lazy susan in the corner cabinet.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this!

Appliance cabinet (or chip cabinet for us).

Meet Peter Rabbit

2010-03-30T04:19:00.000-04:00

I figured this would be a great time to introduce you to Peter since Easter is coming up. He is a dwarf rabbit and my daughter has had him about 5 years. He lives inside in a cage in her room (i do not recommend this, the smell is horrible if not kept clean) and gets to come out and play sometimes, but not with the other animals around. The basket he is in is one I found at Target. I love the size of it and it has a chalkboard on the front and the side. Peter did such a great job posing, didn't he?

Peter, where are you?

Peek-A-Boo!

There you Are!

The beauty of Tea Olive

2010-03-29T11:18:00.000-04:00

My husband knew what he was doing when he planted these tea olive bushes around the back and side of our home years ago. Throughout the year they bloom and smell heavenly, especially right now. You can read more about Tea olives HERE and see if they are right for your area or space. I put some in a vase by the front door so I could smell them inside too.

Here is a picture of them lining the back of the house. They make a great backdrop for all your other plants.

Here's a close up of them!

Oh yeah, while I was out clipping some for my vase I discovered that my Hibiscus plant has a beautiful bloom (so far so good)! I also stepped in dog poop (thanks Abby) and almost stepped on a cute little snail (not so good)!

My dining room table

2010-03-25T04:00:00.003-04:00

I never used to set my table and leave it set, but I got new dishes for Christmas and wanted to see them displayed somewhere besides the kitchen cabinet.

The dishes are from JcPenney and the Chris Madden collection. I have all the pieces from the collection except the casserole and the tray but I definitely see them in my future. The chargers came from Wal-Mart and the eggs in the nest came from Home Goods. I have had the crystal wine glasses for many years. My kids love to drink their apple or grape juice from them. The tray you see behind the place setting and the faux artichoke candle holders are from

Southern Living at Home.

I have had the topiary for many years and I love it. I think it has been in every part of my house over the years , even outside.

I made the table runner using burlap and iron sewing tape. i just cut it to fit the size of my table and then folded over the ends and sides and used the iron on tape to bind it. I do not sew but would love to learn, but until then I love this iron on stuff!

I am linking up to Tablescape Thursday with "Between Naps On the Porch"

Clam Chowder for Lunch

2010-03-24T13:05:00.000-04:00

Aunt Sue Sue brought some of her homemade clam chowder over yesterday, so guess what I had for lunch? Man was it good! She makes the best clam chowder around. Unfortunately I don't have the recipe, but I know it involves a lot of sauted bacon, red potatoes, and large chunks of clams.

I decided to use my tray I bought about a month ago from an antique store downtown to put my soup and sweet iced tea on so I could take it outside to enjoy all the flowers I have been planting the last couple of weeks. I had to also have a few of my new favorite chips to go along with it. You have got to try these things. They are super thin and crispy. I purchased mine from our local Publix grocery store but you may be able to find these in other stores.

As you can see by the half empty bag, these are me and my daughters favorite!

This is the tray I got. I saw a darker one at Target the other day that was pretty much the same. When I get an ottoman in my upstairs living room, I am going to use it to sit magazines, drinks etc. on.

Fixin' up the porch

2010-03-23T11:30:00.001-04:00

Well, I have to admit I am not the greatest gardener there is (that would be my husband), especially since after planting my beautiful flowers year after year, I always never seem to find the time to water them. I have such great intentions when I begin, but unfortunately I don't take time to love and nurture my beautiful blooms and in the end they die. Kinda makes me think of being married. So many people start off thinking their marriage is going to be easy and in the end find out that you actually have to "water " it daily to continue to make it grow and bloom.

So this is a little test for myself. I recently have planted flowers in the pots on my porch and now I am going to see if I can (no, I WILL) keep them alive. I figured I better take some before pics so you can see what they look like, just in case!

This is my swing that is attached to my beautiful pergola and behind it is the awesome landscape my husband has done over the years (told you he was good)! The plants to the right are ones that I planted.

This is a pot I have had for years now. Don't laugh, but I used to put fake flowers in it since I have a brown thumb. The red ones are geraniums and the white ones are Abunda improved Bacopa. The lady at Lowes said I picked out two great flowers to put together and I was so proud that I bought two more and planted them in my hanging basket.

I love this hanging basket I got from Southern Living At Home. It is one of my favorite things on the back porch!

This is one of my favorite flowers of all besides a hydrangea. I can't remember the type of rose it was but isn't it beautiful? Now to just keep it alive!

This planter is sitting on my picnic table on the porch. I got it from Joann fabrics and planted petunias in it.

Well, say a prayer for me and I will keep you updated on my progress!

Spring Cleaning: Part 2

2010-03-22T04:00:00.003-04:00

We have a chefs pantry that has been great, but unfortunately it hasn't been organized to well and I had to throw out a bunch off stuff that had expired. So I reorganized it so all I have to do is look in there and see what I need on each shelf that is missing that we use a lot. Again, I forgot to take pics of the before so here is the after:

I organized all my can goods in one side so I can see what I have. They used to be stacked behind each other where I couldn't see them and of course they went bad.

I put my tomato sauces together, my condensed soups together ( I try to keep one of each: cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, cream of celery), my vegetables together, etc.

Next, I put all my items together on the shelves by category, i.e. taco makings together and spaghetti makings together, this way I know what I need to complete the meal if something is missing.

I used my handy dandy label maker to make labels for my jars of rice, oatmeal, cereal, etc.

You can purchase these at an office supply store. I love this thing! Definitely a must have!

I already had a few jars on hand, but what I need, I just bought at Target and Wal-mart. I applied labels to then so if they get empty I know what I need to put back in them.

When I transfer things from boxes to jars (pancake mix, rice, etc.) I always cut the directions off the box and put it in the container. This way I know exactly how much to measure, etc.

I have the cookies and snacks down low for the kids to reach (is that such a good idea?). I also have a basket for the microwave popcorn we use for family movie night.

And last but not least, look who came to assist me while I was organizing:

How cute is that? Thanks for your help Abby!

Stay tuned for more projects!

Spring Cleaning: Part 1

2010-03-19T09:29:00.001-04:00

I have been so busy cleaning out my kitchen cabinets and sprucing up my porch that I haven't had a chance to post. So I decided I would show you what I have done in the last couple weeks.

I am fortunate enough to have two refrigerators in my home, one in my kitchen (obviously) and one in the laundry room. I have gotten to where I cannot stand clutter on my fridge and decided to organize the refrigerator in my laundry room using cork boards and dry erase boards. Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of the before, but you can imagine seeing magnets, pictures, work schedules etc. plastered randomly all over the fridge.

I went to my favorite store "Target" to get one large cork board for the bottom of the fridge and one small cork/dry erase board for the top of the fridge. I also got some scotch brand fasteners (velcro) while I was there. Just a note: I tried magnetic strips as well, but they were not strong enough to keep the boards on the fridge so I had to use velcro.

First I turned the cork board over and applied the velcro to the frame.

I put one on the top and the bottom for the small one and then for large one I put some on the sides and the top and bottom.

I peeled off the backing so it would be sticky and pressed the board (making sure it was perfectly straight) to the fridge.

Here is what it looks like with both boards on it!

I found the cute magnets and tacks at Office Max to match.

Stay tuned and I will share with some of the other Spring cleaning I have been doing. It feels so good to be organized, just wish I had started a long time ago!

Back Porch Ideas

2010-03-09T13:30:00.000-05:00

I have been exploring ideas for my back porch to get it ready for spring. We have already had 70 degree weather and it is hard not to go buy some flowers to plant in my containers. We still are having a few cold days with a little freezing at night, so it would definitely be a waste of time and money to plant anything right now. I have been searching for some perfect outdoor oasis' to get ideas from. The first is my favorite. We have a pergola over our back porch with jasmine vines growing on it and it is getting very full and shady, so the first idea I love.

All photos taken from Countryhome.com

I love the idea of a table and chairs that can withstand the weather.

I love the purple flowering plant in the container.

I love the old dresser they used as a outdoor buffet.

I love the look of the curtains to soften the space and the candle chandelier. Oh Heck, just give me the whole porch! It's perfect!

Great Inspirational Blog!

2010-03-04T08:54:00.000-05:00

If you haven't heard of her yet Lysa Terkeurst is one of the leaders in the Proverbs 31 ministries and she also has a wonderful blog that you can find here! I love to visit her blog and she also has written quite a few books that I have read and used as bible studies. I encourage you to stop by her blog or Proverbs 31 blog and visit, you definitely won't regret it! You can purchase all of her books from here! She is also having a giveaway today, so go check it out!

My New Screen Door!

2010-03-03T10:29:00.001-05:00

I have been wanting a screen door for awhile now and my husband and I finally got around to getting one. I love the fact that you can open the front door and let the cool air in this time of year (remember we have had 60-70 degree weather here in Florida some days). I also like that it reminds me of old farmhouses that have the old screen doors that squeak. In fact, when my husband and I got the door, he said "I sure hope this thing squeaks like my grandmothers used to", and low and behold , IT SQUEAKED! I really would have loved to have one from his or my grandparents old house, but since we couldn't have that we had to settle for a new one. Maybe my children will appreciate it one day when they inherit our home!

Here are a few I found on the internet:
USe it for a pantry door (this is what my MIL did):

Countryliving.com

Remodelingcenter.com

Attic Treasures

2010-02-11T13:53:00.004-05:00

My husband and I have been telling the kids that we would get up in the attic one day soon so they could see what was up there. Well yesterday was the day! We decided to go ahead and do it now before it got to be about 110 degrees up there. I had not been in the attic for at least 10 years and couldn't believe the amount of ~~junk~~ stuff we had. I will have to say that it was like on the movies, where the kids go up and see all the old things that parents had growing up (starting to really feel old about now). We had so many things that I had forgotten about but was so glad to find.

Here are a few of the items we found that meant a lot to both of us:

I have to admit that my 12 year old daughter was not to impressed with it, but my son was excited that we found an old Star Wars bank my husband had hiding up there. I told them that one day when we were gone they would appreciate it all sooo... much more.

-The purse was the one I used at prom in1989 that my husband and I attended . It looks very vintage which I love, but the story behind it has such meaning to me.

-The roses were ones from my wedding bouquet from 1993. I managed to salvage them, considering the whole thing was smushed.

-The Diary was from when I was 11 or 12. I had only written in it a couple times, but boy were my entries fun to read LOL!

-The ballet slippers were from when I was in ballet in High School. I will have to admit that I was definitely not that great, but I had fun trying.

This is a can of snuff my husbands "Papa" always had on him. I can even remember him using it before he passed away. My husband loved him a lot, so this was such a great find.

These were actual keys from his Granny and Papa's house. I can't believe that I was going to buy some on the internet or at a local flea market and then to have found these! Such memories for my husband about these keys.

This is the front cover of the Betty Crocker cookbook my "Nana" gave me. She has been insisting for years that she gave me this cookbook and it had a great recipe for yule logs on the inside cover. I kept telling her that I didn't remember it and my Mom said she probably just lost it somewhere. Well low and behold, here it is! I can't wait to make the recipe on the cover, she actually cut it out from a paper from 1958. She wrote on the inside the date she gave it to me which was 1986. I am taking it over to her tomorrow so we can reminisce. She is 90 years old and has the onset of Alzheimer's, but her long term memory is unbelievable. She told me today about how her and my "Poppy" met and later got married. I loved hearing about all of this, but can remember when it didn't mean so much to me. I guess you get to an age where you find that the little things and the memories mean so much more to you. At least that is what I have found with me recently.

I can't wait to display them around my house so that I can be reminded of the people and times in my life that are just memories now.

Valentine Cookies!

2010-02-01T09:58:00.000-05:00

I have cookie cutters that I bought a while back and wanted to use them, so I made some valentine cookies with them. You can get more detailed instructions on them Here. Enjoy!

Rainy Day at Home!

2010-01-21T12:57:00.002-05:00

Today is definitely one of those days you want to stay in your p. j.'s all day and snuggle in the bed. It is pouring rain outside and is around 68-70 degrees outside.Unfortunately I have to go out in this mess to get the kids from school! I love to open the front door and listen to the rain fall, so I thought I would let you take a peak.

Snowflake Cookies for Jack

2010-01-18T13:10:00.001-05:00

I thought I would share with you the cookies I made for my sons class! They are studying weather and I figured since it was cold outside it would be fun to make snowflake cookies. I have further instructions and pics on my cake sit: http://www.southerncottagecakery.com/ Enjoy!

Baby, It's Cold Outside...

2010-01-12T09:21:00.004-05:00

I have to admit that living in Florida all my life, I really despise any temperatures below 60 degrees. Unfortunately we have had well below that here lately and I am a mess. Before i go to kiss my husband or kids, i have to touch something metal so I don't shock one of them. UGGGHH! the static electricity is awful! About a week ago they told us we might get snow and my kids waited with anticipation, but in the end there was no snow! We haven't had snow in 20 years here, so the closest we can get to it is to run our sprinklers in the trees at night and wake up to beautiful icicles in the morning. All I can say is "God bless those of you who live in cold climates, I can't imagine living like this for more than a month, heck more than a week."

Christmas Eve 2009

2010-01-03T15:35:00.004-05:00

My husband and I host a Christmas Eve party every year. Everyone brings an hors d'oeuvre and we have fun just being together as well as read "The Night Before Christmas" and "The Legend of the Candy Cane". We also track Santa on the Norad radar to see how close he is to getting to our house! Sometimes we even get to see Santa in front of our house and this year was no exception!! Here are a couple photos of the buffet table as well as the Chocolate fountain I have every year ! Hope your Christmas was wonderful and blessed! And Happy New Year a few Days late!

Teacher Gifts and lots of Clam Chowder!

2009-12-21T09:34:00.002-05:00

These are the teacher gifts we made for Christmas. I made some that were similar about 2 years ago, but instead of using large cans I used small fruit cans with pop top lids and filled them with M&M's. This year I used Clam chowder soup cans and filled them with larger candy. So needless to say, we ate alot of Clam Chowder a couple of nights for dinner.

Heres what you need:

-Cans (be sure the bottoms are not rounded, like the condensed campbells soups)

-Candy to fill the cans

-Scrapbook paper to cover the outside of can

-Ribbon for top of can

-super glue

- can opener that opens can without leaving a sharp edge (I got mine from Wl-mart)

-double sided tape

Flip can over and open the bottom using the can opener that cuts from the outside. Empty contents out and wash can thoroughly.

Allow the can to dry completely and then cut paper to to fit outside of container. Use double sided tape to adhere the paper to the can. tie pieces of coordinating ribbon to match on the top of the can. Flip can over and fill with candy. Add super glue to the rinm of the lid that you had removed earlier. Apply the rim to the bottom of the can and lay a heavy object on top of the can to apply pressure to seal it.

You can also add a tag, but I just had the kids write their name on the bottom with a Sharpie. Have fun!

This project cost me about $3 per can. Not too shabby for something so CUte!

OOPS...Someone Beat Santa to the Cookies!

2009-12-19T15:50:00.004-05:00

Every year the kids put cookies and milk or diet coke out for Santa. Unfortunately, on Christmas about 3 years ago our boxer Loki beat him to them! Luckily the kids had gone to bed and didn't have a clue what had happened. I just happened to find the picture of him right after he had eaten it! I think we put them up a little higher on a shelf since that Christmas Eve!!

Christmas Collage

2009-12-10T10:00:00.002-05:00

I wanted to join Rhoda over at Southern Hospitality for her Home for the Holidays. She has such great ideas and so do alot of her blogger friends, so I decided to join in and share my Christmas collage with you. These are a few of the pics that have already been mentioned in my previous post so feel free to look around! Thanks for letting me share my home on your blog Rhoda!

My Daughters Christmas Tree

2009-12-09T04:00:00.000-05:00

I love to see my children being creative! Every year they put a Christmas Tree in their rooms and decorate to match the theme of their room. Last year my daughter decorated hers with little miniature horses and rope, but this year she came up with her own idea. She hung all of the horse show ribbons she has accumulated over the years on her tree. I love how it turned out and that it was all her idea!

Russian Tea/ Friendship Tea

2009-12-08T11:45:00.002-05:00

This is my morning fix sometimes when I wake up. I am not a big coffee drinker (Heck! I'm not a coffee drinker at all!) so this is one of the things I use to wake me up in the morning. My family has always called it russian tea, but I know I have seen the same recipe called friendship tea. I found this beautiful mug and plate at my local Cracker Barrell, isn't it gorgeous? They even have place settings to match. It makes me feel special to drink out of it and I love what it says, "May Peace be more than a season".

HEre is the recipe for my russian tea:

Russian Tea

1 oz jar of instant tea (1 1/2 cups)

18 oz jar of TANG (2 1/2 cups)

1 packet of lemonade (no sugar added)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1-2 tsp ground cloves

1-2 cups sugar

Mix all ingredients together and store tightly in container.

Add 3-4 tsp. of tea to 1 cup of hot water.

ENJOY!

Our Little Secret!

2009-12-04T04:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, if you read the post about my Christmas tree then you know I have an artificial tree. But I have to tell you that every year everyone always ask if it is real? So this year I decided to make it even more difficult to tell if it is real or artificial by adding a little secret ingredient! Are you ready for this?
Fresh Balsam fragrance oil from Bath and Body Works! Just sprinkle it on some of the branches and Voila! instant fresh tree smell. Pretty Cool, Huh!

You have to get the air freshner too. My daughter has gotten a hold of this one for her room and it is about gone and looks a little dented, so I may be needing a refill soon! I'll admit that I am not a fan of some of the pine freshners, etc. out there but this one is different and I love it!!

A few of my Favorite Christmas things...Part 5!

2009-12-03T04:00:00.000-05:00

Every year a few weeks before Thanksgiving I start looking at my Southern Living Christmas books! I just love their ideas! I think I have looked at these books so many times over the years it is suprising they aren't falling apart. if you look hard enough you may see the pages that are marked. I am missing a few recent ones, so I am going to see about finding them, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I got the idea for the buckets on the mantel in the 2008 issue! Anyway, I just thought I would share these with you since they have help me so much with decorating for Christmas over the years ! They have great recipes too!

Great site for the Kids!

2009-12-02T09:51:00.003-05:00

I was reading a post that Sarah at Clover Lane had posted about Santa, and one of her commenters was nice enough to share this site with us. I love it and thought I would share it with you all.

The Elf on The Shelf

You can read what The Elf on the Shelf is all about here!

I even had to decorate a cookie or two myself!
Have Fun!

A few of my Favorite Christmas things...Part 4!

2009-12-02T04:00:00.001-05:00

I just love Southern Living at Home! I used to sell their beautiful products, so I have accumulated quite a bit of them for FREE! This was actually one that I had purchased months ago from a friend who sells it. It was on sell for 14.95 I believe. Anyway, I added fresh greenery to it and then put a decorative floral piece in it to dress it up. I love how whimsical the stocking is!

A few of my Favorite Christmas things...Part 3!

2009-12-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Here is one of my all time favorite Christmas things! To me this is the most important and significant Christmas Decoration! I have never found a manger scene that I like more than this one. I love the old look to it and how large it is. I also love the one my MIL has, but I will share that with you when she gets hers put up. I found this one a few years ago at Kirkland/ Briar Patch (another of my favorite places).

Our Christmas Mantel!

2009-11-29T22:05:00.000-05:00

This year I decided to decorate the mantel a little different! I had seen this idea in one of my Southern Living Christmas books (love these) and knew I had to try it out! My daughter was a little upset that we weren't using our stockings, but I did put those up in our other living room. I also went with a candy theme this year which I love. The jars were all from Michaels and I have been getting them along and along using my 50 percent off coupon. I got the gingerbread cookies from Target in the food section and most of the other candy from Cracker Barrell. I purchased the lollipop ornaments from Target and the ribbon candy ornaments from Cracker Barrell.

The tins were purchased at Wal-Mart for 2.50 each and they had lids. I just removed them and added ribbon and a bow to hang them. I think it turned out pretty cute!

I am also going to post my Mantel Makeover on BetweenNapsonthePorch Metamorphosis Monday! This will be my first time ever doing this! Thanks for letting us show off our houses, etc. on your site Susan! Click below to see other great makeovers!

More of my favorite Christmas things.. Part 2!

2009-11-29T15:00:00.000-05:00

I love to get out my Christmas decorations every year! I always seem to forget about all the beautiful things that I use to decorate the house or tree with. I have several things that I love to look at that have meaning to me, so I thought I would share a few of them with you.
Isn't this arrangement just beautiful? I found it two years ago at Sam's Club (I love me some Sam's club). I sat it on my Southern Living at Home platter and added fresh greenery and some glittered fruit to the bottom. I love how it sparkles! I have it sitting on top of my kitchen island.

This is an ornament I bought a few years ago at Bombay Company (are they still open somewhere?). They always had the most detailed ornaments, but I just fell in love with this one!

One of my favorite Christmas things!

2009-11-28T20:34:00.000-05:00

I found this cake topper the other day at TJ Max/ Home Goods store! I recently bought the red cake plate from Target and thought how cute the topper would look on it! This will definitely be one of my favorite things to decorate with every Christmas!

Am I the only one who still Puts up a Christmas tree Piece by Piece????

2009-11-26T21:14:00.000-05:00

Every year while putting up the Christmas tree I keep telling myself that I am getting one of those prelit ones next year. But when I get it all put together, I love how real and full it looks. I still haven't found one that is prelit in the store that is as pretty as mine, so until I do, I will be pain stakingly putting mine together piece by piece, letter by letter.... UGHHH!! I would love to know who else still does this?? Here is a little look into the tree being put together!

My Sons Army Cake

2009-11-21T21:50:00.000-05:00

This is the cake I made for my sons Army party! You can view more pics of it HERE!

My Favorite Stores!!

2009-11-16T11:11:00.001-05:00

My Mom and I did a little Christmas/Birthday shopping this weekend! Yes, I know its early, but if you start early the season will be a whole lot less stressful and you will find great bargains before they are all sold out (see below)! We went to three of my most favorite stores: Target, Hobby Lobby, and Michaels! This year I decided to decorate in a Christmas candy theme and boy did I hit the "Jackpot" at Target!

The santa thingy on the left is a placemat! It actually turns so the kids can count down to Christmas! Is't that the cutest thing ever?? These were $3.99

My biggest bargain were the green chargers in the dollar section, are you ready for this? There were two in the package!! That is only 50 cent each! Amazing deal!! Hurry before there gone!

And don't you just love the cake Plate??? I have a white one that is identical but it cost way more than this little beauty. 15.00 and can't you picture a cute Christmas cake on top?

The ornaments were 1.99 a piece and I couldn't pass them up since the whole candy theme and all!

Now for Hobby Lobby:

I didn't take a picture of the stools before, but I can tell you that they were in need of major repair!! I bought them years ago from Lowes and the tops were vinyl. What does vinyl do when it gets old? Anyway, Hobby Lobby always has great sales on their fabric, so I picked up 3/4's of a yard and recovered these bar stools for the bargain price of $5.32. Better than 120.00-200.00 for new bar stools!

I don't have pics of what I bought at Michaels, but I can tell you I got it for 50 percent off and I will share that with you when I start decorating for Christmas around here!

But I did have to share this with you and it has nothing to do with Christmas or bargains. But it isn't it adorable?

Our little Abby Gail!!

Thanksgiving Traditions

2009-11-05T11:39:00.000-05:00

A few years ago I came up with the idea of making a jar and some place cards for everyone who attends our Thanksgiving dinner. They each wrote what they were thankful for on the inside of their card and then we put them back in the jar. After dinner was over, we would pull out a card and read what that person was thankful for. It is fun to read them year after year, especially the one from the kids and my brother Michaels, they are so innocent and honest!

I would love to hear any of your Thanksgiving traditions that you may do with your family, so be sure to leave it in the comments or post a link to your blog for us!

The first one is from my brother Michael who has Down Syndrome. I love his honesty! The second is from my daughter Zoey!

Our Trip to the Smokey Mountains

2009-11-04T12:58:00.000-05:00

Every year we usually end up going to the Smokey Mountains to see how beautiful the leaves are (trust me people, this is a big deal to those of us who have 90-95 degree weather in the middle of October) .

This year we got the added bonus of snow and my children could not believe their eyes! They had never seen snow actually fall from the sky. When we see snow, it is usually in a cone or from an ice making machine.

The house we stayed in had an elevation of 4300 feet! YIKES!!

I had panic attacks every time when went up and down the mountain. The great part of the place, was the beautiful waterfall in the yard. The kids wanted to get in it but it was way to COLD!

Check out these beautiful photos from the Blue Ridge Parkway: