Kitchen Wall Makeover!

by Robin on February 7, 2010

I had a fun Saturday! The Husband went with me on a treasure hunt. I had a bee in my bonnet to change up this wall in my kitchen…

Valentine-Garland

Here’s my inspiration. This is a booth in one of my favorite antique stores. I love it! I didn’t want quite the same flowery feel in my kitchen though. So look what I ended up doing…

Inspiration

I found the mirror at JoAnne’s for 70% off! The shutters were hiding in an antique booth and The Husband dug around and found them. He and cut them to fit and even helped me distress them when we got home!

kitchen-wall-art-3

These pastel saucers were just $3.00 each! They were a bit less dainty than the pretty china I have hanging in other rooms. And they reminded me of mints…or balloons!

kitchen-wall-art-2

kitchen-wall-art

We did this for next to not much and I love the way it turned out!

Kitchen-Wall

Linking to some fun blog parties this week:

The Girl Creative

Making

Tuesday


Trash to Treasure ~ Reinvented

2nd Time Around Tuesday~A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

My Frugal Family~Talented Tuesdays

{ 18 comments }

Super Bowl Food!

by Robin on February 5, 2010

Super Bowl Sunday is just a day away! I thought I’d post some ideas for fun Super Bowl food!

A couple of appetizer recipes that I love:

Last year for the Super Bowl I did these potato skins. They were Ah-Mazing!

Baked Potato Skins: Recipe HERE

Potato-Skins

This Spinach dip has Artichokes and Alfredo Dip mixed in…it’s seriously impressive! A great dip for taking to a party!

Spinach-Artichoke-Alfredo Dip Recipe:Here

dsc_3586

If you’re having to feed a bunch of people this Texas Caviar recipe makes a ton!

Serve with tortilla chips or giant corn chips!

Texas Caviar Recipe Here

Texas-Caviar

Now for some main dish ideas…

I love to do this White Chicken Chili in the crock pot. It’s the all time easiest thing I make that smells and tastes like it took lots of effort!

White Chicken Chili Recipe Here

Chicken-Chili

If you aren’t in the mood for chili, these burgers are fabulous! They are made from ground chicken breast and have a magic ingredient that adds moisture. And …they are totally figure friendly!

Chicken Burgers Recipe Here

dsc_0034

Okay…can we talk about somin sweet!?

If you need to take dessert to a Super Bowl Party…think about this one!

Big Bodacious Blondies Recipe Here

I can’t say enough about this recipe…it has roasted pecans, almonds and walnuts. And that’s just the beginning. These babies are taste explosive!

bodacious-blondies-3

And here’s an old Southern recipe that feeds quite a few people…

Coca-Cola Cake Recipe Here

coca-cola-cake-2

It’s easy to travel with if you’re headed to a party and it’s moist and fudgy delicious!

cut-piece

Okay, I hope you got an idea or two! I’m excited about Sunday with all the great food and funny commercials!

Happy Snacking Peeps!

Visit Michael’s Foodie Friday today for more yummy inspiration!


{ 14 comments }

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

by Robin on February 4, 2010

I know the Super Bowl is this weekend and tomorrow I’m posting some Super Bowl food ideas…but today I wanted to start you thinking about Valentine’s Day!  Ya gotta have chocolate on Valentine’s Day, last week I posted a Skinny Chocolate Pie recipe…this week it’s something else kinda figure friendly…

’cause it doesn’t have to be super fattening to scratch your chocolate itch. How about dipping some strawberries ?

seriously-cute-berry-2I use Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate chips…just melt some chocolate and dip the (completely dry) strawberries. Let the excess chocolate drip back into bowl…

milk-chocolate

then put strawberries on parchment paper to dry. Drizzle some melted candy coating over the berries if you want!

dipping-strawberries-1

berries-everywhere

These babies are kinda romantic aren’t they?

Heavenly nibbling Friends…

seriously-cute-berry

All My recipes are located on the left in the pull-down menu under: All Things Yumalicious!

Linking to Foodie Friday over at Design’s by Gollum! Lots of recipes…check ‘em out !!!

~xoxoxo~

{ 15 comments }

In the past couple of years several things I thought I knew for sure have been majorly challenged.   I understand if you disagree with me…this is just my perspective. Plain and simple, just something I thought I knew for sure.

I’ve told you guys how much I love Don Miller’s new book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. I love it because it makes me think. On several occasions he wraps words around  things that The Husband and I have been experiencing over the past few years. But this one thing, I’ve never mentioned to anyone. Not even The Husband. I was nearly flung from the treadmill when listening to the book on my iPod and I heard this…

“Growing up in church, we were taught that Jesus was the answer to all our problems. We were taught that there was a circle-shaped hole in our heart and that we had tried to fill it with the square pegs of sex, drugs and rock and roll; but only the circle peg of Jesus could fill our hole.I became a Christian based in part on that promise,  but the hold never really went away.”

Well that’s exactly what I was taught! And for me, “the God shaped hole” was plenty enough reason to run to the alter. But here’s the thing I’ve never said…I still have that “hole”.  There was a little bit of time in my twenty’s when I thought I still had the empty place because I wasn’t really “saved”. I’d feel a longing. A discontent.  There was sometimes a compulsion to meet a need that I didn’t even understand. So in my quiet time with God, I’d say the sinner’s prayer again and again. And hope eventually it would work.

Then in my thirty’s  I’d get tired of “trying” and decide to meet my own needs since God didn’t seem to be interested in meeting them.  I’d follow my heart so to speak.  Those are things I look back on that literally break my heart.  Other times I hit my knees and promised God I’d work harder at being a “good Christian” and then wear myself to a nub trying to keep up with my Religious to-do list. No matter what I did though, the” hole” sadly enough was still there…there’s got to be something more haunted me.  No good Christian thinks like this. So the cycle of shame and condemnation kept me spinning.

But in the past two years something has been brewing in me, and I’ve given up the dream that the hole inside will be filled and satisfied. I just don’t think it will.

Not in this life.

Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying, there’s hope in Jesus. Hope for the right now.I love Him. I’d be dead without Him. And that’s the truth.  But this life is not going to be “complete”.  Some of us may die before fulfilling what we believe to be our ultimate purpose. There will be tons of things we won’t understand. Some of them horrible and painful. People try to throw explanations at horrible things but in the end I find them empty.   It gives me peace to know…life won’t “add up”. ..until heaven.  I find security in believing there’s more than the life we’re living right now.

When my mom left this world there were so many thoughts. One that continually slapped me in the face was that I knew there were things she so wanted to do that she didn’t get to do.  If anyone deserved to live out their dreams or their calling it was my mom. But, here’s that “brewing” I told you about, I have come to firmly believe that she’s not done. Her calling, her purpose,  is being lived out now.  She’s continuing in her purpose… on the other side of eternity.

What if I had believed this when I was younger? What difference would it have made for me? Huge. Epic difference.  I would have focused less on me for one. I might have recognized the longing in my heart as being  an eternal thing not a here and now thing. At least some of my choices would have been different.

For heaven’s sake, how many mid-life crisis could be avoided if everyone believed that when we hit 50,60,70,80 we’re not done.  Instead we’re gaining momentum for what’s coming. For the continuation of our life. For what’s beyond this life.

Don Miller says it better. He makes sense. And his words gave me the courage to share this. I know some of you won’t like it. For some maybe your “God shaped hole” is full up. I am so happy for you. I can only tell you my experience and where I am today. My hope is,  if someone is working themselves silly trying to “do” the right things or feeling compelled to fill that hole on their own, that they will just take a moment to consider that there’s something beyond today, beyond this side of eternity.

{ 28 comments }

1 Month Down~365 Project!

February 2, 2010 All Things 365

I finished the first month of the 365 Project!
I loved doing this for several reasons…
~I’m learning a bit more about my camera
~I’m operating in my “right brain” more…a brilliant reader told me this and she’s right!
~I’ve made some uber creative Flickr friends
~I’m looking at the world in a different way, finding bliss in the simplest [...]

12 comments Read the rest →

Burlap Button Paper Mache Hearts!

February 1, 2010 All Things Crafty!

The other day while I was hanging out in my “fun-room” I got this idea using a few of my favorite things…

*Paper Mache (Hearts)
*Burlap
*Buttons
*Mod Podge…have I told ya’ll how much…yea. I think I have.
*Craft Paint (I used metallic taupe)
*Glue Gun
*Ribbon and Jute Twine

Feel free to skip this step:
These paper mache hearts had a little gold [...]

31 comments Read the rest →

Skinny Chocolate Pie

January 29, 2010 All Things Valentine's Day!

Has anyone noticed that I haven’t baked 1 thing in 2010? Not even ONE!
I’m in time-out. Again. I’ll remain in time-out until  my jeans will button without me passing out cold due to lack of oxygen. It’s been 3 weeks. This may take awhile.
But Valentine’s Day is coming up and I’ve been looking for something [...]

27 comments Read the rest →

Sweetening the Atmosphere…

January 28, 2010 All Things Heartfelt

“Behave so the aroma of your actions may enhance the general sweetness of the atmosphere.” (Henry David Thoreau)

I love it when an unexpected word of encouragement or simple kindness changes my focus and therefore changes my day. That happened to me recently when I was feeling lower than a bugs belly. Just a sweet comment. [...]

12 comments Read the rest →

Organizing those Recipes!

January 27, 2010 All Things Organized!

I have this amazing blog friend, Cheryl who has an equally amazing blog: Tidy Mom. Bet you’ve heard of her, but if not, you gotta check her out! She’s a talented baker and cookie decorator, she makes great things like this adorable camera strap, she has gorgeous photos and the woman is organized! Last [...]

19 comments Read the rest →

Restoring Balance

January 26, 2010 All Things Heartfelt

I wrote last week about being a bit out of balance.(HERE) I was feeling assaulted  by a hundred demands and couldn’t focus on any one thing long enough to be productive. I’m doing the 365 Project this year (the 411 on 365 HERE) and needed a photo for the day. With my:  “Balance… I’m out [...]

18 comments Read the rest →
Lifestyle Blogs - Blog Rankings