Family Coaster Tray.

Family coaster tray?  You may be scratching your head right now and wondering what in the world that could be.

Weeellll, it's a tray of coasters so each family member can keep track of ONE cup per day, not 15,000 (spread all over the house on end tables and counters and floors).

Ok, I know this Pinterest thing is a bit crazy but I can't help it.  I love it especially when I can solve a problem.  And so I bring you my Pinterest inspiration:

From bee in our bonnet

I saw this and immediately knew it would be put to good use around here.  My budget is quite scant so I strolled my favorite flea market for supplies.  

I found this perfect tray for $3:

It wasn't in tip top shape but I could see the big picture and knew it would work.  It is pretty modern looking so it was perfect, even for that guy I live with who is constantly cramping my style.

I scuffed all of the edges with sandpaper since it was already scuffed up some and I cut up some self adhesive cork I had left over from lining my cabinets into 4x4 inch squares for the coasters.  Ok, ok, I never finished lining all of the cabinets but the three I did line are awesome.  The paper on the back of the cork is grid marked which made for easy measuring.

I momentarily whined in my head about how I, of all people, deserve a Cricut yet I don't have one.  I also don't have any stencils which is odd for me b/c I seriously have a lot when it comes to craft supplies.  So, I opened up Microsoft Word and began testing fonts.  I thought I would be nice and ask that guy I live with what his favorite "typeface" was.  I only said "typeface" b/c I knew if i said font he would correct me.  Font is related to the size of a typeface (typeface is actually what you probably call font).   He gave me three choices.  Helvetica, Calibri, and Ariel.  I wanted to test them out and see if I liked them but I couldn't find Calibri so I asked him how to spell it.  He then, with much snobbery, told me if I would stop using Microsoft Word and use Pages like the rest of the world I could find it.  

Um, excuse me?  I believe I asked you how to spell it....still waiting for that answer.  

I opened up Pages to find it and still, it was no where to be found and I was still waiting on the answer to the initial question.  Heated bantering went on which really helped me make my decision.

American Typewriter it is.  

He hates American Typewriter.  Perfect.  

So, if you ever thought I was exaggerating about how difficult it is for us to agree on anything when it comes to decorating our home I think you might understand a little better now.  Not only can we not agree on a typeface for a simple project we can't agree on what to call the font-typeface and we can't agree on which word processing program to use to generate the typeface-font.

Yes, we know.  We are sick and twisted people.

I printed the letters from my printer (not my Cricut because I don't have one) that has been telling me for 6 months it has no ink.  It lies.  It totally has ink:

I then cut out each letter, lined them up sort of straightish and traced them onto the cork with a dull pencil.  A sharp pencil would have snagged the cork.

Now that the tedious hard part was over, you know, because I don't have a Cricut, I painted in the letters with indoor/outdoor glossy black paint.  I used exterior paint b/c I knew it will hold up to the condensation from the cups better than acrylic.  I have had this paint for two years.  I use it randomly and I think it replenishes itself like the wine in that one bible story. 

I gave the letters three coats of paint and had a really hard time waiting for it to dry so I could put glass jars on it and test it out.  But finally it was done and I made that guy I live with pose with the American Typewriter FONT and smile about it. 

And just in case you need a visual of how it works and looks while in action:

And just in case you need a visual of how it will really work and look while in action:

Reality is just not as pretty as the fantasy world I apparently frolic in but this is what it will look like on a regular basis.  Ya'll, I love this tray.  It is such a simple solution that works for us.  Jules' type A personality has taken to it quite nicely.  She loves for things to have special place.  Mia, well, she woke up this morning (Wednesday morning to be exact) and was totally shocked that it was a school day so her artistic personality puts it on the coaster 50% of the time.  The other 50% of the time she can't remember if she had a drink at all and so I find her cup and place it on the coaster for her because you win some and you loose some.  And that's perfectly o.k. 

Love Hurts.

No, really.  I should have included a bandaid in the girls' Valentine's this year. 

It was that time of year again.  Time to make things more difficult than they should be.  Time to wait until the last minute putting stress on the entire family.  Time to over extend myself to the point of total meltdown.

Yep, it was time for Valentine's. 

I turned to Pinterest and picked what seemed to be an easy yet clever Valentine.  My girls like to make theirs.  I am always tempted to buy the boxes.  I peruse them and caress them.  I think of how wonderfully simple those things would make my life around this time of year and then my day dream is spoiled with sounds of giddy girls excited about getting crafty.  I place the box back on the shelf and wipe a tear from my eye and bid farewell to what could have been.

Let me get this straight.  There is nothing wrong with boxed Valentines.  I absolutely loved picking mine out each year.  Loved it!  I just started a tradition that just won't die and well, oh well.  We made our Valentine's again this year.  I'm over it.

Here is the inspiration:

Tutorial found here. 

I didn't use her template and just made my own so I could personalize it with their names.  Microsoft Word is the spawn of Satan.  I had everything looking perfect and when I printed, all the words that I created using "word art" were jacked up.  It took me an hour to reconcile this problem.  I was on the verge of tears and punching our iMac. 

I got them all printed out and the cutting commenced.  We were all cutting.  Even Levi.  After cutting came stapling.  And by stapling I mean repeatedly poking my eyes out.  I bought them little staplers to use and under estimated the hand strength that staplers require and that my tiny people don't have.  As you can see...it's a lot of staples.  So, I stapled most of them together leaving the top open. 

Wait, no I didn't.  Mia started out wanting to do everything on. her. own.  She wasn't keen on listening to instructions or steps or anything, really, and so she began stapling them together with the back print on the inside.   This incident grew my self-control and holding of the tongue.  I decided that 4 people would not get to see who it was from until they tore it open.  The end.

They stuffed each one with a piece of candy, a sticker, and a mini-eraser.  

 I stapled the tops together and we called it a night at around 10:00pm.   Yes, I know.  Let's just move on.   They sort of kind of look like the example.  As you can see they tried their hardest to get those staples to go in the right places.  Jules kept saying,  "Darn it, this stapler is so stubborn!"  She didn't give up until she was at her wits end. 

 

Levi bought them doughnuts for breakfast for a good sugary start to the day and I gave them their annual Valentine stuffed animal.  Levi also bought them a box of chocolate from a chocolate shop in Downtown Fort Worth on Friday and they actually saved it until today.  I was impressed.  With both their will power and Levi's awesomeness. 

They each had a party and had a great time.  It was at Jules' party that I began to re-think our Valentines.  I realized that they might be darn near impossible to tear open b/c I used heavy card stock and that they might poke their fingers on the one million staples in each one of them while trying so hard to tear them.  By the time I worked it all up in my head I wanted to shout "WAIT!  Nobody move!  I need to take up Jules' Valentine's real quick and open them for you.  Please???"  But, in the end it worked out.  We just have one kid who might have been planning some questionable activities after pulling all the staples out of his and piling them up on his desk.  Oopsie.

 

Oh, here.  Did you want a close up of Mia's Valentine's bag?  As I was looking at the sweet hearts and rainbows that adorned of all the little girls bags it brought me back to my child hood.  Then Mia flashed this naked guy in a diaper in front of me while she gleamed with pride.   Yes, it's cupid.  I get it.  But it was a bit of a shocker, that's all I'm saying.  Being a mother to a free spirit is nothing if not shocking.

Monday's Menu and Reviews.

I'm still a cooking fool.  I don't fear cooking and I don't even dread it.  I like it.  I think b/c my roommate and I cooked so much in college, menu planning and cooking kind of comes naturally to me now. 

So, Yahoo freaking news, my degree wasn't worthless after all.  If it hadn't been for college I might not be a cooking fool, you see.

I have also begun to "coupon".  I suppose it is a verb now thanks to that extreme couponing show that I never watched.   My spell correct would like to change the word "couponing" to coupling but I think that would turn this post in a very inappropriate direction.  Glad I caught that one.  Anyway, I have no comment about couponing b/c it wouldn't be pretty.

The Plan Stan:

• Sausage and Zattaran's Jambalaya Mix
• Lasagna w/ garlic bread
• Chicken in basil cream sauce, chopped asparagus salad, rosemary bleu potatoes, and (who am I kidding) corndogs for the mini-people who live here
•  Paula Deen's Chicken and Dumplings (using biscuits instead of making dumplings)
• Blue Mesa's painted desert soup, cornbread (cut recipe in half)
• Potatoes Etc. (from my mother inlaw..will post later)
• Aztec Burritos 
• Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers, steamed broccoli, honey rosemary carrots
• Slow Cooker Itallian Meatballs, ricotta thyme spaetzle, peas
• Tortellini Soup w/ french bread

I usually pick 10 meals to cover two weeks.  It usually works out.  Sometimes I have extra and other times I don't have enough so we just have grilled cheese sandwiches or whatever.   I do all my grocery shopping at one time and typically have to go back one time for fruit and milk. 

Even though I didn't post a menu last week I do have a review for you:

California Grilled Veggie Sandwhich:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1 cup sliced red bell peppers
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 small yellow squash, sliced
• 2 (4-x6-inch) focaccia bread pieces, split horizontally
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the grill for high heat.
3. Brush vegetables with olive oil on each side. Brush grate with oil. Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer. Remove from grill, and set aside.
4. Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides of the bread, and sprinkle each one with feta cheese. Place on the grill cheese side up, and cover with lid for 2 to 3 minutes. This will warm the bread, and slightly melt the cheese. Watch carefully so the bottoms don't burn. Remove from grill, and layer with the vegetables. Enjoy as open faced grilled sandwiches.

The only things I changed about this recipe is that I left out the onion b/c I forgot to buy one and I cooked all the veggies in a skillet and added sliced avocado.  I used Nature's Own thin sandwhich rounds.  When I told Levi it was on the menu he said (and I quote) "Great!  I will not be looking forward to that one."  It's a wonder I put up with him at all, really.  I served Kettle cooked sea salt and cracked pepper chips as a side.  The kids had corndogs and chips b/c we are just not there yet, ok?

Proof that this girl still can't photograph food.  My plates are white not yellow, thank you.   Levi, after each bite, commented on how good this sandwich was.  I unashamedly scoffed at him and rolled my eyes. 

As if he should ever doubt me.

Pinterest Overload: Burlap Wreaths, Yarn Letters, Rosettes, Oh, My!

This will not be an angry post. :)

A friend and I had an impromptu wreath making session while our kids played cowboys and bad guys all over the house.  It's possible that one of us or both of us got shot with a suction cup dart (or two) but that didn't stop us from getting our craft on.

I originally was going to make her a wreath that she pinned but I got all weird and thought I might pick the wrong colors or something.  So as any good friend would do, I bought the stuff and gave it to her saying "Here, I was going to make you a wreath but I chickened out so here...make your own."   However, I brought stuff for myself to make one as well so we made an evening of it.

Good friends, conversation, music, food, coffee, and crafting.  Of course, tainted slightly with gunfire and ruckus, but we made the most of it. 

Here is the wreath she pinned:

originally from this website

Here is what we came up with:

The funny thing is she was wrapping her letter with yarn while I was making the rosettes and both of those things took us for eva!  I made my rosettes out of the girls' old t-shirts and some yarn.  Here is a good rosette tutorial.  Her letter was so hard to wrap because of it's shape and corners and the rosettes are just time consuming.  She decided rosettes were not something she had patience for and I realized my letter was far easier to wrap than hers so our second leg of the mission was a breeze.

I quickly wrapped my letter and she took strips of burlap and loosely sewed across the bottom and gathered the strips into three different sized flowers.  Now, as she was attaching her flowers and letter I wrapped my straw wreath in strips of burlap.  I pinned the strips first then went back and hot glued the ends down.  I just hot glued the rosettes in place.  She didn't glue anything to her wreath so it could be changed up later if she wanted and stuck everything into the tightly twisted vines instead.

We both worked to get everything just where we wanted it and put our hangers at the top.  Pretty good turn out for a spontaneous craft session.

I consider this a Pinterest success and look forward to my next project!

Day 8.

Today marks day eight of working out.   That's consecutively.  Like, in a row.  As in no break.

Yes, I'm whining.  Sue me.

Melissa, the official only person still reading this blog (hi) made a comment on a post that made me think.  She referenced the stages of grief in making healthy choices and one of them being anger.  I thought...wow, why did I edit myself in my post?  I said grumpy.  But you know what?  I AM angry.

I am angry about a lot of things right now.  I am angry that getting up early and working out is so freaking hard.  I am angry that it doesn't come easily for me.  I am angry that instead of feeling better I feel worse than ever.  I am angry that today I laid around because I was sore and tired.

I am also angry about other things.  This blog?  What is it for?  I enjoy it but at the same time feel it is a big waste of narcissistic time.  I hate that I have been feeling extra exposed and vulnerable to the point where it is excruciating to write and I hold back, often leaving nothing but shallow stories for your humor's sake.  I am angry that I like writing but am nothing short of medi-ocre at it.  I have gotten more positive feedback about this blog than I could have ever imagined yet I can't really "do anything" with what I seem to be pretty good at and for some reason just writing for the sake of it and for documenting our family doesn't seem to be enough for me.  I want it to be enough but the truth is, it isn't.  I realize I may be taking this blog thing too seriously but that's who I am.  It takes my time and so it kind of needs to have purpose.

I wish I could be like the boring glass guy from the lecture I wrote about.  He's boring but at least he is really good at something.  At least he focused his energy into something that stuck and took him somewhere even if it is glass.  Good for him.

I am angry that when people find out I don't work they just blink their eyes and stare.  I am angry that I'm not the most ecstatic girl in the world that I "get" to stay home.  I should appreciate it so much more than I do.  I should get SO much more done everyday than I do.  I loose focus easily and it makes for a most vicious discouraging cycle.

I am angry that I have not pursued more of my talents.  I am a wife and mother and proud of it but I am so much more than that and neglecting those parts of me is killing me.  I am disappointed in myself for not having a clue what I wanted to do when I was in college.  I am angry at YAHOO freaking news for saying my degree was one of the top 10 useless degrees of all time.  That was just not something I needed to hear when going through this time in my life.  I wish I could go back and make some decisions with the head I have on me now but that is just not possible or reasonable and I have to make peace with that.

I had higher expectations for myself in my head but never had a plan.  Plans are a must.  Was I so naive to think that things would just happen for me without some serious hard work and drive?   Can I go back and slap my 18 year old self?  Please.  I really need to talk to that girl.  I have important things to tell her. 

I know I can't change the past.  I am working on changing myself instead but in doing so I can't help but reflect on the choices I have made.   The good ones and the bad ones.  I can't help but get so angry about it all and I take it out on my family.  That is just so not fair.  I gotta get this angry stuff out of my system. 

But you know what?  I am not going to edit it out of my life.  It's where I am.  It's a stage.  But I know one thing...just being angry all the time isn't going to make anything better.   I have to work through it in order to move forward.  Hence the changes.  It's just harder than I though it would be. 

Better day today. Still hate getting up.

Tonight I went to a lecture with Levi. Why? Oh, I don't know. Moment of insanity I suppose. He goes to lots of lectures and his brain gets bigger. I sniff modpodge and my brain gets poisoned. It works for me.

We get into the auditorium and they start 5 minutes late. Then I had to immediately look up what ephemeral meant since it was written on the first slide. When they finally start two old guys yammer on their gushing thanks to people who didn't even bother to show up. Totally awkward when he goes through the list of people so they can stand only to find out nobody is there.

The lecture guy finally starts and I turn to levi and mouth to him 'This was a huge mistake.'. He agreed. So. Boring. He spoke about glass and how it's reflective. Wow. Really, just wow. He has done some cool projects but the man had zero personality. Thankfully we had to leave early.

I think I will leave the lectures to him from now on and I'll continue to sniff mod podge.

Last minute.

This is a last minute lame 'I forgot to blog' post. I'm in bed posting from my iPhone. Today was by far the hardest day to get out of bed to workout. I am sore. Im grumpy. Really expected to feel more energy by now. I am going to attempt to be more consistent with my bedtime to see if it helps.

Change is hard. I have a lot of changes to make in my life. Lots. One day at a time.