White Spray Paint

Blue and White : Part I

2012-01-27T19:38:00.001-06:00

(Master Bedroom, Stage I, Again.)

Last fall, when I thought our master bedroom would become this haven

of soft gray and white,

I was surprised I didn’t love it.

(Master Bedroom, Stage I, Then)

And so I talked it to death

and tried to come up with a solution ,

until one day I returned to what I really like.

I grabbed these small throw pillows I had,

in a Ralph Lauren fabric I love,

and I gave in to it.

This is who I am and what I love.
Sigh.

I love blue and white, and chinoiserie,
and white.

Because this Ralph Lauren pattern is dated,

I ordered the shams and the bed skirt on Ebay.

When I look at it, in its early stage again,

my shoulders start to relax.

I love it.

Stage II?

something brass

something sparkly
***

Linking to:

Stylish Once Again~Restyled Sundays
Kristen's Creations~Share Your Creations Party
Shine Your Light~Before and After Party

‘Swelled Up’ at the Flea market

2012-01-25T17:37:00.001-06:00

If you are

‘of an age’,

and you were raised with the same basic guidelines as I was,

and sometimes…

as a child/middle-aged woman you wanted something

you could not have…

you may have been warned not

to get ‘swelled up’, as my mother would say.

That warning usually began,

as my frown was forming,

with-

“Laura Ellen?”

Now I know the picture I have painted here

(of swelling up)

isn’t pretty,

but the word is perfect.

Lately, in all of my

‘of an age’ glory,

I have been swelled up at the flea market.

If you are a junker/thrifter, you know what I mean.

My favorite vendor keeps saving boxes of amazing things

for other people,

or

I see something in someone else’s cart that makes me hyperventilate,

or

I am a day late.

Last week was no different.

(swellingswellingswellingswelling)

Until I turned the corner and saw this.

Big Daddy (above) was sitting on the ground under a table full of shoes.

My Academy Award self immediately changed my swelled up expression

to one of disinterest.

I nonchalantly moseyed over.

The first thing I checked?

1. Does it have all of its feet?

Check.

2. What does its hallmark say?

No hallmark. Hmmm.

3. Is it heavy?

Yes.

4. Is the price right?

Yes, $20, but she said she would take $18.

And most importantly???

5. Would it sooth my swelled up heart?

Absolutely.

***

Linking to:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Primp Your Stuff Wednesday at Primp

Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Share the Love Wednesday at Very Merry Vintage Style

What's It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants

Good Life Wednesdays at A Beach Cottage

Thriftin’ on a Thursday at Savvy City Farmer

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Feathered Nest Friday

Home Sweet Home

Inspiration Friday at the Picket Fence

2805

Stuff and Nonsense

French Inspiration at the French Cupboard

Waiting in the Truck

2012-01-23T23:08:00.001-06:00

It just dawned on me that I have found

some of my greatest treasures

while my husband sat in the truck reading the paper.

This set of 8 linen napkins,

pinned together with a safety pin,

is just such an example.

Location?

Navasota, Texas.

He sat patiently in the truck while

my daughter and I went in store after store,

all along streets

IN

Navasota,

Brenham,

Giddings,

Cuero,

and then he was

DONE.

And when he’s done-

he’s

DONE.

Glad I found these early in the trip.

My Garden Shed Re-Visited

2012-01-21T17:01:00.001-06:00

In 2011, despite days of heat my garden thermometer had a hard time registering,

I continued to enjoy a favorite space that is all mine.

Just as I created a hideout for my grandsons to

have when they visited last summer-

I created my own hideout as well.

My garden shed is really that-

a shed,

a hideout

attached to the back of our garage.

It is where I sit, with a small fan blowing on me,

when it is so hot here in South Texas, I can’t seem to make it to the back door of the house.

Truth be told-

this space -

no matter how hot it is,

is also where the stress leaves,

and gratitude reigns supreme.

And so my planning for gardening in 2012 is underway.

We have a very short winter.

It was 87 degrees today.

I am the eternal optimist when it comes to gardening

where I live.

Drought?

Extreme heat?

That’s ‘no step for a stepper’,

as my father would say.

***

I am linking to Donna’s

Funk Junk Interior’s

Saturday Night Special-

Best of 2011

and

these wonderful parties.

Masterpiece Monday

weekend-wrap-up-party

Check Me Out Sat.

Met Monday

Show Off Your Cottage Monday

Bloomin Tuesday

Dear Daughters: Find the oldest woman in the room

2012-01-18T20:03:00.001-06:00

Dear Daughters,

In a room-

any room,

find the oldest woman there.

Take it all in,

soak it all up,

and listen to her every word.

The oldest woman in the room

has certainly lived longer than the youngest,

but it is not just about that.

If we limit ourselves to just listening to our chronological peers,

we limit ourselves to an exchange of like-minded,

same-aged ideas.

There are so many wonderful,

age worn ideas.

Find the oldest woman in the room

and take a seat.

Be her listener; be a learner; be her .

I love you,

Mom.

Tortilla Soup

2012-01-15T15:36:00.001-06:00

If you ever want tortilla soup quickly,

use this as the base.

I have mentioned this before. but it bears

repeating.

My friend Mary Jo told me about this.

It is easy and delicious.

Once the soup base is heated,

add your favorite ingredients.

I added a can of ranch style beans,

shredded chicken breast,

and corn on the cob- only because I didn’t have frozen whole kernel corn.

Because I used rotisserie chicken,

it was ready in minutes.

I then served it in my talavera bowls

from Dolores Hidalgo,

and I used the vintage silver soup spoons I have.

I only have two, but there is something

so satisfying in using something beautiful when you just have two.

Once served in the bowl, I topped it with grated cheese,

avocado slices, and cilantro.

I just had one more thing to do:

iced tea in my lime green goblet from

San Miguel de Allende.

Enjoy!

***

When Things Aren’t Changing Right Away

2012-01-14T13:56:00.001-06:00

You know what it’s like.

Sometimes the major pieces in a room aren’t going anywhere

anytime soon.

Why? The usual suspect: budget.

Or maybe you just aren’t ready yet.

Let’s also say that your den is the room in question,

but…

let’s also say you like red and zebraprint,

and the wingback chair sitting next

to the red glossy/chipped finished

chest that belonged to your mother.

And then there’s the old, worn dining table

and its chairs whose seats are covered in dull red too.

And the couches- which will be

the first thing to go when the time comes-

are looking a little tired,

but they are so comfortable

and great for naps and football watching.

So when that happens,

may I recommend doing what I did?

Go to Ross and spend a very small

amount of money

to show you are in it to win,

at least for now.

You are saying, ‘I like this room just as it is’.

You embrace it rather than ignoring it.

Rather than subtracting,

it works for me to add

just slightly, using a very small amount of money.

And so I did.

Purchased: 2 kilim like pillows in dull red $7.99 each

zebra runner with black fringe $8.00

dull red crackled tray $6.99

Try it- it works.

Maturity Rules: 2012 Goals

2012-01-12T00:11:00.001-06:00

(Source)

Please bear with me as I put my own spin on 2012 goals,

home and otherwise,

which I think are very important.

Everywhere you turn, whether it be in your home,

the doctor’s office, the workplace, your school,

your church, or even your mind,

there are things to ponder, plans to make, dreams to build,

strength to restore, mountains to climb, and goals to set.

Truth be told, the rebel in me (see above photo) starts to sing

”Don’t Fence Me In” right about goal setting time.

But this year I’ve decided that’s a really

old behavior model.

For you see, I really do enjoy getting things done.

Here is my list.

* Keep things in perspective at home and in the world at large.

Everyone has a story to tell and is doing the best he/she can (as my college roommate used to say).

*Remember that the key goal for our home is that it be a haven. In order for that to

happen, I must have a haven builder’s heart.

*Remember to use the best manners I can muster, even when the world around me seems intent upon getting

on my last irritable nerve.

* Remember that there is always work to do around the house (often daily work- occasionally project work)

as well as in the yard,

and there are less important things that rob time.

*Remember that rest is a wonderful reward and that I can’t do that if I am out and about

‘running errands’, however important they may seem.

*Remember that- for me- reading blogs is not the same as reading books.

I enjoy reading blogs,

but I need to read books too.

*Remember to narrow my to do list down but broaden my horizons.

And finally…

*Remember that a home is really a living thing.

***

Linking to the Nester’s Home Goals 2012.

The Roux Thickens

2012-01-11T08:25:00.001-06:00

If my dear friend and neighbor ,

Karen from Ladybug Creek ,

had not had this cookbook and spoken so highly of it,

I never would have initiated

Quest # 3 million and two.

She first wrote about it here.

I am Pavlov’s dog:

easily influenced and copy catting prone.

I am also a sucker for a food story/history.

I always have been.

And so when Karen raved about this cookbook,

Who’s Your Mama, Are You Catholic,

and Can You Make a Roux?,

and knowing what a good cook and historian

she is,

I ordered it.

Compiled by New Orleans Picayune food editor Marcelle Bienvenue,

(and aside from the fact that I wish my name

were

Marcelle Bienvenue-

which sounds so exotic

a la New Orleans- )

this cookbook is an

‘authentic look at the cuisine and culture of South Louisiana’.

Be still my wanna be Louisianan yet also love being a Texan heart.

But then of course as it always does,

the roux thickened.

I also discovered on Amazon that Ms. Bienvenu,

along with Judy Walker and the Times Picayune staff of

New Orleans,

worked at compiling over 225 important family and historical recipes that

were lost during Hurricane Katrina,

in order to create a cookbook titled

Cooking Up a Storm.

Well, by that point, I was a goner.

And so I ordered both, and they arrived yesterday.

And even though I may not be an official food editor,

I too have a family food history to tell.

I am dragging that long overdue family cookbook project out of the

archives known as my office/guest bedroom closet

to attack in earnest.

For those of you who know me well,

who might be thinking…

”Oh no! Laura’s starting

ANOTHER project,

and she hasn’t finished the others she has blogged about

here!”

“And what about that mirror she left propped against her den wall?”

Well, that’s how I roll.

I have to latch onto a project idea when the idea visits,

and besides,

it will all work out.

Signed,

Laura Belle Bienvenu
***

Propping, Pondering, and Stumping

2012-01-09T19:56:00.001-06:00

Sometimes it is all about the shape.

I love this one.

I found this Nadeau frame at the flea market

and had the mirror added.

It will be hung somewhere in the den.

Until then,

I have created a new style in design :

Propping.

Along the wall,

you simply prop things you like.

And then you

Ponder.

(sometimes for days)

And just when you remember you need to

focus on the master bedroom’s lack of color,

you begin the

stumping,

as you stump your toe on all of the propped items, walking through the house.

Anyway, when I see this particular

shape, I start to

mildly hyperventilate.

Is that a contradiction in terms?

***

Nadeau

Rice Village, Houston.

***

Linking to:

Monday:

Between Naps on the Porch

Tuesday:

Wednesday

Supper At Sam’s

2012-01-06T22:14:00.001-06:00

During a recent trip to Sam’s Club,

I set off a store alarm while looking at the cameras,

stood entranced at the jewelry counter mumbling

‘no,no,no,no’,

and held up multiple pairs of yoga pants

wondering how something form fitting is ever a good thing?

So, to avoid further catastrophe,

I turned my sails and headed to the grocery section to buy supper.

Here is what I bought.

This salad is

WONDERFUL.

So is this one.

When in Sam’s,

I always buy a rotisserie chicken.

They are the BEST.

The Menu?

Roasted Chicken

Grape Tomatoes

Steamed Asparagus with Sea Salt

and

Broccoli Salad

***

Other favorite grocery items at Sam’s:

large bag of cole slaw

large bag of romaine lettuce (6 heads)

pico de gallo (rustic salsa) in the deli section

Campari tomatoes

Creating a Soothing Space And Other Bad Ideas

2012-01-05T16:02:00.001-06:00

(Yes…that is a rogue Christmas tree on my dresser.)

I am on some sort of boomerang circuit with TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, and Ross,

trying to find affordable mercury glass lamps for our pale gray bedroom,

which I decided needed to be ‘soothing’..

I now have 3 pairs of lamps standing around the room,

hoping I still have the receipts.

I even bought lamps with a pair of gray silk shades

and animal print lining because the base was pretty.

I have in fact done the very opposite of what I thought I would be doing.

I have made myself crazier trying to calm things down.

And…

to top it off…

I have decided I may not be a gray person, but please don’t tell my husband that

because he already said to

‘shut it down’,

as in repeatedly.

So this is what I am going to do.

*I am going to return the lamps.

* I am going to find another metal color (as in dark gold leaf) to bring into the room to anchor it.

Right now it feels like a giant snowdrifting Christmas decoration.

*I am going to save my money for a muted gray

traditional rug (choice B) to anchor the bed because right now it seems to be floating.

*I am going to try and hang gold framed botanicals or something like that, using my anti-gallery wall method.

*I am going to begin a quest to find two small, similar but not matching chests to use as end tables

because this limbo low business has had its day.

In the meantime, life goes on, and I am going

to stay in the moment and be

SOOTHING

to others.

***

That’s much better. I don’t feel so crazy now.

***

Joining in at

At The Picket Fence

My Romantic Home

Tone on Tone Decor

2012-01-03T00:41:00.001-06:00

During our Christmas visit to our daughter’s,

I had a chance to take photos of what she has done with her living room.

It is this wonderful tone on tone color combination of

ivory, soft white, and soft taupe.

Tone on tone decorating is so smart.

Once the palette is set, it all works.

I found this pair of end tables in Dallas this past summer-

across town from each other.

One was at a consignment shop and when I spotted it,

I had to go back in my short term

memory bank to figure out why it looked familiar.

Click.

Its pair was at a thrift shop across town ,and it was 4:30 pm.

I made it.

This tureen was a find at another consignment shop, and

I found the red chinoiserie table at a garage sale in Dallas.

It lived with Daughter #3 for several years first.

My oldest daughter found the bookends on a trip to Laurie Anna’s in Canton.

They look wonderful on a mirrored chest.

We all have so much fun finding things for our homes that we love.

I know you do too.

I think I need to do some copying.

Walgreen’s Photo Print Coupon and More Tips

2012-01-02T13:58:00.001-06:00

This is just a quick note that there is a photo print special

at Walgreen’s that ends January 4th.

If you order a minimum of 100 prints, each print is 9 cents.

The code and information about setting up an account is on the Walgreen’s web site.

I just ordered 328 prints from my chair.

I also read this this morning:

http://www.savemymemories.org/protect/How_To_Backup.aspx

Digital photos can be backed up in a variety of ways. To protect and preserve your photos, we recommend the following two-part approach:

For your most valuable and irreplaceable photos: Make or order high quality prints or photo albums, and use recommended photo storage conditions to ensure that they will survive time and technology advances.
For your entire photo collection:

And,

one last thing.

My daughter’s external hard drive attachment thingy broke off into her computer yesterday.

Whatever that means-

it sounds horrible.

So, get busy ladies.

You’re burning daylight.

Oranges and simmering potpourri

2012-01-01T22:00:00.001-06:00

I am blessed to have a navel orange tree in our backyard.

I have been eating A LOT of oranges lately.

They are delicious this season.

There is something so simple and wonderful about picking an orange, rinsing it off,

peeling it ,

and eating it right then and there.

Once peeled,

I throw the peel in my simmering potpourri pot I created.

I use the bottom half of my copper double boiler.

Which ordinarily looks like this.

(source)

So it is all this great cycle of things I love:

oranges and fragrance.

My favorite simmering potpourri has apparently been discontinued.

I loved Aromatiques’s muslin sachet bags in

The Smell of Christmas.

I can’t find them anywhere.

So when I found a packet of mulling spices in the produce section of my grocery store, I created my own.

I just added extra whole cloves,

cinnamon sticks,

and orange peel.

Have a fragrant Monday!

The year is underway.

***

Linking to:

Dear Daughters: Cravings 2012

2012-01-01T07:41:00.001-06:00

Dear Daughters,

I have had a ~~craving , obsession~~ desire of sorts for months now.

It is really twofold.

I am obsessed with learning to make crocheted dish cloths,

and I want to learn to knit.

I have my supplies.

In fact, I have lots of supplies,

that I apparently

CRAVED.

The plastic container of knitting needles, you may remember,

is a flea market find.

I wrote about them and their

imagined owner here.

So here’s the deal.

This may

just be a matter of semantics ,

but bear with me.

Together let’s look for what we

long to do,

yearn to do-

rather than what we crave.

In fact, I’ll start.

”I long to learn to knit and make crocheted dish cloths.”

Better, right?

Craving is a funky little word that creates an

off the hook amnesty none of us can afford to

maintain.

Whatever its seemingly harmless origin,

(Christmas fudge and tamales, shopping and searching)

a booby prize waits at the end.

I think as my dear friend Janetta used to say,

we have to substitute something for whatever

cravings

have us girded up (as Papa would say).

Today I am going to learn to make crocheted

dish cloths, that I have longed to make for months now.

I hope you find your longing too.

Love, Mom

Photo Organization Project and some TIPS

2011-12-31T13:41:00.001-06:00

My decision to begin a long overdue

project usually begins with a sense of urgency.

This time was no different.

I literally woke up one day and thought,

”I need to get all of our photographs organized.”

Why?

*I have a million photos on my hard drive.

*I have transferred these photos to an external hard drive that I do not understand, don’t know how to access, and don’t trust.

*Walgreen’s sends me frequent emails stating how inexpensive it is to have prints and CDs created.

*I have 40 year old albums that now have fossilized photographs cemented to their adhesive pages.

Now the urgency makes sense, right?

At that point of decision-making, I still wasn’t ready.

I needed to really be honest about what I was willing to do and how much time I was willing to spend .

My system may not seem like a permanent solution to people far more organized, but it is a good solution for me.

Upon the recommendation of my friend Nancy ,

I went to Hobby Lobby and bought photo boxes.

They were $3.99 and had an additional discount.

I then created the labels for my boxes by family member’s name.

I am not concerned with chronological order.

That ship has sailed.

I created labels, remembering to create a label for something

important to me.

I plan to add a box labeled Blog as well.

Here are a few additional tips:

*Do not skip the soul searching step. It may work better for you to spend more time

with more steps.

I just couldn’t do it. It just isn’t in my DNA.

*Do not try and remove fossilized photos from old albums to reorganize them.

It isn’t going to end well.

They’ve been doing fine all these years.

I also decided to let that go.

* I didn’t want giant photo boxes. I have standard cabinets/shelves,

and I wanted simple, easy access. I didn’t want to bang myself in the head each time

I took a box off the shelf.

*I also learned that Walgreen’s has a scanning kiosk.

Yes, I have a scanner with my printer, but I would much rather take stacks of

old photos to Walgreen’s, scan them, and have a CD created all at one time.

I can then have CDs created for family members.

*Next, I need to figure out a system for my memory cards.

I haven’t had a system quite honestly.

Do you have any suggestions?

Do any of you use card readers?

Do you download photos from your camera directly to your hard drive?

Please offer your own ideas .

PS. I also decided to not fight the battle of trying to insert sticky labels inside the metal

holder.

I bet you aren’t surprised!

Happy New Year dear friends!

I have decided to name my system:

It is What it Is Photo System.

It’s Time for Black-Eyed Peas

2011-12-30T18:10:00.001-06:00

Black-eyed pea time is right around the corner,

and I have all of the ingredients purchased.

That’s it folks.

My black eyed pea job is done.

Why?

Because my husband takes over from here.

I am going to now reveal his black-eyed pea

deliciousness secret.

He prepares them in the same way he makes

frijoles a la charra or pinto beans.

New’s Year Day I go back on duty

and make cornbread and heat up the ham.

Black-Eyed Peas

In a skillet, saute 1 large chopped onion and cut pieces of bacon.

Add minced garlic.

Once the onions are translucent, set aside.

In a soup pan , cover 2 lbs. of dried peas with water

and bring them to a boil.

Boil for a few minutes and then remove them from the heat.

Let them sit a few minutes.

Drain off the water and add fresh water.

Add the onion, bacon, and garlic and add an extra chopped onion .

Cook until tender adding just a sprinkle of chili powder and chopped cilantro

at the end.

***

I know this is a vague recipe, but trust me- I had questioned my husband all I could!

Happy New Year!

Try This in 2012

2011-12-29T08:15:00.001-06:00

(taken at a Chicago train station while hurrying to catch Katherine during the marathon)

As 2009 closed, I selected my word for the next year as

INTENTIONAL.

I wrote about that here.

At the end of 2010,

it was twofold:

to be ALERT and GRATEFUL.

I wrote about that here.

(one of the many beautiful distractions along the marathon route)

So now I wait…

because the words that keep surfacing in

my dice throwing thinking are unusual.

Surely this can’t be right?

I guarantee you will not find these words listed on many end of the year

lists.

I used these words in my classroom,

right before my high school English students

started an exam or wrote an essay.

They have just enough

gun slinging drama

to suit my nature,

and just enough of my upbringing in them

to make me smile.

And so my words for

2012

are

GET AFTER IT.

This is more than what it appears.

Why?

Because only YOU can determine what it means.

I am starting my Get After It Living today, because another thing

we say in my family is,

“We’re burning daylight.”

***

Happy ‘Get After It’ New Year!

Laura-

Christmas Images and Leaking Pipes

2011-12-22T20:37:00.001-06:00

This morning when I learned that a pipe in our attic was leaking

and water was running down the wall of our den,

I looked around and smiled.

It really is ALL good.

This holiday season has not been been perfect,

but it has been
wonderful.

Our youngest daughter got here safely,

our middle daughter is now officially on vacation

and laughing with her sister,

and we will see our oldest daughter and her family

on Christmas Day.

Leak all you want crazy pipe.

Friends have been in my home this holiday season,

and I spent wonderful time in the homes of friends.

I have danced till my feet were numb,

I have laughed so hard I thought my sides were going to split,

I have learned more about creating a smokey eye than anyone wants to hear,

and I had dental surgery.

(a centerpiece I created for our party)

We hosted a wonderful Christmas Party and Dance with dear, dear friends.

(a second centerpiece I created for our party)

I used my Christmas china this season, which makes my heart go pitter patter.

My husband bought this china for me on the way to my appointment in

Austin at the Teacher Retirement System office.

I was retiring after 32 years.

It is amazing how 75% off Christmas china makes the future look

bright.

I slipped into the local liquor store one morning,

in the bright light of day,

in disguise,

to buy a pint of rum to bake a rum cake

using real rum.

I changed the name of the cake to

Flammable Rum Cake.

My verdict?

If you are going to drink rum, drink rum.

If you are going to bake a cake, bake a cake.

However, those activities, in my opinion, do not need to mix.

It is not a Win Win.

I sat in the Nap Room this morning with

my husband talking about the future

while a variety of humble, polite workmen

came by to diagnose the problem.

The roof man said check with the AC man who

said we

needed a plumber.

I called the roof man back who sent a plumber in 20 minutes.

I couldn’t

stop smiling.

The plumber’s young son sat politely on our patio kicking his legs

in the leaves.

We smiled at each other.

I bought 9 dozen tamales to have Christmas Eve

and to take to my daughter’s house:

5 chicken and cream cheese

and 4 pork.

Christmas Eve Menu

tamales

chili con queso

salsitas

guacamole

and chili con carne

I made fudge using the recipe on the

back of the marshmallow cream jar.

I won’t be doing that again.

My mother’s recipe from the back of the Hershey cocoa can is the best,

yet nothing makes me smile bigger than planning and preparing

holiday food for my family.

So go ahead pipes;

leak your heart out.

IT IS ALL GOOD.

***

Merry Christmas!

God is in my Glitter: A Re-Post

2011-12-19T21:57:00.001-06:00

Three trees, one tree, half a tree, no tree-

it matters not.

Decorating for Christmas is so rewarding to me, I thought that I would identify why.

*It is about who I am because of what I enjoy .

*It breaks the boundary of the world’s reason for the season.

*It reminds me- in my own quirky way-

that if I were lucky enough to be in that manger- AT THAT MOMENT-

I would , in my own way,

to show love and gratitude and humility, say,

“Let’s move this here. Wouldn’t this be more comfortable? Do you need anything? What can I do to help?”

*In that manger, I would be (I often am) a Martha in a Mary’s world-

but it occurs to me that God knows that, and I believe HE loves me anyway- even in all of my attempts to

bedazzle things around me.

HE knows my poinsettias are red and gold and sometimes pink.

*I understand Martha’s need to fix and arrange and prepare and beautify.

I think Martha needs a shout out-

“Hey Martha, I understand why you think you need to be in the kitchen- I get it.

Here is what works for me though- when the party is over and your gift of hospitality has weakened your spirit,

Jesus likes to sit on the couch with us and prop his feet up too.

Those are the best conversations.

HE really does get what drives us.

When I say to HIM, ‘I can’t believe she said that’,

or ‘why didn’t she come?’,

HE rolls his eyes and says

‘You are tired, let it go.’

And then we laugh.

*I know the world thinks God is not in the glitter, but HE is in mine.

***

Merry Christmas Everyone!

You are all wonderful.

Enjoy every minute of this wonderful season.

I’ll be back in a bit.

I am off to enjoy the glitter.

Laura

Fish or Cut Bait Blogging: Daybook December 18, 2011

2011-12-18T10:33:00.001-06:00

Outside My Window…

I may as well have a Widow’s Walk on my roof,

as in the days when wives stood watch

waiting for their husbands to arrive safely

from a journey at sea.

Our youngest daughter is driving home today

for Christmas

from Dallas (minimum 8 hours).

And so traveling mercies are on my mind.

Lately, I have been reading….

books about photography that were collecting dust

on my bookshelves.

I am waiting for the exposure triangle of aperture,

shutter speed, and ISO to

‘click’,

as I have been assured it will, because it is, alledgedly,

soooooo easy.

Flashback: Riviera, Texas Elementary School

I am reading a math problem that begins with

“If a bus full of 36 children leaves school at

3:30 pm, and the bus driver drives at 50 miles per hour…”

And my creative, literary, open-ended, big idea brain starts to shut down.

And so I continue to wait for the exposure triangle to click.

This all goes to a list I have

been assembling in my mind.

This list is a typically quirky

White Spray Paint list,

including but not limited to:

* learning more about smokey eye makeup

and

*fish or cut bait blogging.

I found the magical solution to smokey eye makeup

application,

(for subdued daytime wear and as a solution to the sagging eyelids

I now have)

at the

Laura Mercier counter yesterday.

Timeout:

I am going to change some vocabulary here-

I do not like words like sagging or drooping.

How about listless eyelids?

Unconcerned eyelids?

Disinteristed eyelids?

And so my quirky list continues.

It is time to fish or cut bait in my blogging.

I know-

those of us who are not blogging professionally

all feel this way periodically.

Blogging becomes an idea

I have to think of to write a post about,

rather than a spontaneous

feeling I can’t wait to write about.

When that happens for me, it may as well be a

Riviera Elementary word problem.

And so, is there a remedy for this feeling?

Yes.

Fish or cut bait.

And yes, I am going to leave it at that.

If you have ever felt this way, you know what I mean.

***

PS. I am going to fish.

Piling It On

2011-12-15T23:38:00.001-06:00

What started as a method for sorting my Christmas decorations,

created its own system of laid back decorating.

I just started piling ornaments in containers and on surfaces that needed color.

It was so easy and so much fun.

It really doesn’t have to be complicated to look beautiful.

I may never hang another ornament.

Piling it on is just too easy to resist.

Ranch Recipe #8: Easy Chocolate Candy

2011-12-13T18:25:00.001-06:00

If you are lucky enough to have a wonderful neighbor

like I do,

as in

Karen

of the beautiful blog

Ladybug Creek,

who brings by amazingly delicious homemade fudge,

which I was tempted to hide and keep all

to myself,

which in turn created the inner dialogue

in my steel trap mind

”yes,”

“no,”

“yes,”

“NO!”-

then you will not need this easy chocolate candy recipe.

Here it is just in case.

Nonnie’s (My Mother) Easy Chocolate Candy

1 package of almond bark

1package of Toll House chocolate chips

1 jar salted, roasted peanuts

Begin by spreading sheets of wax paper on your kitchen counter.

Melt the entire package of almond bark in the microwave-

in a microwave safe bowl.

I begin this process 3-4 minutes at a time.

When the bark is softened, give it a good stir

and pour in the package of chocolate chips.

Stir until glossy and well blended.

Now pour in the entire jar of peanuts and stir until well mixed.

Using a spoon, drop small cookie size amounts of candy onto the wax paper.

Let it harden and

Enjoy!

Dear Daughters: Decorating at Christmas, Part I

2011-12-13T07:45:00.001-06:00

Dear Daughters,

This is one of those occasions and seasons

when

it is very important that you

open up all the stops,

let go of the tight rein of what you think

you should be thinking and doing,

and enjoy it

ALL.

Over the years at Christmas,

you have seen me

decorate

everything in my line of vision,

including you,

if you stood still long enough.

And contrary to the naysayers,

who do not subscribe to the idea that a little

glittered

Christmas decorating and the Divine reason for this season are

compatible,

I respectfully disagree.

Getting dolled up

is one of the ways

the women in our family

have always shown

their loved ones and their friends,

both the Divine and

the Divinely bestowed,

that it is time to

CELEBRATE.

You are also smart enough to know

that decorating at Christmas is not about the money spent,

the collections stored,

the ladders climbed to hang one more thing,

the color schemes changed.

I have done all of the above , and

I have learned at this stage in my life

It is about

knowing and accepting

WHY

I am doing it.

That is the motive that needs examining-

not whether or not I need more mercury glass votives.

If in the balance ,

of your day to day life

decorating at Christmas

is one of the ways

you are called to

illustrate the message in your home

that you are celebrating,

it is
OK.

If in the balance of that same precious life (yours),

you are too tired,

too worried,

too afraid,

and too overwhelmed

to decorate as if your glue gun is on fire,

I know from past experience

that the season’s

BIRTHDAY HONOREE

will understand.

It really is

OK.

IT IS ALL OK.

Love,

Mom
***

Linking to the wonderful Suzanne’s

at Privet and Holly.

A White Tree

2011-12-12T10:56:00.001-06:00

Last year I fell in love with my middle daughter’s

white Christmas tree,

so I did what any

self-respecting mother would do…

the day after Christmas when Wal-Mart’s 7 1/2 foot white tree,

that was originally $40 went down to $20,

I copied her.

I then proceeded to forget that I had bought one,

until it was un-earthed several weeks ago,

‘moving the Christmas decoration boxes into the house day’

with Chapa’s moving.

Please tell me you periodically forget what you bought half price the year before???

It is perfect in the Nap Room.

In fact, gold and white is made for this space.

I used a big remnant of white organza as the tree skirt.

And my well-loved ornaments from years’ past

fit in perfectly.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Laura

Ranch Recipe #7 Caldo

2011-12-11T14:27:00.001-06:00

On rare cold days in South Texas, everyone I know

looks for the best bowl of caldo (soup) they can find.

Although the ingredients for both caldo de pollo

(chicken soup)

and

caldo de res

(beef soup)

are very humble,

creating either is an art.

Trust me- I have tried and failed.

I wish I could include some sort of scratch and sniff/taste tab

here to demonstrate exactly what I mean.

There is a distinctive flavor to caldo that I imagine

is a result of the cook and years of experience.

Along the way, I have settled

on a derivation that has these important ingredients:

If you are making caldo ,

purchase the green topped Knorr’s caldo de pollo

and the red topped caldo de tomate bouillion.

Then you must have this.

Note: to really gain the flavor that peppercorn, comino, and garlic pods

have to offer, you must use a molcajete and grind the spices.

I haven’t done that yet, which may be the problem.

Here is the recipe for the soup I prepared today.

Laura’s Caldo

brown a package of boneless stew meat and a large chopped onion

in about 2 tablespoons of oil

sprinkle the beef with your favorite spices

(I used Nature’s Seasoning and TexJoy)

add

chopped carrots and potatoes (large chunks)

stir for a moment until the denser vegetables have cooked a bit

add a large can of whole tomatoes

and a can of diced tomatoes

add sliced Mexican squash ,

a small package of frozen corn kernels

and enough water to create soup

at this point I stirred in a heaping tablespoon (or two) of Knorr’s

caldo de tomate

I then sprinkled in ground cumin (comino) to taste

about five minutes before serving, I sprinkled in a handful of

chopped cilantro leaves

***

Westheimer Goodwill

2011-12-10T13:16:00.001-06:00

I assume most people driving

through the Galleria area of Houston

are headed to stores just a tad bit different

than my destination.

When time permits, on my drive home to the valley from my daughter’s,

I like to stop at the

Goodwill Store on Westheimer.

In fact, my last stop involved persuading my

husband that I would only be a minute,

and wasn’t it lucky he had the newspaper to read while waiting in the truck?

This is what I found.

This gold angel was $4.99

(I found the iron retablo at Harrell’s Drug Store

in Kingsville, and I almost squealed when I spotted it.)

I was really lucky that day at the Goodwill, and I found these.

An iron stand with a large mercury glass globe-

$12.99.

Four iron candle holders-

$5 each.

Two iron stands with clear globes-

$8.99 each.

And a red velvet, quilted bed jacket with pretty buttons-

$4.

I am either going to wear it while propped up in bed ringing a bell,

or more likely,

it will become a tree skirt or centerpiece runner.

***

I am linking to these wonderful ladies’ parties.

Thriftin on a Thursday at Savvy City Farmer

French Country Cottage

Stuff and Nonsense

My Romantic Home

The Charm of Home

Big Hot Mess Baking

2011-12-06T14:44:00.001-06:00

On Top Chef recently, one of the contestants

assigned the dessert category said,

“Oh no, that’s sooooo scientific.”

So THAT’S the problem.

I am a big hot mess baker,

who has good intentions

and high hopes,

with a counterpart that is my kindred spirit.

Meet Counterpart.

Counterpart is a 1989 model oven

that has extreme heat tendencies,

or plays possum.

And yes, I am showing you the inside of my oven.

Since the oven light hasn’t worked since who knows when,

I have to use this.

Yes,

I have to shine a flashlight

into the oven at the

oven thermometer

to see

if this is an extreme heat day

or a possum day.

Today was a good day

for

Counterpart.

We mixed up Pioneer Woman’s chocolate sheet cake,

with all of the licking that involves.

Christmas Party

2011-11-30T18:59:00.001-06:00

(my daughter’s Blue Danube)

After a wonderful week at my daughter’s for Thanksgiving,

I am home and currently working

on a

Christmas party that my husband and I ,

along with our dear, dear friends

are having this Friday.

Here’s the catch…

We had this same party in

1985!

We are each bringing

sausage balls

a dessert tray

a savory surprise

and

we are also serving small sandwiches on baby croissants.

There will be a DJ, a variety of beverages,

and lots of dancing.

Tomorrow is decorating day, and I will take lots of photos.

I also bought a pair of black sequined pumps,

to which my husband said…

“you may break your neck.”

I sure hope so!

To You and Yours

2011-11-22T22:26:00.001-06:00

Dear Friends,

May you have a glorious Thanksgiving celebration this Thursday.

I read this early this morning, and this is what I am celebrating.

”A thankful attitude opens windows of heaven.”

Jesus Calling, November 22

Whoosh!

Can’t you feel the air coming in through that open window?

Enjoy every single moment.

You are loved and appreciated.

Laura

White Spray Paint

Congealed Salads Have a PR Problem

2011-11-20T21:12:00.001-06:00

Source

The only thing separating conjealed salads

from renewed culinary stardom,

in my opinion,

is its name:

CONJEALED.

This is NOT good ladies.

Of the things that conjeal in the world ,

I can’t think of one I want on my plate.

However,

we know conjealed salads are different.

If you , like me, first saw one jiggle in the sunlight

at some special family event,

loaded with mystery fruit,

with your little girl eyes level with the picnic table,

then you know they are family works of art.

They are desserts labeled as salads,

they are every color of the rainbow,

and aside from their hidden treasures,

they are self-firming.

They just need a new name!

That is my mission this week on White Spray Paint

in what is evolving into family food week.

What do you think?

Throw a name in the hat!

Jiggly Salads?

Cranberry Help, Please!

2011-11-20T06:37:00.001-06:00

source

Oh dear…

dare I confess this?

My family likes jellied cranberry sauce.

There I said it.

I do make an effort to get the wrinkles out of its cheeks prior to serving.

source

I know some of you might be having

flashbacks ,

after seeing these photos,

of your elementary cafeteria days the week of Thanksgiving,

but I have unsuccessfully tried to find a recipe that has

fresh ingredients that:

a. isn’t so tart your eyes cross

b. doesn’t have such a strange texture it feels funny in your mouth.

My grandmother Mamaw made fresh cranberry

relish that met the above criteria.

She was an amazing cook,

but my mouth is puckering and my eyes are crossing right now thinking about it.

So, I need your help.

I studied cookbooks last night,

and I just don’t trust the recipes I read.

If you have a recipe that is wonderful and

you are willing to share it,

I would be so grateful.

Dear Daughters: Expected Expectations

2011-11-19T20:13:00.001-06:00

My Father, Thanksgiving, 2010

For as long as I can remember, I thought I was

just like my mother.

Lately, in steely, one on one,

no nonsense, look somebody in the eye conversations with

people who don’t think the way I do,

I realized I was also

exactly like my father,

with

ONE

major

exception.

He says something in 3 words;

I use 53.

There is a code of expected behavior all tied up

in what he seems to be saying,

in so few words.

It is the communication of

expected

expectations.

Not the high and low that the world today exhorts.

It is EXPECTED.

It in turn causes you to expect it too.

Some of his classics:

*keep a tight rein

*did you learn anything?

*you don’t have any business…

*sister, that’s a two handed turn

***

Hobby Lobby Alert

2011-11-17T15:16:00.001-06:00

Have fun!

I resisted.

Conversation with self in Hobby Lobby:

Me: You’ve got to be kidding. Look at those black and cream toile pumpkins.

Me Back: No. Stop the insanity.

(Remember that diet book??)

Cart Before the Horse Decorating

2011-11-16T15:12:00.001-06:00

I know there are valid steps in the process

of creating a beautiful

to the eye of the beholder home.

I just don’t operate that way.

I have just christened what I do as

Cart Before the Horse Decorating.
Here is how it works.

* I didn’t want to invest another dime in our 30 year old

sofa because it has sinkholes to China,

but when the Crate and Barrel Outlet had olive green velveteen pillows for $5.99,

I became a fan (of the pillows).

We can now sink in elegant comfort.

*When I had one of those middle-aged spark plug kind of thoughts driving down the road of

“I want a subdued leopard rug in front of the living room couch!”,

I decided to ignore the worn too small rug that is there temporarily.

I am now on a quest for a leopard rug that doesn’t look like a Halloween costume.

*When a lady at a junk store in a neighboring town could not find the glass top that went with the heavy brass

coffee table base I had to have,

and she said,

“Senora, you want this one?”

Of course I said yes- even though it doesn’t fit.

It is sort of like creating my own reality.

Which is so much fun!

***

And so in the interest of full disclosure,

I see some things in the photo that need

changing.

*the couch still needs to be replaced

*the lamps need to be replaced with something metal

*the coffee table needs an anchor like books or something with more color

*the rug has to go

As soon as I buy my Thanksgiving groceries,

have my grandsons for a visit,

decorate the house for Christmas,

Christmas shop,

and change my mind 10 times,

I’ll post after photos!

Blog Post Spacing Issues

2011-11-15T06:46:00.001-06:00

Hello Everyone-

I have been having spacing issues with my published blog posts recently.

Any posts that I have deleted or re-posted has been because, once published ,I realized the lines and margins in my post were all over the place.

If I am fortunate enough to be on your blog roll, I am sorry if I keep jumping around.

I use LiveWriter- any ideas on why this is happening and how I can fix it?

Apothecary Jars, Punch Cups, and Canisters

2011-11-12T20:10:00.001-06:00

If I had lived in a

different era,

I would have served

a lot of

punch.

How do I know this?

I have had a long-time love

for punch bowls and cups.

The last time I teetered on my step stool to check

above the refrigerator,

I have 3 milk glass punch bowls,

2 cut glass punch bowls,

and a dark green glass punch bowl-

all with matching punch cups.

During my recent

house fixing,

I introduced my apothecary jars

to my punch cups,

and I found an interim solution

for my need to use them.

True confession…

I have a million punch cups,

and

today while selling at our booth at a local market days,

I located a sack of silver plate punch cups I bought at the flea market this summer.

Woo hoo!

Layers

2011-11-11T17:59:00.001-06:00

Although this photo of our den

(with the clutter cleared away),

may not send this message,

I do love layers.

(desk by the back den window)

I love,

in no particular order,

layered cake

layered salad

layered clothes

layered jewelry (be still my layered jewelry beating heart)

layered accessories

and

(drum roll please)

layered on

Christmas decorations.

I am clearing away space…

are you???

PS… and yes, I did have a video posted on my blog yesterday,

but when I went back and looked,

it made me nervous.

Maybe because it was the length of

Gone With the Wind,

plus,

I showed photos of our bathrooms.

Who wants to see THAT?

And finally,

my middle daughter who tells it like it is said…

“ what’s with the creepy music?”

Film career ended.

Faux Twitter: Hanging a Gallery Wall

2011-11-08T14:05:00.005-06:00

(this was one of the many projects I recently completed)

Level of Difficulty for Someone With My Personality?

comparable to natural childbirth

***

6:00 am Woke at 6 and realized I was out of coffee. Unacceptable, unimaginable.

6:15 am Drove to Chick Fila ( who has delicious coffee) to jump start my engine.

6:30 am Drove home and entered the house feeling caffeinated and calm.

6:45 am Tried to ‘measure off the space …’ (according to the tutorial) where I will be hanging my prints.

7:00 am If I am holding the measuring tape at one end, who is holding the other end?

7:10 am Used a trick I ALWAYS used before blogging made me realize I was hanging things wrong.

7:15 am Stared really hard at a miniscule bump in the texture of

the wall and without dropping my gaze- walked toward it and marked the spot. Whatever…

8:00 am Took a break and wished for more coffee.

8:15 am Got down on the floor with my roll of butcher paper and realized I had forgotten the tape and scissors.

Lithely (not) unfolded myself and started again.

8:30 am Took another break.

8:45 am Lowered myself to the floor holding all of my utensils and ‘ cut 2 strips of paper the length of my pre-measured space and taped them together’ (according to the tutorial). Did a little muttering.&^%$

9:00 am Placed prints on the paper in ‘EXACTLY THE SPOT’ (according to the tutorial) where I wanted them.

9:15 am Drew outlines around the frames. Still on the floor ,which has never been my favorite place to spend time.

9:30 am Now for the tricky part. I measured the distance from the picture hanger to the top of the frame and marked the spot on the paper. ‘This must be exact.’ (according to the smug, self-satisfied tutorial)

This is what I was supposed to do next.

9:45 am Taped the paper on the wall. Hammered nails into EXACTLY marked dots.

10:00 am With one giant, brisk tug, jerked paper away from nails in the wall. (Like stripping a tablecloth under a set table.

This is what I did instead.

10:03 am Stared really hard at bumps in the wall that looked about right, while holding straight pins in my mouth with my tack hammer clutched between my legs.

10:08 am Hung all 6 prints.

10:10 am Returned to Chick Fila, got another cup of coffee, and decided to ease my pain at Ross.

Thanksgiving Progressive Dinner: Workhorses and a Recipe

2011-11-04T22:47:00.001-05:00

(Franciscan Apple, my Thanksgiving workhorse)

A while back,

I wrote a post about Franciscan Apple being my

workhorse at Thanksgiving.

This is what I said and what I added today:

There is something so comforting,

so perfectly weighty and substantial about Franciscan’s Apple ,

that it is the logical shoulder for the wonderful mound of food I’ll serve to my family on Thanksgiving Day.

It is not so precious-

so fine

that it can’t be scraped and stacked before washing,

or even jostled in the kitchen sink.

Young and old can ‘fix their plate’ from the buffet I set up on our kitchen island, and I don’t have to hold my breath.

Not because I don’t love it or care about its safety,

but rather

because we (Franciscan and I) trust each other.

Why?

Because we are both workhorses when the need arises-

however worse for wear and slightly ‘aged’ and dated we both might be.

During Thanksgiving preparations, I feel like every cabinet door in my house is open,

as I bring my dishes out of their seasonal hibernation.

I bet you do the same thing.

And now for a very humble

‘workhorse’ recipe.

Laura’s Cornbread Dressing

*based on my mother’s

and her mother’s recipe

2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix

1 bag Pepperidge Farm Herbed Stuffing mix

4 eggs, beaten

multiple cans of chicken broth

1 medium onion

1 bunch of celery chopped

1 stick butter, melted

poultry seasoning (or sage if you dare)

Bake your cornbread in a 9x13 pan the night before you are going to prepare the dressing.

Once it is cooled, crumble it.

When ready to prepare the dressing, add the bag of stuffing mix and toss gently with your hands.

Melt the stick of butter in a skillet and saute the onion and celery.

Add that to the cornbread mixture, including all of the butter from the pan.

Add the 4 beaten eggs and mix .

Now for the rocket science part.

Start adding chicken broth and poultry seasoning until

both the perfect taste

and

the perfect consistency is reached.

This will require lots of tasting

COMMITTEE

(my husband, my daughters, etc.).

Bake in a 375 degree oven until done.

*you will need a large pan

Disclaimer:

This is not light, fluffy dressing.

This is a dense, hopefully moist dressing that

provides the perfect base for turkey and gravy.

Enjoy!

Thank you to Home Sweet Homemade for asking me to join in this wonderful progressive dinner.

***

Linking to:

Thanksgiving Progressive Dinner

2011-11-01T22:08:00.001-05:00

I am participating in

a wonderful Thanksgiving Progressive Dinner at

Diane’s blog

Home Sweet Homemade.

It starts Wednesday.

Stop by for great recipe ideas!

‘Having Projects’ Living

2011-10-28T21:32:00.001-05:00

I don’t know what causes

my ‘I better get this done’ mode to strike,

but I sure do enjoy it when it happens.

I have shared before that my parents

modeled

‘having projects’ living.

I am so glad they did.

It is SO satisfying.

My home has been a big hot mess

for two weeks while I rearranged, painted, and happily stewed,

but today

my intentions

and

my home/my friend

finally surfaced.

(flea market find- just visiting until it goes to Daughter #1)

My staging process , created by accident, has worked like a charm.

As I moved things out of a room, I put them on a table in the dining room.

Remember this?

That lessened the distractions and bird walking I tend to do-

as in

‘what is this?’

‘who bought this?’

‘where can I put this?’

I have , with Benny’s help and lots of

Diet Coke and iced tea worked so hard

I can’t walk.

I have:

*discovered a new favorite lamp, in pale turquoise- at the flea market

*had the kitchen painted SW Kilim beige

*had a nervous breakdown about the paint color/sought your opinions

*left it for another day… a much later day

*had the master bedroom painted SW Morning Fog

*had master bath painted the same color

*repainted the master bath a darker shade

*had daughters screen my calls because a million house questions seems to get on their nerves

*decided something paranormal is happening- no matter what paint color I pick, my bathroom looks blue

*had dimmers installed in our two dining areas- everyone looks better in dimmed light- who needs to see?

*realized I may need to wear a miner’s lamp

*had a small chandelier hung in the hall bath- I can’t get enough sparkle

*had a toe to toe discussion with Benny about the taping and floating that was needed- I let Benny (Eldon) win…

*broke my toe ramming it into something on the floor that was NOT on my staging table

and

*had another strange photographic experience.

Does this ever happen to you?

My house – like me- is NOT always photogenic.

Do you ever look at pictures of yourself and feel confused because you THOUGHT you looked one way but the photo says something altogether different?

My house is the same way.

I think things look great, I take a picture, and everything looks

uhmm..

slightly off/goofy.

But all is not lost-

I listened to Michael McDonald and danced (on one broken toed foot)

anyway.

Pictures tomorrow- right or wrong.

Maybe it’s the photographer?

My Kitchen’s Historic Marker

2011-10-26T16:26:00.001-05:00

(pecan pie )

Doesn’t this time of year just

connect it all?

Very soon for me ( and for you as well I am sure), it will be about

planning and cooking and preparing.

(flat apple pie)

I have decided, because Thanksgiving is

so meaningful and historical,

and because it honors good cooking

in my family,

especially from women who are no longer here,

I need one of these

in my kitchen.

Instead of ‘Lincoln slept here…’

it would reference

memories.

*the yellow Pyrex mixing bowl that belonged to my mother

*my Mamaw’s secret ingredient for cornbread dressing- dried hot dog buns

*wrestling with the turkey at 5:30 am while the rest of the house slept

*Grandmother Mills’s rolls and cinnamon rolls

*Mamaw’s pumpkin roll

*my mother’s coconut cream pie

*someone saying ‘can you put ice in the glasses?’

Connections.

Ranch Recipe #6: Vanilla Wafer Cake

2011-10-21T21:40:00.001-05:00

my parents, 1950

As the month of October flies by,

I thought I’d share one of my favorite

fall desserts.

(source)

Vanilla Wafer Cake!

It is an honorary member of my

Ranch Recipes’

collection,

which is all about ranch living, South Texas, my parents (in the photo above),

family, and friends,

because:

a. it is easy

and

b. it is delicious.

I discovered it years ago in one of the

all-time BEST

Junior League cookbooks,

La Pinata

from the Junior League of McAllen, Texas.

Here it is!

Vanilla Wafer Cake

2 sticks butter

2 cups sugar

6 eggs

1 (16 oz.) box vanilla wafers, finely crumbled

1 (3 1/2 oz.) can Angel flake coconut

1 cup pecans, chopped

Cream the butter and the sugar together.

Add the 6 eggs, one at a time.

Add the vanilla wafer crumbs, the coconut, and the pecans.

Bake in a greased bundt pan at 275 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan.

Serve with a delicious cup of coffee, sitting across the table from a friend or

a family member.

***

I am linking to LaurieAnna’s :

On a Roll and a Tip

2011-10-19T23:07:00.001-05:00

I read a quote recently that

started my engines.

A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.

(Frank Capra)

As a result

my house is a big hot mess.

I am on a roll,

and if my Bee Gees painter

Benny doesn’t divorce me,

some things may get done.

He is a grumpy artiste

who says three things to me:

“You got the paint?”

”When you make up your mind.”

and

”Why don’t you like the color?”

I don’t know why I don’t like the paint color,

I just know that when I stand in from of the

paint swatch strips at Sherwin Williams,

brain cells start leaving my body.

I am not kidding.

It may as well be geometry class,

or horror of horrors,

word problems.

Tomorrow is a new day though.

I will not be intimidated.

Now to two important tips:

I began my project of rearranging

and freshening things up

by

(wait for it…)

1. REMOVING THINGS.

(nothing is arranged in this room)

Removing things lead to my next step-

2. SET UP A STAGING TABLE.

I edited first, but I needed a place to put those things

until I could deal with them later.

A library table in the center of my dining area worked for me.

So there is a plan.

I have studied the gallery wall tutorial

and tomorrow is the day.

Every tutorial I read included the word

frustrating.

Perfect.

The DugOut

2011-10-18T16:33:00.001-05:00

During our Chicago visit for the marathon,

one of the many

be still my beating heart,

life changing things I witnessed

was this.

My husband sitting in the

Chicago Cubs’

dugout,

thinking

whatever one thinks

when faced first hand with

something you have loved

for a very, very

long time.

He quietly said,

“I wish I could chew on a blade of grass,”

and off I went

to make that happen,

by first asking permission.

I should have squatted and reached under

the rope

and tugged- which is far more my style.

The answer?

“Uhmm, no .”

Paint Color-Now What Do I DO?

2011-10-16T14:02:00.001-05:00

(corner of my kitchen)

So I was sitting on the couch minding

my own business,

and in my alternate universe of

procrastination/ADD,

I thought

‘I need to paint the kitchen.’

(True confession…I called Benny to come paint the kitchen.

Do you remember Eldon from Murphy Brown?

Benny plays the Bee Gees Staying Alive

non-stop-

which doesn’t bother me one bit.)

So now what do I do?

I had a red kitchen, and now I have a beige kitchen.

Beige?

Now, I want my cabinets painted this color and my kitchen walls white…

Help!

Dear Daughters: Design 101

2011-10-14T21:20:00.001-05:00

Dear Daughters,

Here is a list of my favorite

beliefs about

design.

* The best house , the perfect house

is the house you can afford.

Our condemned HUD listing of a house,

that your grandmother suggested we consider

buying

as a fixer upper 21 years ago,

has treated us well

everyday we have lived here.

Always take a second look. You never know.

* There are no rules in my kind of design;

however, there is

common sense .

* For example,

low table- tall lamp,

tall table-low lamp.

* In your home, give people what they need:

an end table to set a glass on-

a lamp to read by-

an ottoman to prop their feet on-

a rug to walk on.

* Let candlesticks be candlesticks and lamps be lamps-

the two aren’t always a match-

as in a candlestick lamp.

Their skinniness will challenge whatever anchor you are trying to create.

I know firsthand. I am staring at two right now that need to be retired.

*I love symmetry.

There , I said it.

It really

floats.my.boat.

* Buy every over-sized mirror

you can find,

(Or buy the frame and add the mirror).

(waiting to be hung in the Nap Room)

* If something seems wrong in a room,

you may

need something round.

The shapes in a room shouldn’t look like

a warehouse full of crates

(as in non-stop rectangles).

* Shopping in a retail furniture store is not in your genetic code.

(but you already knew that).

* You can never have too many chandeliers.

(waiting to be hung in the Nap Room)

* See through coffee tables are usually the prettiest.

* There has been way to much made out of

‘letting the eye travel from high to low objects’

around the room.

My advice?

Ask yourself what happens when

your eye

lands.

That is the true test.

* The absolute best bang for your traditional decorating buck

blue and white porcelain

blue and white dishes

silver plate

cut glass

mirrored place mats

black lampshades

old school brass urns

ornate framed mirrors

anything urn

and an

an ivory upholstered couch

And finally,

as our family crest should say,

“…if all else fails, spray paint it white.”

***

Linking to:

Inspiration Friday at At The Picket Fence

and

Potpourri Friday at 2805

This is it

2011-10-14T16:30:00.001-05:00

This is it folks.

I promise.

But I couldn’t resist.

Exactly the Same

2011-10-11T21:29:00.001-05:00

At 5:30 am ,

when Katherine turned to walk away to

enter her corral

for the Chicago Marathon,

I got to time travel,

and she was once again walking away,

pony-tail swinging,

to some childhood milestone.

It may as well have been her first day of school

for first grade.

My tears were

exactly the same.

It is like they were saved in some safe place

for just such a day.

Archived tears.

So I did what I always did.

I said,

“Katherine?”

And she turned,

as I took a teary-eyed, wobbly,

blurry, photo

of a

young,

adult

woman,

who knew exactly what she was doing,

and what it would take to do it.

***

Thank You Team Katherine

2011-10-05T08:39:00.001-05:00

(my husband’s cap)

We are heading out soon

for Chicago

and the October 9th Chicago Marathon

that awaits

our youngest daughter Katherine.

You can read about it

here.

I couldn’t do that

without saying

Thank You.

Thank you for posting her button on your sidebar,

thank you for emailing me to share your good wishes,

thank you for making her button your profile picture on facebook,

thank you for creating a facebook page for her,

thank you for making a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research,

and

thank you for sharing in a mother’s wish.

Imagine 4 people:

one father,

one mother,

one oldest sister,

one middle sister,

at 7:30 am on October 9th,

standing and shouting,

with 1.7 million other spectators,

Run

Katherine

Run!

If you are up that morning,

shout it too.

Love to you all,

Laura

Teary-Eyed

2011-10-02T20:01:00.001-05:00

So,

I have been a little teary-eyed of late.

You know-

the tears motivated by good things…

the unexpected moments

that knock your breath loose.

Things like…

*My oldest grandson (above) sitting on the hood of Hauler 2 (my Tahoe),

keeping a watchful eye on his little brother at T-Ball practice,

with his hands shading his eyes,

like a farmer,

in a little man sort of way.

*My oldest daughter,

following my youngest grandson ,

as he walked toward his first ever T-ball practice,

with his head down,

and his cap scrunched on tight,

and his arms swinging,

in a little man sort of way.

*And then that same little man

listening to his coach

so, so hard.

***

Finding Fall Inspiration

2011-09-29T16:55:00.001-05:00

The inspiration zone for me,

whether it is for fall or any other

time of year,

is the most fun

when it happens inside my own home.

It is like the expression

’east meets west’,

or in this case,

a sunburst mirror my middle daughter gave me

propped as the perfect backdrop for my new

mercury glass pumpkins.

Or when it occurred to me

that my cream ceramic pumpkin might look pretty

in the hutch in the nap room.

Especially if it is near its baby pumpkins-

(I know… I went a bridge too far with that description…)

And then there’s

that slow dance easing into orange-

a favorite fall color.

It’s just that it is still in the 90’s here,

and it hasn’t

felt

like fall as yet.

So instead,

I inspired myself with small

chinoiserie plates

and a small box,

that I found recently at the flea market.

And then the orange of a cooler fall

made perfect sense today.

***

I am linking to these wonderful parties:

Inspiration Friday At The Picket Fence

Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Fridays Unfolded at Stuff and Nonsense

Potpourri Friday at 2805

Chicago Marathon: A Mother’s Request

2011-09-26T20:36:00.002-05:00

Last fall, when my husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s,

our youngest daughter took matters into her own hands.

She entered the Chicago Marathon as a member of

Team Fox,

sponsored by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research.

She is running for a cure.

I have felt humbled here and there in my lifetime, certainly,

but our daughter’s selfless act of love and devotion

has far surpassed anything I have ever experienced.

She currently wakes at 4:00 am,

drives from Dallas to Lovejoy ,

where she teaches high school English,

and does her morning

run

before beginning her teaching day.

I have a simple request because I know the power of blog land.

Please display the button above in your sidebar to show your support

and to send Katherine

prayers and good wishes.

(It is also in my sidebar with the code.)

That’s it.

This is a mother’s request.

I want her to feel surrounded with prayer and strength on October 9th,

the day of the race.

We will all be there cheering her on.

We want you there, through your prayers, too.

Fall Mantel

2011-09-24T15:05:00.002-05:00

I love

fall

because it feels like hope.

There are no worldly strings attached

and

no pressure to bear.

It is about family and food

and gratitude

and

sports.

It is that long missed

breath of fresh air

after a long hot summer.

My mantel this year,

that is being featured at

Andrea’s blog,

The Ivy Cottage Blog,

for her Magic of Autumn series

is a mix of those things that

say fall to me this year:

Woodland Spode, burlap,

and burnished gold .

I added antlers and feathers just for fun.

Thank you for the motivating

invitation Amanda-

it got me moving.

***

Linking to:

Dear Daughters:Globes

2011-09-12T19:52:00.001-05:00

Dear Daughters,

I have a new obsession.

Globes…

I rescued this one from a box at the flea market.

I had a knee jerk reaction.

I had to have it.

Now hang in there with me because there is a message here.

I thought,

while I carefully placed it in my cart,

I want to study it. I want to

SPIN IT.

I want to use it for color inspiration in my home.

I want to point to where I live.

I may have to

rename

the

NAP ROOM

to the

MAP ROOM.

Cracking myself up,

Love MOM

Oh…

and the message is…

NEVER STOP SPINNING.

Meadowbrook Farm Blog

2011-09-11T11:55:00.001-05:00

Teresa of

Meadowbrook Farm

is so humble,

so gracious,

that when you visit her blog in just a moment,

you will have a hard time finding a reference

to the fact that her blog is a finalist

in the Garden Blog category,

Country Living’s

Blue Ribbon Blogger Contest.

Trust me… you have never seen anything like her gardens.

She is also one of the best photographers in blog land,

so you are in for a real treat when you visit.

And to top it all off,

she is funny, and self-deprecating, and

amazingly talented.

Vote today!

She Brought Us Home

2011-09-08T20:28:00.001-05:00

This iron deer head that I found at Ross,

came home with me a few weeks ago to

join my

motley crew

of accessories.

I fell in love with its ‘heft’

and texture.

It , like so many of my new/old things,

is sitting

hither and yon

while I wait for inspiration.

Whether you call it organic,

or otherwise,

I enjoy things in my home

that look like

life wasn’t always perfect.

They send a silent message from me to all who enter.

”This lady is a little quirky,

but she means well.

She doesn’t take decorating

too seriously,

because after all,

she picked us,

She LOVES houses,

and she

LOVED

us enough to bring us home.”

***

Linking to

Change Your Plates Ladies

2011-09-04T20:34:00.001-05:00

Years ago, on a shopping trip with my girls to the Fiesta Outlet in Canton,

I bought 12 Fiesta dinner plates in different colors.

At one point during that visit, all four of us were on different rows of the warehouse.

All I could hear was the clanking of plates,

that passed muster (no flaws),

as they were placed in shopping carts

by my daughters.

My mother and my aunts, all Fiesta aficionados,

would have been very proud.

In honor of the HEAT,

I switched out my daily dishes and started using my Fiesta plates.

Each day, when I reach in the cabinet for a plate

is a

NEW DAY.

I love the surprise.

Today it is turquoise at supper; tomorrow it may be red at breakfast.

Tonight’s Supper Sprinkle Salad

Sprinkle salad greens on a pretty plate

Sprinkle greens with

feta, strawberry slices, craisens, and almonds

add avocado slices if you like

Drizzle with my boyfriend Paul Newman’s Balsamic Vinaigrette

(no, I am not drinking the stuff- I am just a tad addicted)

Start changing out your plates ladies!

Everyday is a

NEW DAY.

Ranch Recipe #5

2011-09-01T23:07:00.001-05:00

My Parents, Tecalitlan, Mexico

***

(from L-R: our oldest daughter Heather, my father, my backside, my mother,

my husband John and our youngest daughter Katherine.

Our middle daughter Lauren must have been taking the picture.)

I have shared before that ‘making a round’ has always been

one of my family’s favorite things to do.

This photo was taken on a Saturday afternoon, long ago,

when we were

on such a round,

checking one of my father’s crops.

In this case he was growing onions.

I am sure he let one of my girls drive us there.

This was the farming of my life.

In addition to managing a ranch,

my father also farmed ‘on the side’.

So farming for me was about my father,

my brother, John Deere tractors and equipment,

and farm land owned and leased in

areas of South Texas like Ricardo, Fronton, Palito Blanco, Benavides,

Delmita, and finally

on his farm El Perdido in Starr County.

He farmed as little as 200 acres when he first started

as a young man

and up to

4500 acres as his ‘on the side’

farming operation grew.

He grew grain, cotton, watermelons, cantelope, and onions-

all at different times.

Farming for my family

was not the storybook picture

we see in movies,

but rather

the merciless heat of South Texas,

drought,

low slung ranch houses with big rooms,

bird hunting if your farm land had a water hole,

cattle guards,

locked gates built out of heavy iron pipe,

and caliche roads.

This following recipe is great after making a round.

***

Ranch Recipe #5

Picadillo Dip

2 pounds Velveeta cheese

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 (8 ounce) can sliced mushrooms

1 (10 ounce ) can tomatoes and chiles

1 (6 ounce) can pitted, sliced black olives

Brown ground beef and onions. Drain.

Melt Velveeta in your crock pot.

Add all ingredients, including the ground beef mixture.

Stir to mix.

Serve with fritos.

*Note: You could drizzle this on a concrete block, and it would taste good.

Serve when the first norther blows in or while watching college

football on tv.

***

Linking to:

Kleberg County’s Farm Bureau Beauty Queen Contest

2011-09-01T14:20:00.001-05:00

In 1970, as the daughter of a farmer/rancher, it made perfect sense,

as a sort of small town rite of passage,

when my mother suggested

I enter

Kleberg County’s Farm Bureau Beauty Queen Contest,

held in Riviera High School’s cafeteria.

I got 1st runner up.

Do not be overly impressed.

There were 3 contestants.

Here is what I remember:

1. My brother sat in the audience and made faces at me the entire time.

2. There was one question for all 3 participants.

What makes Farm Bureau great?

3. This was not the time to wax poetic on stage about the wonders

of community, farming, agriculture, etc…

which is what I did…

because, well…

I love poetic waxing…

4. The winner and rightful queen simply answered,

”They make good insurance.”

5. Later my brother told me

“Sis, I didn’t understand a word you said.”

Swell.

My mother swiftly took my $50 prize money and said she thought I needed a Singer sewing machine,

which is pictured above.

We then loaded up the car ,

after I changed out of the evening gown my mother had made,

and went into Kingsville to a dance

to hear

Sandy and the Six Pack.

White Spray Paint

Blue and White : Part I

‘Swelled Up’ at the Flea market

Waiting in the Truck

My Garden Shed Re-Visited

Dear Daughters: Find the oldest woman in the room

Tortilla Soup

When Things Aren’t Changing Right Away

Maturity Rules: 2012 Goals

The Roux Thickens

Propping, Pondering, and Stumping

Supper At Sam’s

Creating a Soothing Space And Other Bad Ideas

Tone on Tone Decor

Walgreen’s Photo Print Coupon and More Tips

Oranges and simmering potpourri

Dear Daughters: Cravings 2012

Photo Organization Project and some TIPS

It’s Time for Black-Eyed Peas

Try This in 2012

Christmas Images and Leaking Pipes

God is in my Glitter: A Re-Post

Fish or Cut Bait Blogging: Daybook December 18, 2011

Piling It On

Ranch Recipe #8: Easy Chocolate Candy

Dear Daughters: Decorating at Christmas, Part I

A White Tree

Ranch Recipe #7 Caldo

Westheimer Goodwill

Big Hot Mess Baking

Christmas Party

To You and Yours

Congealed Salads Have a PR Problem

Cranberry Help, Please!

Dear Daughters: Expected Expectations

Hobby Lobby Alert

Cart Before the Horse Decorating

Blog Post Spacing Issues

Apothecary Jars, Punch Cups, and Canisters

Layers

Faux Twitter: Hanging a Gallery Wall

Thanksgiving Progressive Dinner: Workhorses and a Recipe

Thanksgiving Progressive Dinner

‘Having Projects’ Living

My Kitchen’s Historic Marker

Ranch Recipe #6: Vanilla Wafer Cake

On a Roll and a Tip

A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.

(Frank Capra) As a result

my house is a big hot mess.

I am on a roll,

The DugOut

Paint Color-Now What Do I DO?

Dear Daughters: Design 101

This is it

Exactly the Same

Thank You Team Katherine

Teary-Eyed

Finding Fall Inspiration

Chicago Marathon: A Mother’s Request

Fall Mantel

Dear Daughters:Globes

Meadowbrook Farm Blog

She Brought Us Home

Change Your Plates Ladies

Ranch Recipe #5

Kleberg County’s Farm Bureau Beauty Queen Contest

(Frank Capra)

As a result