Subtle differences

Overall the Husband and I see things pretty much the same way.


Oh we have our subtle differences, but at the core we're pretty much alike.

While he may parent in strength, protecting the girls and being the leader of our family and I may parent by nurturing, I comfort and guide, we both love our girls and want very much to parent them well!


At the core, we're much the same!


While he likes a Mountain Dew in the morning for his caffeine fix, I like my caffeine to come from a Starbucks Mocha. We both just want our caffeine in the morning.


Again...core...same!


We both like to watch the television program Castle on Monday nights. There really isn't any difference here. We just really like the show and I wanted to tell you.


While I decided last weekend to buy sparkly silver nail polish to paint my nails and make them look pretty,

the Husband decided to buy black spray paint and paint the rims on his Jeep to make them look shiny and pretty!

Yep, at the core, we both like shiny and pretty.


See, we're pretty much exactly alike! Except for the ways we are different.


And there is nothing wrong with different!


Different can be good!


I say Vive la Différence!


Except for that Mountain Dew thing. I don't like the Dew. Not that it matters! He can like what he wants. 


However, since I don't like it, I wish he would get something I do like so I could take a drink of his beverage those times when I don't have a beverage of my own. I won't drink Dew, so when he has a Mountain Dew and I have nothing I really have nothing, because I don't like to drink Dew. 


Ohhh, maybe that's why he drinks the Mountain Dew!


Apparently he too says Vive la Différence!


Christine

Fall in sepia

I love this time of year.


There is something about the position of the sun that fascinates me.

There is something in the rustle of dry leaves and grass that delights me.

There is something about the skeletal remains of summer flowers that I find beautiful.

There was something about this water pump that I thought was very cool. 


Get it? Cool! As in the water was cold! Ha ha ha...yeah lame! Sorry!

And this magnificent creature...

makes me want my own pony a field full of my own horses!


Hobby farm dream alive and well!


Christine

Sew fabulous

Do you remember the pile of fabulous fabric I showed you recently?

Well I've been a busy bee. 


That pile of fabulous fabric is now a pile of fabulous, reversible purses!


YAY!

The pattern for these darling little bags came from Martha Stewart. Of course!

I love them!

I love that one handle slides through the other, closing the bag!

I love that they are reversible! Two purses for the price of one! Who doesn't love that?

I love that they're easily carried on the wrist.

I love how perfect these fabrics are for Fall!


I also love that my girls were so eager to be models for me! Big round of applause for my lovely models!!


Applause, applause, applause!


Well done ladies!


Why, you may be wondering, have I made so many fabulous, little purses.


No, I'm not a hoarder.


I'm planning to sell them. 


I'm very excited about selling something that I've made with my own hands.


The making is the easy part.


The not so easy part, that's deciding the best way to go about selling the something that I've made with my own hands.


I've been considering my options...create my own etsy sight, or work with one of the many local shops that sell handmade goods.


They each have a lot of positives and not many negatives.


I just need to make a decision!


I just need to choose!


I think I'll...for sure let you know once I make up my mind!


Christine


P.S. I apologize for the cheesy title of this post. I couldn't help myself!

I love Tinker Bell buns

When the girls were little they loved to have their hair put into what we like to call Tinker Bell buns.

To make Tinker Bell buns I would begin to create a ponytail, but instead of pulling the hair all the way through the binder into a ponytail I would stop half way leaving the ends of hair caught in the binder, resulting in what looks like a bun. The ends of the girls hair would stick out all crazy and very cute!


The girls stopped wanting Tinker Bell buns a couple of years ago. 


It made me so sad.


It meant that my girls were growing up. They were getting too grownup and cool for cute Tinker Bell buns.


Until today!


Today they both wanted Tinker Bell buns in their hair!

In my opinion, still too cute for words! And totally cool too!

My babies!

Christine

My very glamorous life

My day began with shopping!


I returned home loaded with shopping bags !

Soon my trainer will start barking at me...

"Time for your weight training!"

Then it will be on to some cardio.


"Move that vacuum and get up all of that fur!"

Once my workout is done, I have an appointment made for a Master spa treatment. I'll throw in a couple of smaller spa treatments too.

With that out of the way, I will try to take a little me time before dashing off to watch one of my favorite sports teams play their final game of the season.

And in all probability, the Family will decide to go out for a fancy dinner after the game.

Tonight as I crawl into bed, the Husband, as he often does, will hug me and say, "Thank you for all you did today!" And I will wonder how I got so blessed to get to live this glamorous life and I will be incredibly thankful!


Christine

Too late

I asked the Family go for a drive this weekend so we could see the Fall colors and so I could get some beautiful photos to share with you.


The Husband called it a blogafari!


To be clear, I only asked the Husband and Miss Emma Bean to go for a drive. Miss Sofi Bug left us on Friday to spend the weekend with a friend at the friend's family's cabin. That's right, she took off to have a good time with her friend leaving the three of us to fend for ourselves! Therefore she was not around to go on a blogafari with us. Sniff!


I was really hoping we'd see some brilliant reds.

Some vibrant oranges!

And some breathtaking yellows.

But we got NOTHIN'!


We saw tons of brown!

Vibrant, brilliant and breathtaking were done. Over. The end!


We were too late!


The bit of color we did see...

was this Volkswagen Bug surrounded by pumpkins. I was too late for that too. Yep, I'm the one who got slugged!


At least I wasn't too late for the bakery. I did get to enjoy this very tasty pumpkin muffin.

Too bad Miss Sofi Bug didn't get a tasty pumpkin muffin. It may have helped her to feel a little better when, while away with her friend at her friend's family's cabin she sent me a photo of a cute kitten...

along with a text asking if she could bring cute kitten home and I had to tell her, "Sorry, you're too late, we already have a dog and three fish!"


Drat! Blogafari was a bust!


Christine

Granny's comfort food

The meals my Granny (my Dad's Mom) made were the definition of comfort food! 


Most of the meals Granny made would cook for hours, filling the house with the most amazing aromas. Aromas that filled us with anticipation for the evening's meal. Aromas that made the house feel warm and inviting. And Granny's meals never failed to deliver on the promise made by those magnificent aromas! 


Today I continue to make some of those same recipes that my Granny made. I love that my children appreciate them as much as I did and still do. 


Granny's Chicken Soup


3 pounds chicken (Granny used chicken breast and thigh, I like to use only chicken breast)


1 med. onion, diced


2 carrots, chopped


3 celery stalks, chopped


2 dried bay leaves


3 cloves garlic, minced


1 teaspoon dried thyme


2 teaspoons dried parsley


1 1/2 teaspoons salt


1/2 teaspoon pepper (Granny's recipes often did not list exact amounts, these are the amounts of salt and pepper I use)


Dash of cayenne pepper (tastes so good and makes sure the soup completely clears out the sinuses!)


Place chicken in dutch oven with onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper and cayenne.

Add cold water to cover all ingredients. (Again that is as specific a measurement as we could get!)

Bring pot to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.


It will smell so good!!


After an hour, when you can barely stand to wait any longer, remove chicken from pot. Allow chicken to cool enough to remove meat from bones. Discard skin! Chop meat into bite sized chunks.


Remove and discard bay leaves. I also like to skim any fat or gunk from the soup.


Here is where my soup varies from Granny's. Granny would make the most delicious dumplings! I think they're delicious anyway. The Family, not so much. No, they are not fans of the dumpling. Sometimes I make them anyway because I am a big fan of the dumpling, but typically I make my soup with noodles. 


I like to use Stelline noodles. Yep, stars! The Family really likes the stars! Go figure!

At this point bring the pot back to a boil. Add pasta and cook per package instructions. Add in your cut up chicken a few minutes before the pasta is done. Serve!

That my friend's is comfort food, the way Granny used to make!


Christine