Dollar Tree Makeover

I always enter the Dollar Tree with great expectation. I peruse the aisles, my index finger tapping the corner of my nose, wondering what $1.00 item I could transform with little effort and sell for 15 times the price (hey just being honest). 5 of these foamy pumpkins landed in my cart, but I didn't like the orange color nor did I like the line in the middle. Hmmmm . . .

For starters, I spraypainted them a creamy color - not enough - still had to get rid of that ugly line.

Enter some French typography . . . There's some benefit to having a sister that lives in the French speaking part of Switzerland. It gives you cheap digs when you travel to Europe and it sounds fairly impressive and sophisticated, don't you think? (I say with my head high in the air, and an obligatory nod in your direction - "Yes", a slight flick of my wrist to free the embers off my long cigarette - "She lives abroad"). Forgive me.

Back on topic - One of the best souvenirs was a bunch of used books with French writing. Very cool, oui?

I tore pages out of the French books and ripped them in small pieces to "Modge Podge" them onto the pumpkin. Have no idea what they say?! Elmers Glue (slightly watered down) works just as good as modge podge and is a fraction of the cost (especially when you find a supersize container at the Goodwill). It dries with a completely flat sheen which I prefer.

Wrapped twine around stem and frayed the ends - added some wire for more texture.

Discovered a slim candlestick and mounted the pumpkin - making it a pumpkin pedestal.

And the award goes to . . .

Water Polo Awards


Our poor water polo team struggled this year. To "field" a polo team, you need 7 players in the water. We had 8. However, the teams we played had upwards of 18 kids on their teams. Needless to say, we were a little outmatched - only winning 1 game. Sten collected a handful of awards tonight - he was the 2nd leading scorer and was given recognition as one of the best defensive players and the hardest worker on the team. He made the all league honorable mention team and will be madly recruiting players for next year's team. After all, who wouldn't want to swim like a dog, attempting to put the yellow ball in the net while fending off vicious attackers. Oh, I know why - cuz it's so fun to drown the opponents at the other end!

Win Some - Lose Some

Don't let that bigger girl scare you #2!

The girls competed in a soccer tournament this past weekend and they both walked away with 1st place trophies!

Milah's team did not win a single game last year, so they were thrilled, jubilant, and over the moon ecstatic to be victorious.

But, into her life, a little disappointment must fall . . .

Milah was not voted President in the election. Unfortunately, the school is predominately boys (those icky creatures), and the boys voted for the boy candidate.

It is has been a good lesson - she is the type of person that (seemingly easy)excels in everything, and sets high expectations for herself, so it is a dose of reality to be defeated. Someone wins and someone loses - that's life.

You're still a winner in our book Milah Moo! Kiss & Hug, Slap & Squeeze

Vote for the BEST

We have a politician in the making. Milah enjoyed her duties as secretary last year and threw her hat in the ring for President of the Student Council this year. Maren and I are the campaign managers and have been cranking out propoganda on a shoestring budget. As always, campaign contributions will be gladly accepted to support our candidate;)

Simple Solution

We moved into our home 8 years ago and since that time, we have been waging a battle with these gates. (Oh, there was a battle when we were contructing them too, but that's another story). The gates were installed to keep baby Maren safe and they are quite handy to have when other little ones visit. HOWEVER, they were forever open. If one dared trek thru the house in the dark, you were certain to catch a hip bone, a toe or an elbow on these blasted gates, causing you to mutter a disgruntled snort. One trip to the hardware store for 2 springs and the problem is solved. (Insert DUH, here) Sounds crazy, but we have all enjoyed the simple improvement.


Now we hear the "screen door slam" reverberate several times a day, but I remind myself it is a great sound. Someday those gates will be silent - no kids running up to grab a shin guard or textbook, no kid running down to find her shoes. Can't think about that now tho - I would be sitting in a pile of kleenex when they all came home.

Fall Transition

It's time to break out the soup recipes, stock up on hot chocolate and (my favorite part) - find the flannel sheets. This morning after awaking to a chilly bedroom, I decided today was the day. After placing those cozy sheets under a fresh fluffy duvet, I had an overwhelming urge to climb back in to bed. I did resist, but have to admit that I have been waiting to go to bed all day. Sounds slightly mental - I know. By the way - aren't duvets a pain to stuff in the covers - I ALWAYS get them turned around and end up sticking my head in to see where I've gone awry.

Take that you Dirty Rat!

Apparently Maren has taken to screaming at the soccer ball - a new strategy

Rhinestone -N- Rust

Things are look'n festivally Fall-ish for our sale this weekend. The Rhinestone -N- Rust Barn Sale features a collection of vintage treasures and garage sale items tastefully displayed and reasonably priced. Enjoy a cup of hot cider as you browse and we will reward you with a free gift.

Think of it as an escape from football recaps and hunting stories.

Well, maybe NOT

Tonight's dinner was a trial run on a new recipe. After seeing Scott take a bite, I asked him what he thought- to which he was oddly silent. Maren quickly added, "Dad, let me rephrase that - if you were starving to death and this was the only food available, would you eat it?" Guess I won't be passing that recipe along:)

Maren Beckham

Milah Beckham

Pet Peeve

Ok, this is me - griping. Once upon a time, there was a familiar (annoying) voice on the radio that did local advertising. Everytime I heard "John from Rubensteins" I would run to the volume wheel with my hands covered over my ears (screaming) trying to shut out his nasally nonsense. Apparently he has switched to advertising for a certain car lot in Vancouver, and "John from Rubensteins" is just as nerve wrenching as "John from Dick Hannah". Go away, John - everyone changes the station after your first syllable. Whew, I feel better . . .

As seen on Pinterest - LOVE THIS! So true . . .

Hodge Podge Photos

Sten is competing in water polo again this year - here he is as Mr. (deep end) Goalie. They barely came up with a team, but they are starting to come together and Sten has made several goals (rah rah)!

Milah and Maren are avid, enthusiastic, and extremely competitive soccer players. One of their biggest fans came to cheer them on . . .

Dad stopped at a Farmer's Market and bought this beautiful bouquet of flowers - wow, thanks(nearly brought tears to my eyes)! The fresh bread is compliments of the Mr. who is back to his bread making.

Yeah, here's the same Mr - exuberantly entering a giant thrift store. Finally trained him after 21 years. We grabbed a few things, then did a little cheer at the checkout as everything was 40% off - oh yeah!

Time for an Update

Auntie Bonnie has been moved from ICU after 10 days. She is very weak and it will be a stretch of time til she is well enough to have the surgery she needs. Breathing, talking, and sitting is tiring at this point. All food has to be pureed and she is nervous about eating for fear it will head down the wrong tube (understandably so). Lucky for her, she has loving family standing beside her an awesome doctor and a great team of nurses.

Where's the Chopsticks?

Sten and Maren drool when they see this sign. They beg and plead and whine for ORANGE CHICKEN! While cruising pinterest (yes - they have recipes), I spotted a "crockpot orange chicken" recipe. I love the idea of a crockpot - dump stuff in and forget about it. While it is cooking, the aroma fills the house - and you feel like a magician pulling this fabulous dinner out several hours later (in your Betty Crocker apron with a pleasant smile on your face).

Crockpot Orange Chicken

Cut up chicken pieces, dredge in flour and brown in olive oil. They don't have to be cooked through, just browned

Mix together the following, and pour over chicken in crockpot
1/2 T Salt (yeah- they say Chinese food is high in sodium)
1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
3 T Ketchup
6 oz Concentrated orange juice
2 T Brown Sugar
2-3 Cloves Minced Garlic
Dash of Ginger

Cook on high for 2-3 hrs or on low 5-6. Serve with rice, veggies. Sit back with a grin and wait for the compliments to roll in . . . Yum!

Purrrrrr.

No ordinary kitty . . .

A cougar was responsible for killing 5 goats on our property the other night. Traps were set, a dead goat was used for "bait" and this 115 lb male came inquiring . . . apparently they run in groups of two, so they are hoping to catch it's partner tonight. Not an animal you'd like to cross paths with -

UPDATE: the second night, another cougar was trapped and killed. They believed that the 2 were siblings and were hoping that they might catch the "mother" on the third night, but no such luck.

WARNING: if we are lucky enough to have you as an overnight guest, don't head out for a midnight stroll.

Pumpkin Please

I spied this project on Pinterest and thought it looked simple and failproof. If you are a Tom Clancy fan, please forgive . . . the local used bookstore had these out front for FREE (whoo hoo). There's something rebel like in destroying a book - I let out my rebel yell and tore the front/back covers off. Next I cut the pages to the desired shape - don't even attempt this unless your scissors are sharp. I then glued the spine all the way around a small stick, leaving a "stem" on the top. I rolled the pages in coffee that was left in the pot, and tied a ribbon around the stem. Fanned out the pages and voila! Simple, festive and (nearly) FREE.

There was also a helicopter involved in this operation shuttling supplies - wonder what the total cost/hour is?

This will give you Chest Hair

Cruising into town, something caught my eye - it appeared that people were hanging on an electrical tower. Terrorists? Aliens? No, linemen.

They were in little motorized carriers and they were zipping down the line inspecting and repairing. What do you suppose life insurance runs for this crew? Not a good job for a windy day.

Un-nurse Update

Auntie Bonnie continues to improve little by little. She has now partially emerged from the medically induced coma and responds to questions (like wiggle your toes). She still has the ventilator in, so is unable to speak. Last night, when mom and Carol were reassuring her, a tear rolled down her cheek. They will possibly be removing the ventilator today and I'm sure she will be shocked to learn that she has "lost" a week.

Family Alert

Some of you may have heard that Auntie Bonnie (pictured on left) has been in the hospital since Saturday. She was experiencing severe stomach pain and was transported to the hospital by ambulance. She was placed on a high dose of medicine to combat the pain, and when she vomited (sorry, there's just no pretty way to put it), she aspirated it into her lungs. This landed her in ICU on a ventilator where they placed her in a medically induced coma. Her lungs seem to be recovering slowly, but they feel they have been compromised. The plan is to gradually wean her off the ventilator. When she is healthy enough, she will need to have surgery to repair a hiatal hernia. Angel and Greg had been taking turns at the hospital and now Mom and Carol are there as well. Hard to believe that the lady with the most ferocious "sneeze" (seriously rivals the big bad wolf) can't take a breath on her own. Please keep in mind that I do not have a PhD after my last name, so medical mumbo jumbo may not be entirely correct. Bottom line: Auntie Bonnie is very sick and needs our thoughts and prayers.

Trespassing

Our neighbors have a beautiful pond that they drained and are going to rework some. Apparently it was originally built by the Project Works Administration in the 30's. They are hosting a wedding on it's banks next summer, so it will look considerably different . . .

If you click on this pic, you will see a wire running the length of the pond. This is a recently installed zipline. Word has it, that a couple of kids in this house have tried it - I think I heard them screaming from here (or was that their mother?).

Some of you may notice that I've recently joined the ranks of the Facebook clan. My only purpose in becoming a member (I mean besides seeing what my old boyfriend had for breakfast) - is that I can check out Pinterest. It is an online scrapbook of ideas for absolutely everything. I am most interested in DIY projects and decor ideas, but the possibilities are endless. Gone are the days of tearing pages out of magazines or trying to remember where in the world you saw that party idea on the web. With just a few clicks, you can search and archive countless cool ideas. Check it out! Warning - you may look up several hours later to find that it is 3 in the morning or that the children are eating dog food and giving the cat a shower.

There is a slim chance that I will ever become computer savvy, but I will attempt to link my pinterest account from the blog - it is amazing!

Caution

Before heading to the coast area to spend the night, please be certain you have made prior arrangements for lodging. Hmm, I have no idea why this comes to mind - grrrr.

Spy the Differences

Notice there is no picture of Stennie getting on the bus - that's because he is DRIVING to school. Another difference - Sten did not lay out his clothes the night before, I think he grabbed them off the top of the heap in his room. Sten did not neatly arrange his backpack with all his new school supplies nor invite friends over to check out his cool new pencils. He threw a pen in his pocket, assumed there was still paper in there from last year and was off . . . is it a boy thing, a Sten thing, or is it a general nausea about school?