Spreading Sunshine

Posted in Around the House on 03/10/2010 08:20 pm by Donna

I started blogging back in late August as a creative outlet and a way for my family to catch a glimpse of the everyday things I do in life. With the majority of my family living in Texas it’s a great way to share my world here in Georgia. My blogging experience has been so wonderful. More than I expected! I have come across so many strong, creative, lovely people. All of who I would have never known about without the power of the internet. This has been a blessing. Two of my favorite blogger friends are Wendy aka Kiss that frog and Adele aka DillypooChatter. Both of these lovelies are from Texas so of course I hold them in the highest regards! They both stop by my little space in the world and leave sweet comments that make me smile and that’s a great thing!

Wendy’s sister Erin sent her a Sunshine Blog Award which of course she deserved! Wendy posts regularly and shares awesome recipes with great photos that make you want to try them all to get a bite! She shares sweet stories of her husband and beautiful daughter. I check her blog daily to catch up with her. Wendy is so kind and she passed the blog award onto me! So unexpected and such a nice treat!

To pay this forward I pass this along to DillyPoo! She makes me giggle with her witty take on life.  I enjoy reading of her life adventures with her man who she refers to as   “The Professor”. Stop by both of these beautiful ladies blogs for a visit. You will be glad you did!

Wendy and Adele, thanks so much for the support and kind words. We all must meet one day on one of my trips home to Texas for a grand girl’s gathering. Whataburger anyone??

It’s all good ~ Donna

 

Saturday in the Park

Posted in Around the House on 03/09/2010 08:19 pm by Donna

Saturday was a beautiful day here in Duluth, Georgia. Blue Skies and warm weather were most welcomed! We grabbed the Frisbee Golf set, put the dog on his leash, grabbed the camera and headed out for a walk to the park. Bunten Road Park is right across the street from our neighborhood. The park has tennis, baseball, soccer fields and there is a lovely walking path. The recreation center offers many classes and camps for children. It’s really nice having it so close by and we appreciate it.  We had a sweet time enjoying the sunshine and it was a well deserved break.

My husband, turning cartwheels for me. Love this guy!

It’s all good ~ Donna

 

Not Whataburger

Posted in Around the House on 03/07/2010 09:25 am by Donna

Whataburger. This Texas girl knows all about Whataburger. This hamburger chain opened its first location in the 1950’s in Corpus Christi, Texas. It is a legend in Texas! Growing up in San Antonio, this was our burger joint. No McDonald’s for us. We would drive up to the orange and white building with the Big W and pull into the car port. Those burgers with mustard, diced onions and yummy buns so big (cause everything is bigger in Texas) were a tasty treat. Their fries are perfection and their “fancy ketchup”, well I could eat it with a spoon!

A few weeks ago I heard rumors of a Whataburger coming to our area in Duluth, Georgia. I was so happy to hear that. Thrilled! I googled for news about it and came across an article in  the local paper stating sure enough they were opening a location very near our house! My son called to tell me it was opening down the street from his house. Yippee! I got a text from my son’s roommate. “Whataburger is Open!” Yahoo!!

I made plans with my son to meet him at our new Whataburger and with my mouth watering I make the drive. I pulled into the parking lot and DON’T see the orange and white building. I think to myself, “well maybe they changed the design for this location”. I turned the corner and see this………

WHAT??? Salad, Wings, Seafood??? This is NOT my Whataburger!!! So disappointed! Total name rip off! See how they changed it up just a bit? That dash and the exclamation point make all the difference. Bah!

Since we were there in all our disappointment, we decided to give this place a try. They  sell Salads, Wings, Fried Rice and an assortment of Seafood Sandwiches. In our Whataburger Mode we ordered this…..

This is their What-A-Burger! Tasty but again NOT the same. The patties are really thick and the crinkly fries tasted like Ore-Ida. No fancy ketchup in sight. It was a good burger but not good enough to make it my hamburger joint.

I love Fancy Ketchup so much I take photos of it. (My Texas trip last year)

If they could build a Bill Miller’s here. A REAL Bill Miller’s then all would be good again.

I miss you Texas and all my favorite restaurants. And for all of you  lucky to be near a Whataburger….send fancy ketchup my way please.

It’s all good~ Donna

 

Third Eyelid in Cats

Posted in Around the House on 03/04/2010 08:10 pm by Donna

My cats are my loves. All four of them. My husband saved me from being that “crazy old cat woman” and I don’t go as far as collecting all things cat related or wear cat clothing. I know many cat lovers that do it’s just not my thing. 5 years or so ago I had one cat. Toby Cat. I was very content with my one kitty and really had no plans for another cat. One afternoon I came home from work and walked into the kitchen just like every other night. I hear the kids coming down the stairs and giggles then a Meow. Not my big Toby Cat meow, the soft, high meow of a BABY cat. After the “Mom, we found her in a ditch” abandoned story and the cute white fur ball in front of me with no home, I easily caved and we have Mia. I still refer to her as Baby Cat though she is a mother who had two kittens which is why I now have four cats. Four is my limit…..for now….

Anyhoo, a few weeks ago while I was getting ready for bed I did my cat check. Making sure all four were in the house for the night. Yes, 3 of them sleep in our bed. Yes, I wash the bedding all the time and I have an air purifier in my room. I have to do all that. Did I mention I am ALLERGIC to cats? Crazy huh? I ‘ll talk about my allergy treatments another time. They really do work! So back to my cat check….All four cats inside. Mia, comes to hop onto my lap for t.v. before bed time and her face is right in my eyes and I see this….

Her eye was looking in the wrong direction! I love her but CREEPY! I grabbed my camera phone from the bedside table and snapped this photo. I yelled downstairs to my husband and tried to breathe as I was a TAD bit freaked out. After further inspection I could see small scratches around her nose and ears. Cat fight! Bah! My sweet kitty.

I took her to the Vet the next day and turns out that she has a protrusion of the Third Eyelid. All these years with cats and I just found out about this Third Eyelid? I  searched Google for more information and read that the third eyelid (TE) is usually retracted beneath the eyelids and barely noticeable. The ability to move the TE is involuntary in most animals; however, cats have some control over the movement of this membrane. Mia had a prolapse in her third eyelid due to a scratch. Interesting?! Our Vet the Awesome Dr. Woods, gave her an antibiotic shot, and eye ointment which we have to put in her eye three times a day.

This is Mia on the stairs a few days ago. She is looking much better and now that I know about the Third Eyelid, I am not so freaked out.

The two photos above are Mia from last month. She is a beauty and even though her eye is just a bit gimpy right now, she’s still my lovely Baby Cat and hopefully soon she will be back to 100%!

It’s all good ~ Donna

 

Dear Winter

Posted in Around the House on 03/03/2010 06:27 pm by Donna

Dear Winter,

I guess you must have met up with Spring and the conversation about my letter came up. I did not mean to offend you. Tuesday you made you made your point. You are here to stay for a little longer. We did enjoy the snowfall and once again we were happy to see the snowflakes. Thank you for the gentle reminder as it was nice to not have the ice on the roads that you brought to us a few weeks ago. The kids were a bit sad since they still attended school but there were no major accidents this time and snow for the third time this year was a treat. Enjoy your stay, we really do like you. Yes we do.

Your Friend in Winter Wear,

Donna

 

Dear Spring

Posted in Around the House on 03/01/2010 08:53 pm by Donna

Dear Spring,

Please hurry up and get here. We thank Mr. Winter for our beautiful snow days. We really enjoyed them. You my dear Spring, we are waiting for you. Our gardens are ready for flowers to bloom. The birds have been teasing us with lovely song in the early mornings. The Sun will shine then the wind blows the cold air and Mr. Winter lets us know he is still here. He is like that sweet guest who extends their welcome. The photo below is just to let you know we are preparing for your return and we will welcome you with baskets full of flowers.

Your Biggest Fan,

Donna

 

Decorative Switch Plates Using Mod Podge!

Posted in Around the House, Crafts on 02/25/2010 09:14 pm by Donna

Mod Podge. Love it! Super Fan I am. Years ago when we moved into our home I wanted to add a special touch to the walls. Something different. I decided to add some art in unexpected places. Switch Plates! Now that would be a conversation piece.  Many different types of papers can be used. I bought some textured art paper and pulled out my old Dali Calendars.They turned out great and I was thrilled with the results.

After living in the house for nine years I was ready to redecorate several rooms in the house. First came paint and next came the decorative switch plates.

Switch Plate Cover, Exacto Knife, Mod Podge, Foam Brush

Arrange cover on paper and leave room around the edges so you can fold the paper behind the cover.

I brushed two coats of Mod Podge on the top.

Place cover face down over the paper. Use Exacto knife to make a small cut in the middle for switch.

Fold paper back and apply more Mod Podge to secure it to the cover.

Use the pencil and gently rub around the rectangle to smooth the paper out.

Make cuts and fold over the back of  the cover.

Brush Mod Podge all over the back to secure the paper.

I set the cover on a container so the sides would not stick to the newspaper I was working on when the cover was drying. After it is dry, flip over and add two layers of Mod Podge to the front.

When the front is dry, use the pencil to poke holes for the screws.

Here is a second one I did using layers of a Dali calendar. I added some sparkle to this one!

When both covers were completely dry I used Low Odor Clear Finish to protect them.

I did not want to use the white screws that came with the cover since they would not match the artwork. It had to match!  I went to Home Depot looking for “artsy screws” and the nice gentleman at Home Depot looked puzzled when I tried to explain to him what I was looking for. We came up with these screws in Brown which worked well.

Tada! This beauty is in my Bedroom by my closet door. Salvador Dali – Mae West c. 1934

This beauty is in our downstairs bathroom. See how those Brown screws fit really well?

Here you can see a cover I did years ago for our bedroom. Not some old boring white switch plate cover! That’s another Dali! Three Young Surrealist Women Holding in Their Arms the Skins of an Orchestra c.1936

These are the covers I did nine years ago! I wanted you to see that they hold up very well. All of these covers are in high use areas. I added sequins and sparkle paint to some of the covers. If you use sequins add a small drop of Mod Podge to where you want the sequins placed and use tweezers to place it on top of the drop. You will spray with the clear coat to set it when the whole cover is finished.

I still have a few more covers to make and I am still working on my bedroom makeover. That’s new paint you see on the walls. They were Burgandy before!

Now, what to do with that mirror?

It’s all good ~ Donna

 

Picture Frame Cork Board

Posted in Crafts on 02/18/2010 10:54 pm by Donna

I recently moved my computer out of my bedroom and into a small corner of my husband’s office. I read that letting go of the T.V., computer, and exercise equipment gives you better energy…better Feng Shui. Sounds good to me so out it all went. Well, not the T.V. yet. That’s a hard one to let go! When I got the computer all moved I felt I needed to make the space mine with personal touches. It was perfect timing last week when I came across the blog A Nerd Like Me. I whipped a Memory Collage Frame that Evan shared and then I saw the Cork Board she put together. It seems we both have the same items hanging out in closets! I knew the cork board was going to be just what I needed in my little space.

Imagine all the things YOU can create with those items hanging out in your closet!

It’s all good. ~ Donna

 

Snow Day in Norman Downes

Posted in Around the House on 02/16/2010 08:29 pm by Donna

Once again we were blessed with the beauty of snow. So lovely to see the world in white. Taking a walk with the one you love is a perfect way to spend a Saturday Snow Day. Our neighborhood has a beautiful lake so we bundled up and headed outside.  Here’s a peek of the lovely view that we enjoyed so much.

All this beautiful snow slowly melted away and by late afternoon it was just about gone. What a wonderful gift!

It’s all good ~ Donna

 

Oreo Truffles

Posted in Cookies on 02/11/2010 07:49 pm by Donna

Oreos are my favorite store bought cookie. When I was pregnant with my first child, I sat and ate a bag of Oreos. Really. Dunked them in milk and enjoyed every minute of it. Never mind I weighed 202 when I gave birth. I am no where near 202 now nor have I attempted to eat a whole bag since. I rarely buy Oreos anymore but around the Holidays I came across them on Jessica’s blog How Sweet It Is.  Visit her site! She has loads of yummy treats.

The ingredients are simple. Oreos and Cream Cheese. They super easy to make and so delicious!

One package Oreo’s and one 8 ounce bar of cream cheese. I used the food processor to blend them together.

Hello. I love you.

Whip those Oreos into crumbs, then add the cream cheese. I cut the cream cheese into blocks first. The beer is not included in the recipe but it’s Blue Moon and quite refreshing while you are whipping up desserts. That’s my husband getting in on the Oreo action.

This is what the mixture will look like when it’s all blended together. Gooey Chocolate!

I rolled the Oreo’s into small balls and put them in the refrigerator for half an hour to cool. Once cooled I then dipped them into the Double Chocolate Flavor of a melted Ghirardelli Dipping Bar!

I was popping these lovelies in my mouth!

I topped them off with sprinkles and they were good to go! (The white balls in the back are a type of Spanish cookie…when translated into English =  Nun Farts…but that’s for another post)

These Oreo Truffles were off to a party and were a huge hit! All gone real quick. That’s how it’s done and it’s all good!

~Donna

 
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