Happy Easter!

Spring finally arrived a few days ago, although you wouldn't know it based on the snow we received today. Yep, big gloppy flakes that thankfully will not amount to a hill of beans.

I hosted Easter dinner with my parents this afternoon. What fun! I cant believe how much prep time it takes to prepare a meal for only four people. I makes me wonder how my mom did it for nine people every single day...two or three times over even. I enjoy entertaining, picking out the menu, setting the table, arranging pretties to make things nice. I got to break out some of the vintage napkins and tablecloth that I purchased for use at my wedding...Ive been waiting for the perfect time to do that! What's your favorite part of entertaining? Or maybe you'd rather be entertained by someone else...

Here's what I put together for this afternoon's lunch:

Baked Ham with Dijon-Pineapple Sauce

Scalloped Potatoes

Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce

Corn Pudding

Spinach and Baby Greens

Apple & Mandarin Orange Salad w/ Strawberry Vinaigrette

Yeast Rolls

Iced Tea

Carrot Cake

I highly recommend the Dijon-Pineapple Sauce! It was a delicious addition to the ham (which was already awesome on its own) but I think it would be extremely tasty on just about anything pork....especially chops. It was super easy to make and you can find the recipe by clicking on the link above. The only thing I did different, I didnt baste the ham with the sauce during the cook time. I just added all the ingredients together and served it on the side. It makes 3+ cups Im sure.

The apple salad was just something I dreamed up, luckily it didnt turn out too bad. Some Granny Smith and Gala apples, two small cans of mandarin oranges, dried cranberries with almonds, all tossed with a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette. This would be a great summer time salad!

My mom made her signature yeast rolls, which were totally delicious! You just cant get rolls like hers from the store and it really isnt a holiday without 'em.

And to top everything off, after we gave our bellies a rest of course, was some homemade carrot cake. Okay, so Ive never made real carrot cake before...so this was a test. Grating a pound of carrots was the most time consuming but in the end...totally worth it! Some time ago, and I have no recollection as to how, I stumbled upon this lady's blog. Mmmm, she always has delicious looking treats! Anyway, I just happened to pay her a visit the other night and she had a carrot cake featured...perfect, just what I was looking for. Yep, super de dupper delicious! The only small detail I maybe would change, is the frosting. Very sweet, but maybe that's me because I like a cream cheese frosting that you can actually taste the cheese in. The only change I made to that recipe was that I used orange extract instead of orange zest. I dont own a zester...maybe I should? How often do you zest things?

The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing and enjoying each other's company...and eating jellybeans... I hope your Easter was just as nice!

Spring has Sprung!

Hello friends! It has been a month since my last post, I really cant believe it! School has been keeping me very busy, that is for sure. Im down to just over a month to go and then I'll be back to my normal blogging routine.

Today is officially the first day of spring and fortunately Mother Nature was nice and gave us sunshine and 50 degree weather. Much needed love Im tellin' ya! We still have some chilly days ahead so I thought this little picture I found out on flickr was appropriate for these last few days of March.

Happy Spring!

Something New

Go here to make your own library card.

Valentine's Celebration

I feel like the worst valentine ever. Because school has been so demanding, I wasnt able to be the valentine I wanted to be for Max. *insert sad face here* I had a big presentation to give on Valentine's Day so the days leading up to it were spent in preparation and not on the special day that it really was. I knew that Max had gotten me a little something but he wasnt saying what. And to be honest, I had forgotten all about it due to my presentation. So first thing Valentine's morning, Max was all ready to get out his gift (dont worry, its rated 'G'). To my surprise, this is what he gave me:


He was shopping at Gordmans one day and ran across this wooden Celebrate sign and knew that I would love it. Im not sure if I was more surprised that he got me a Valentine's gift or that he was paying attention and remembered that celebrate was my word for the year. Either way, kudos to Max!

I hope that each of you were able to spend some special time with your loved ones for Valentine's day.

Lavendar Frame Set

*tap tap* Is this thing on? I've been away from my blog for so long I think there are cobwebs on here.

It has been a long while since Ive stepped foot in my craft room but I do have some older things to share. Because the new mommy-to-be has received her gift, I can finally post it for all of you to see. I created a large frame showcasing the baby's name and its meanings and adorned it with lace, ribbon, and a purple hydrangea. It was accompanied by this adorable baby spoon and fork set that my talented sister-in-law Cara made. And of course, the set was topped off with a handmade card inspired by a vintage baby picture. I'm really into lavender colors right now, probably because Im anxiously awaiting spring, so this set was really fun to put together.

Maxine

Hello my friends! I wanted to stop in and say a quick hello and an "Im sorry" for not being around much lately. Im as sad as you are! Hopefully I'll have a lull in school work sometime soon and we can catch up! But in the meantime, enjoy this little Maxine cartoon.

Polka Dot Rose Frame

Happy Monday to you! I cant stay long as I have some homework to get to but I did want to share with you the frame I created last night. A little different but cheery. Have a blessed week!

Frustrated!

Im about to share some information with you that could be classified as "TMI", too much information. But I have to share...

So my dog Mandy has this little problem...she...likes to eat my underwear. Why? I dont know but I wish I did. She has done this ever since Max and I have been together. And gosh darn if it isnt usually my best or favorite pair of undies. Does she eat Max's underoos? Oh no, just mine.

For those of you that dont know Mandy, she's...sensitive. Or maybe spoiled is more like it. We've figured out that she does NOT like to be left...for any period of time. If you leave her, you better pin her up or you'll likely pay for it. If we dont pin her up or put her outside, the bedroom door is shut or all undies are placed up high.

So tonight, after spending some time on the computer and getting rather sleepy, I headed for bed. After I turned on the light I stopped dead in my tracks. 1...2...3...4 pairs of underware, laying on the floor, eaten. Ohhhh I was mad. Two of the four were salvaged from a previous ransacking-no loss there, the third wasnt pretty but salvageable, and the fourth...well the fourth makes me the maddest of all. Just a couple of weeks ago I cleaned out my sock and underwear drawers. I pitched a ton of things that I no longer wear or that did not *ahem* fit. Now, Im particular about my undies and what I like so when I finally found "the ones" I picked up several pairs. To my horror, Fruit of the Loom apparently has discontinued this style. But why?! Needless to say, Mandy has eaten all of them. So anyway, as I was cleaning out my drawers, I found one pair that I had forgotten about which was completely untouched by Mandy dog. You would have thought I had just struck gold or something! So guess which pair was number 4...yeah.

So why did Mandy eat my underwear since I was home all evening with her? Simple. I didnt share my pizza crusts with her. She has developed this bad habit where she thinks she gets to lick every dish when we're done with it. Im trying to stop that so when I was done with my pizza tonight, I threw away the crusts. Now mind you, I did give her two bites but she knew there were more that I wasnt giving her...hence the reason for eating my underwear. She was mad at me. That's what she does. If she's mad at you she will find something of yours and eat it. So she received a spankin' and was told that she couldnt sleep in bed with us tonight. Take THAT Miss Mandy. *hmph*

Floral Frame

Happy Monday! I'm actually suppose to be working on homework but felt that I should stop in and say hello first. So real quick, I'd like to show you my latest frame creation. Isn't the vintage picture just the sweetest? If you like it, you can pick it up here from The Feathered Nest (she has the most wonderful blog!). And if you like the frame, you can find it listed here on my Etsy shop.




Have a great week!

Free Sample!

Do you love free samples like I do? Sign up for a free sample of Quaker Simple Harvest here and start your morning off right!.

Celebrate!

Last week I brought you all up to speed on the "word" craze that seems to be going around. After much thought about what the new year will bring for me, I have decided that CELEBRATE will be my word for 2008.

cel·e·brate
1. to observe (a day) or commemorate (an event) with ceremonies or festivities
2. to make known publicly; proclaim
3. to praise widely or to present to widespread and favorable public notice, as through newspapers or novels I made this little reminder last night and it is currently sitting on the window ledge in the office, right in front of my computer. So when I'm bogged down with school work, I can look at my word and remember that I'll be celebrating in just a few short months! I can celebrate each time I have a new sale on Etsy! Or I can celebrate when I have been blessed enough to have something to share with each of you on my new found blog. Each day we are showered with blessings. Why not take a time out to celebrate how fortunate we are?!

Open for Business!

Hello my friends! I'm sorry if I've left you hanging the past few days. I've been creating, really, just nothing I am able to post yet. Secret gifts...the best kind! ;) Plus, school is in full swing so from here to May, I may be a little hit and miss from time to time.

Ahem! I have an announcement to make...drum roll please, cue the lights...I officially have an Etsy shop! How exciting huh?! You may have one of the following responses, "What the heck is Etsy?" or "Duh, where have you been?!" For those of you who don't know Etsy, let me explain.

Etsy is a website, much in the way of eBay, only much, much better and cooler. Items for sale on Etsy are not bid on, you simply purchase them for the price listed. And the best part of all...everything is HANDMADE!! Or if its not handmade, its something you can buy to use to make something handmade. Isn't it great?! Anyone that knows me knows that I am a huge promoter for handmade items and will happily pay more just because its handmade. I am so excited to see my small dream come to fruition.

Now, let me first say that as of right this very minute, there's only one item listed. :) I have to start somewhere right?! But don't worry, I'm sure the virtual shelves will fill up in no time. I have to say, I was so excited when I opened the account, then I was bursting at the seems when I found out how to use Photo Shop to create my Twin Sisters banner, and now I'm ecstatic that I finally have something listed and can tell you all about it! So spread the Etsy bug and tell all of your friends! What are you waiting for, go buy something handmade!!

http://www.jillfrancine.etsy.com/

The "Word"

Have you been reading about picking your "word" for 2008 as much as I have? I've seen it mentioned on several blogs that I frequent and I must say, it's really had me thinking. It appears to have started with Alie Edwards, though I have no idea if this is her genuine idea or if she was inspired by someone else. Instead of making resolutions, which we all know how easy those are to bend, break, and forget, you choose a word to live by throughout the year. So, I've been thinking about what my word should be and I cant seem to settle on just one, or at least cant find "the" one. You can read about Alie's word here, see a giant list she compiled from her readers' words here as well as what to do once you've found your word here. Check out the list and maybe some inspiring words will be your "word" for 2008. If you decide to join in on this craze, let us know what your word is and what it means to you.

Out Sick

What is with this sickness Ive had lately?! Is anyone else experiencing what Ive had? Please, someone say its not just me. Unfortunately, I think the holidays are to blame. It all started with my face breaking out. Yep, zits. Big ugly ones. Ugly enough to make my husband say 'ugh, your face DOES look bad!' Thanks honey. No, that's not really a sickness, but its the start of several weeks of feeling down right cruddy. Then, after we returned from the bowl game I came down with the flu, the cold type flu. I "thought" I was over that then I started to come down with something else, except I just couldn't put my finger on it. Then, on NYeve, I started to loose my voice and then it went ka-put all together. Once my voice came back (three days later) a cold set in. Not just any cold, but a cold with the works. You know the kind; aches, sneezing, coughing, runny yet stuffy nose. Can someone please explain to me how your nose can be stuffed up, unable to breathe, yet constantly drip? What's going on in there?! Like little cold bugs are having a party in my nose, taking up all the breathing room and spilling their drinks. Ugh, so frustrating. So add to all that the itchy eyes, sinus pressure, headaches, lack of sleep, the list goes on. Oh boy I love this time of year. I usually only get this crud once a season so lets hope this is IT! The good news is that after those single digit degree days we had last week, today and yesterday were in the mid 60s! People were on the golf course I tell ya, in January, in Indiana!! No wonder Im sick... Anywho, I just wanted to drop in and explain why Ive been MIA for the past few days. I do have some exciting news to share with you later this week. I'm not sure when yet, as school started today, ack!! So once I get a few minor details squared away, its "extra, extra, read all about it!" See ya then!

How Sweet It Is!

Two cha-cha-chilly days in a row! Wow, it was like 6 degrees when I went in to work this morning but it warmed up to a balmy 25 by time the day was through. They're saying its going to be in the 50s this weekend. Only in Indiana...

***
So I had one lonely little frame left that was all primed and ready to be altered. It was just staring at me, begging me to make it beautiful. So, I clothed her in Melissa Frances paper, sprinkled on a little glitter, tied a few ribbons around, and named her "sweet".