More cheap art

So, as you know, I really like to figure out ways to make things unique and functional while still staying on a budget.

This is more "art" from my collection. I found this fabric at Ikea last year and fell in love with it. I bought it thinking I would make pillows out of it or something. Well I had another one of those walls in my house (see previous post) that I had to fill. Instead of going to the hardware this time I decided to try to frame it. I went to Bed Bath and Beyond and with 3 different coupons (see I told you I was cheap) I bought 3 poster frames. I placed the fabric around the backer board and after figuring out a pattern that I loved, cut it and stretched it around the back. I laid it in the frame, tightened the back and Voila, easy art!

Thankfully these fit into my new house just right.

Cheap, I mean, inexpensive, art work for the house

So in the last house that we rented I had massive 2 story walls that needed something on them. They were all contractor white paint and boring. Lets be honest here, no one wants to spend a ton of money on a house you know you aren't going to be in for very long. So I got creative. I looked all over for something, anything, to cover that space! I could find large art pieces but they were hundreds of dollars or well, just plain ugly.

So, it was up to me! I was already thinking I was going to have to bite the bullet and buy a canvas and do my own art work. Then I went to Ross one day and found a vinyl tablecloth that I loved. hmmmm that could work. So after weighing all of options I decided it was durable enough to hang if I built a strong enough frame. Now I have watched enough Trading Spaces in my life to know that light weight wood= MDF so off to the lumber store I go. *side note, have you ever notice how nice men are to women in lumber stores? Its like they think we're lost little sheep or something but I digress... Picked up the MDF and talked said nice man into cutting them to size for me and went merry way. I showed my then 15 year old son who looked at me with a rather puzzled look on his face but knows better than to question me when I've done something like this. He and I sat down in the living room with the staple gun, some wood glue and a couple of nails and a hammer. We quickly discarded the hammer and nails and resorted to a drill and some screws. It wasn't pretty but we managed to build a frame. Then we laid it on the back of the table cloth, stapled the cloth as best we could and this was our final result. Total cost of project? Under $15 all included. Not bad for a space that was roughly 10 X 19

To the soldier I met last week

I have been struggling with how to write this all week. I returned to Denver last week from an amazing girls weekend full of fun and laughter and great music. I was still processing all of that and coming down from that emotional high when I was dropped back into my real life feet first and at full speed. Only this time I had a new perspective. I sat down today and finally wrote out what I had been coming to terms with since my trip. This is what changed my view.


As I was flying out of Dulles airport in Washington DC last week, I noticed several military members boarding the flight with me. Not unusual given the area that we were leaving. The plane was almost empty and the flight attendent went through the cabin offering the rest of first class seats to those in uniform. I struck up a friendly but brief conversation with the soldier in the aisle next to me. He declined the upgrade and let his fellow soldiers go in front of him. I encouraged him to go too but he stayed back. Soon we were in the air and I started mentally going through my list of things that must be done when I got home. I had been away with my girlfriends that weekend and I had a long ways to go before I got home. I knew I had a lot to do so I plugged in my Ipod and started making notes of what needed to happen and when. My mum was visiting, my daughter had a play that night and I was concerned I may not make it in time, my other daughter had a science fair that night and how was I going to juggle all of that.... my list was long and yet every so often I would look up at the soldier in the next aisle and he would smile at me. We talked very little, with me being consumed with all I had to do, but he was very nice and he had a peace about him that I couldnt place until much later.

Soon we landed and I offerred to let him go in front of me to catch up with his friends. He declined and said "ladies first ma'am". As we walked off the plane together I said "that was an easy flight, but my next one is a long one. How about you?" He just smiled and said "I'm heading to Iraq tonight Ma'am." I stopped in my tracks, all of a sudden ashamed by selfishness. I had missed a golden opportunity to talk with this young man, to learn about him, to thank him. I hugged him and said "go with God" he just smiled and walked away. I wondered what his to do list must have looked like in the last few weeks. What plans he had made and friends he wanted to see before he left. Then I thought about all the things he would be missing while he was gone, the Birthdays, the visits, the projects around the house. My list seemed pretty small compared to all of that.

So, to the soldier that I wish I had gotten to know, I am sorry. I want you to know that I have prayed for you every day since we met. I have thought about you many times in the last week, when my life seemed crazy and out of control. I thought about you and I remembered that all things considered, my life is pretty quiet and not nearly as stressful as I used to think it was.

I owe a lot of that to you and those with whom you serve. Thank you.

Cooking!

Well today I indulged in one of my passions. I LOVE to cook! I have been exploring the idea of cooking once a month and freezing meals.  I started with chili, which for some reason, I have never actually made. So weird, right? But once I got started with it I didnt stop I *sort of kind of * followed a recipe but not really. I learned today that I dont know how to cook pinto beans, I had beans on hand but not for cooking. I use them for crafting (another passion of mine that we get into later). So I did what any grown woman does, I called my mommy. She really didnt know how to quick cook them either so I went online and figured it out.

So I had my base, added ground beef, then started thinking about what else would be good in there. Salsa? sure why not? Tomato paste, yep thats good. A little of this, some more of that and there ya go. It sure smells good!

I figured since I was working on things I didnt know about or was not very good at I would try to tackle meatballs. I make awesome meatloaf but for some reason I make meat squares, not meat balls. But I found a recipe online (Thank you Alton Brown!) and it it actually worked!

And then, since you cant have chili without corn bread I made my all time favourite corn bread. Its a recipe from a little place called Maine Diner in Wells Maine. If you ever find yourself in Wells you have to eat here! Then go next door to the gift shop and buy the cookbook (another passion of mine for another day). Their recipe is by far the best corn bread I have ever had but I had to some adapting. Wells is probably at about 5 FT in Elevation, I'm at about 5300.  So what works for them doesnt always work for me. After a little tweaking adding a little more milk and a little more flour and cooking it a little longer it comes out amazing! The bread isnt as fluffy as it is close to the ocean, but its still the best!

So today was a learning experience for me. I conquered some long standing cooking fears and feel pretty good about it. 

New journeys and old

"So how are you doing on your New Years resolutions?" How many times do we hear that towards the end of January? Most of us greet that with a groan because, hey lets face it, the intention was there and motivation was strong just a few short weeks ago but that fades and the changes that didnt become a habit are swept under the rug.

I turn 40 this year. I really dont mind getting older I see each year as a gift from God so the number doesnt mean anything to me. What does bother me though is how *I* have become unimportant in my own view. How did that happen? I used to care about myself, my body, how I felt about things. Being a mother and a wife and all of the other roles I have assumed over the years have swallowed up who I was. Now that may sound selfish but that is far from my intent. One of my resolutions this year was to get into better shape, not only physically but spritually as well. I put a number on the physical part, 40 for 40 that was, and is, my goal. I am working towards that and I do believe I will get there.

The spiritual part is hard to put a number on though. I want to grow Spiritually, I want to feel closer to God. Then to borrow a much used statement, I want to find myself. I know that I cant find myself though without growing spiritually because one is dependent on the other. Its who I am.

So today I start my journey back to me.