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Meet Little Mister Tyler. Don't you want a hug from him? He is super sweet and has a look in his eye that means trouble just might be around the corner. Tomorrow he gets to see his Daddy for the first time in 6 months. His father, Todd has been deployed for a year and finally gets to come home for good tomorrow! We are so excited for Tyler his Momma Gina and Todd. Thank YOU Todd for serving our country so well! I know Gina is super excited to see you and she said she also can't wait for an uninterupted nap! LOL Gina and Todd are awesome neighbors and we are so thankful to have had them move in across the street. ;-)
Halloween is here in all it's spooky splendor! I think I'm going to put my chalkboard (directions on making one here: http://whimages.blogspot.com/2009/07/just-stuff-and-recipe.html) on the frontporch with pumpkins and the candy. My silly kids wanted to know why I wrote that because, "we don't have those things". We might have some extra kids trick or treating with us this year. Traditionally, I always make Chili. I think everyone makes Chili on Halloween. Am I right? This year since we might have extra people, I saw a recipe for a chessy mexican layered bake I might try too. If it's good I'll post the recipe in a couple days.
You might be wondering how my Rhizotomy (Neurotomy-nerve burning thingy went). If you remember, I stayed up and read a bunch of message board reviews, much to my horror. No offense to any male readers out there, but ALL of those reviews were obviously written by men. Remember the burly man who said his wife could hear him in the waiting room? I SURE feel sorry for her when he has a cold! Not that it was a breezy walk in the park. It's NOT like I want another one tomorrow or anything. BUT it wasn't like I thought it would be after the reviews. Yes, it did hurt. I had it done on my right side lumbar, L3, L4 and L5-S1. After he was working a while (I kinda thought we were on needle 2 but wasnt' sure) it started to hurt more than extra so I did say something like, "hey Dr. Doctor, why is it suddently hurting way more than before?". And Dr. Doctor said something to the effect that he was working almost next to the bottom of one of the screws or pedicals (whatever) in my fusion and he gathered that area was already irritated. I'd gather that too from how it felt! ;-) All in all, not so bad. Got sent home with my normal pain meds, some type of morphine and instructions
to have even MORE restricted activity for the following 2 days. I'm not sure if slowly walking outside to snap Tyler's pic counts or not be he looked so darn cute playing in the leaves from my window!
PROP HOUSES
In other news, one of my favorite blogs is www.theletteredcottage.net . Layla and her husband are just too dern cute for their own good and DANG do those two have awesome design ideas and energy out the wazoo. A week back or so the magazine called THE NEST came to shoot a segment on their INCREDIBLY delightful (I want to move in with them but not in a weird way, I just love the house) cottage. Layla gave readers a super cool behind the scenes tour of a magazine shoot. I HAD no idea! NO WONDER EVERY MAGAZINE LAYOUT LOOKS SO FABULOUS! They sent box upon box of accessories and props to the house, clothes for them and all kinds of fun goodness including a stylist, hair and makeup! If you want to see this awesome segment on Layla's blog, it's here: http://www.theletteredcottage.net/2009/10/nest-shoot-behind-scenes.html
While looking for something on the web tonight, I came across a designer/flea-marketer I've admired before, Eddie Ross. Well, he used to work at the Food Network and decided to share with his readers (said in a booming movie voice) THE FOOD NETWORK PROPS ROOM. Check out this sweeeeet goodnes and try not to tell me you didn't fall in love with at least 50 things? http://www.eddieross.com/eddie_ross/2009/09/a-tour-of-the-food-network-prop-house.html
Oh and my middle name is NOT Ludmilla.
Brisk Air~ Morning Frost~ Jewel Toned Leaves~Hot Spiced Cider~Pumpkin Patches~Indian Summer Days~Dried Cornstalks~Smelling Burning Leaves~Squirrels Squirrying About~Thread-Bare Sweatshirts~Golden Evening Light~Gourds~Chili~Costume Hunting~Candy Buying~Trick or Treating~Crunchy Leaves~Bon Fire~Toasted Marshmallows!
What does the fall make you think of?
Recently, my mother in law asked me to have a quick photo shoot of our children with them. I had done a super quick shoot of my nephews (Matt's brother, Ron's boys) with my in-laws in August. Monday was a nice Indian summer evening, so we went to Tudor Hall which is just about 1 minute from our house to snap a couple shots. Honestly my kids were not on their best behavior. Actually, I guess they were just being themselves! LOL They weren't bad, just goofing off a ton and we had bundles of fits of giggles for some reason.
At the end of the shoot, Callie and Cole were semi-roughhousing and they looked 
really cute. Callie's so tiny and small featured and Cole is BURSTING into this body that we don't even recognize. Litterally his bones look like they are doubling in size! He's now a GOOD inch or more taller than my 5ft 7 1/2 . When he kisses me goodbye in the morning, I have to reach up a bit. YES, they ALL kiss me and hug me goodbye before they get on the bus. We often say we love each other too. I hope with ALL OF MY HEART that this doesn't end. Love is a word we share a lot around our house and I pray it stays that way. Please don't mistake me. There is a LOT of not so fun stuff said too. Many words full of teen attitude (even from my not so teen 7 1/2 year old). I just hope that the POWER of the word LOVE reigns eventually over all the other crummy stuff. I think it will.
Back to the pictures... At the end of the shoot, Callie and Cole, our twins, were goofing off (as they were most of the time) and I suddenly begged them for a hug. Just ONE hug. I pleaded. So in about 30 seconds these are some of the shots I got. and...I. LOVE. THEM. They may not have perfect composition, some are blurry, one is kinda gross, one is sorta mean (although he wasn't pulling her hair hard) and the squeeze just kills me how both of them squinch up their noses!
For all their faults, it's the EMOTION that I love. These two really do LOVE each other even though sometimes you'd NEVER know it. They have the best bond and I feel so blessed to be their mother.
IN super cool kitchen news, we took the reclaimed wood to a friend of Matt's to see if he could plane the sides so that they would fit together. I didn't wan't to loose much of the patina if we sanded it a lot but I also don't want the kids to get splinters. If ANYONE can make magic with this wood it's Bryan Ford. His company, Bryan Ford Contracting does
some of the most amazing work you've ever seen. The houses he builds have incredible attention to detail. His home is now my NEW favorite house. The mouldings in his house were all made by Bryan and they are GORGEOUS! This house feels like it's been around for 200 years but it hasn't and the built ins and goodies he had just killed me. I could have moved into his cape cod style shop, it's 3000 square feet! But remember one of my favorite scents is freshy sawn wood! So if you are in the Harford County area and need a CUSTOM home, call BRYAN!
Hey Folks...just as I was about to blog this, CUTE KamaCozi (AKA: Cosmo, the Cosman, Cosi-bear,Cosi-moto) puked up the little paper dry cleaning tag (that my husband must have accidentally dropped this bright and lovely morning) along with a large volumn of freshly drank(is that a word)water on the kitchen floor. So I'll be back after cleanup and physical therapy to tell you about these photos but they
are actually about repurpose-ing an old frame into a padded message board. ;-)
I can't do a tutorial 'cause I did this last summer. Sorry! But it's super easy. Find an old frame you like and pop out whatever is in it (or you could just leave it and work on top of it but regardless you need to remove it for now. I had my father or Matt cut me a piece of luan (thin, hard board sold at stores like Home Depot). The luan must fit the hole IN THE BACK ALMOST EXACTLY!
For the message board, I used cotton batting and then fabric that would match Callie's room of light apple green and pinks. You could also cut cork board to fit and then cover with just fabric. We wanted to make our own pins from buttons and have them go in on an angle like when you sew instead of strait in like with a push pin. You put your batting over the wood, leaving about a half inch to an inch not covering the edge where you'll be attaching it around the frame. Then cut the fabric large enough so that it will cover the backing and the batting. I then just used small nails and some of the little staples that were already on there to attach it all. The whole project took less than 15 minutes. Click on the photo if you want to see it larger.
When I brought this hand home from an antique store, Callie immediately snagged it for her rings. I think it looks pretty cool! That little music jewelry box in the background was my husbands sisters when she was a little girl. Callie keeps it close to her heart and often thinks of her Aunt Michele.
I've given the chalkboard/magnetic board directions before. Again, cut luan to size paint with magnetic paint like a kazillion times or 3 and then the chalk board paint about 3 times. Reinstall and VOILA a lovely message board!
I love these two fortunes we got recently. Mine and Matt's says : There is a true and sincere friendship
between you both! I LOVE that and it's so true considering I've known him since I was 10!
Callie's fortune says: Stop and look around, happiness is trying to find you! How COOL!
AGAIN, click on the pics to make them larger if your eyes are getting old like mine or you just want to see the details. (Yeah, that's what they all say!)
PEYTONISM ALERT!!!
Longtime blog readers will know that occasionally, I'll post something funny that our youngest, Peyton says. As I've said in the past, and now offense to you blondes out there. BTW, I'm a bottle blonde (thanks to my fabulous hairstylest to the STARS. Okay, maybe that's pushing it, but she's good. Real Good) so I can say whatever I want about blondes. Okay, about the Peytonism.
Over the weekend we were driving past Men's Warehouse. This particular MW is on a corner of a shopping center, so that the windows on that side are blacked out. Our little reader says, "Men's Warehouse, what would you BUY there?" I then replied, "Well, when you get older, and if you can't find a man that's where you go to get
one." She glances back at the store, and now she can see the mannequins in the window dressed in there dapper finery and she says
wait for it
wait for it
a little longer
okay: "Oh."
Matt and I just looked at each other and smiled. That's our girl!
OMG a post with out a photo! I'm not sure I can handle it! ;-)
Hey everyone! One of the super cool site that I visit in my spare time (like in the morning when the house is still and I have a big cup of steaming coffee and my favorite cozy blanket wrapped around me). Anyway, lots of bloggers are linking their favorite flea market finds...I have a couple but I posted an old blog post about one of them! Check out mine and some other blogs too! Your sure to have fun at this first LINK PARTY! It's a FLEAMARKET STYLE PARTY! COME ON IN!
Here's my link to one of my favorite FINDS: http://whimages.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-love-this-and-yummy-recipe.html
Such an exciting and varied title you say? Yes, that's because I'm all about the RANDOM thoughts! LOL Anyway, I'll do the apples first in case you don't care about my little ol' spinal pain procedure I had today.
I saw these on Martha's site the other day and thought they looked yummy. I was right! LOL Martha doesn't do much wrong in this chicka's eyes anyway. The recipe called for McIntosh and I didn't seem to have them in my produce department so I used good old Granny Smith. She's a nice firm old lady that bakes up real nice not mushy. You are probably wondering why the heck I baked something after the day I had but you know what? I like to bake and it takes my mind off stuff and I was on meds too! That helps of course! Of course all of this WAS after a 3 hour nap too! Plus I sat down at the island for the entire thing PLUS and probably most importantly, I served my family hotdogs for dinner! LOL BUT I did include this super delish homemade sweet relish my friend Julie made that totally made my hotdogs very GOURMET for sure! I really preferred these wedges cold and I think they'd be great served chilled with a light swirling of hot caramel and a dollop of homemade whip cream sprinkled with nutmeg. But who am I kidding, you can just use the stuff in the can! If you served them cold, you could make them ahead of time, like in the morning before a party or dinner. Here's the link for the recipe: okay, son of a gun, it won't let me link it! Your going to have to go to www.marthastewart.com and search for it. Sorry!
AND now, what you've all been waiting for! Robyn's experience with her first lumbar medial branch block! I get up on the table with my Dolce and Gabana blue cotton gown. You know the one with the ties in the back? Sexy. She cleans my back we make small talk, yadda yadda yadda. The doctor comes in again just a itsy bit of small talk and then he turns on the
xray machine and like the dork I am. I say, "Is that my back?" And no, my friends I wasn't under the influence of my pain meds because you can't take them because they will interfere with the diagnostic ability of the test. I'm just that much of an air head. So Dr. Doctor then says, "SO, I SEE WHY YOU ARE IN SO MUCH PAIN!" He briefly shows me some of the stuff that's wrong with my spine below my fusion. Then begins inserting these big ass needles into my facet joints (you'll have to wikipedia that one). I can cleary see the straw sized (I'm grossly exaggerating, a little) on the xray. I ask Dr. Doctor if the anesthetic he is using has any steroid in it. (I had read that it often does) He said just a little and I wanted to know how effective it would be. He said, "for some people it might last forever or a long time, for YOU, I doubt it will last a week." Um. Okay. He put 3 of those itsy bitsy (not so much) needles into 3 different vertebrae on the right side in my back and we are done. He said I'll come back next week for the left side. So I go to recovery and wait 15 minutes. Meanwhile I'm thinking I think I feel pretty good. The nurse comes and has me repeat my range of movement exercises and THEY ARE BETTER and I FEEL BETTER. I actually didn't realize how MUCH pain I had been in until some of it was gone! It was considered 60% successful which is good, it has to be at least 50% for them to then go on and do the Neurotomy (Rhizotomy) which is the nerve damaging stuff. I was smiling and so happy. I think I alarmed the nurse and she said, "you know this is temporary, right? It lasts a few minutes to about an hour" I told her I knew that but it was so GREAT to feel better even for just a few minutes! LOL Ultimately, it lasted about 25 minutes total. But hey, I'll take it! So I'm a candidate for the damaging, this whole process will take about 3 more weeks. Yay ME!
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BAKED SPAGHETTI
2 Cups canned diced tomatoes (I use the ones with garlic and onions)
2 Cups tomato sauce (I used 3 Cups and eliminated the water and I used Spaghetti Sauce-spicy basil)
1 Cup water
1/2 Cup diced onions
1/2 Cup diced green pepper
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 t Italian seasoning
2 t seasoned salt (like lawry's)
1 1/2 t sugar
2 small by leaves
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef (I use 93/7)
8 ounces angle hair pasta uncooked
1 Cup cheddar cheese grated
1 Cup grated montery jack
( I used about a 1/2 C of each of the above and added 2 cups mixed Italian cheeses)
In stockpot, cook tomatoes and sauce, water, half of the onions and half of the peppers and half of the garlic, the parsley and seasonings and salts, sugar and bay leaves. Bring to boil then reduce heast and simmer, covered for 1 hour. Crumble the ground beef in a saucepan, cook about halfway then add the other half of the onions, peppers and garlic. Finish cooking till no pink remains. Drain off fat (if you use the 93/7 there usually is not any to drain). Add the groundbeef mixture to the sauce and simmer 20 more minutes. Cook pasta according to directions. Cover the bottom of 9 x 13 with a little sauce. Add a layer of pasta, then half of the cheeses, repeat the layers ending with sauce. Top with a bit of extra cheese to cover. Bake till cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly about 25 to 30 minutes. Cut into squares and enjoy!
Okay, about my back, if you are interested. I haven't talked much about my back to you but I'm sure my real life friends are sick of hearing about it. I sound like the grandmother that some of you may have who continually has a zillion illnesses or gout or something. (I loved her but I had a grandmother like that...may she rest in peace ;-) ). So I'm STILL having pain. A lot of PAIN. Like just as much as before the lumbar fusion surgery. Yeah, so now I'm like totally WTH? I'm on tons of pain meds still and we are talking 5 1/2 months post surg...um I didn't think it would be like this. And why YES, since you asked...I CAN predict when the weather will be crappy just like your grandma can! I saw a new pain guy last week. Today I'm going to have some procedure called a lumbar medial branch block. Basically they are temporarily numbing these little nerves that are near my facet joints (joints in the spine). There is some evidence to suggest that a lot of people with spinal pain have their pain due to the nerves at the facet joints. So if when they numb the nerves, if my pain gets better than they know that is part of my problem. THen next time they would go in with somekind of high tech space age futuristic (I'm making all that up, I think) high radiofrequency needles and damage said nerves. That way they CAN'T send pain signals to my brain. This often helps. Sometimes it doesn't but we are not thinking of that. Sometimes it makes it worse, again banish THAT thought. Eventually the nerve grows back and you could have pain again but it can take 6 months to a year or more! YEAH!!!! That'd be cool. So wish me luck today! ;-)
Come back soon for the cool project I'm doing with the old window...I'm gonna hang it in the powder room! And the kitchen is looking gooood! I love my husband!
A couple posts ago I sorta cryptically mentioned some issues between our three boxers. WE LOVE our dogs. LIKE more than is probably in the realm of normalcy. We have had Macy (she just had a b-day and turned 6) since she was surrendered to www.boxerrescue.com when she was 18 months. We've had Levi for about a year and 3 months since we adopted him from our local shelter when he was 6 months. We've had Cosmo for about a year after an idiot decided he didn't want him anymore and was going to give him a syringe of DRANO when he was 7 months old. We didn't intend to keep Cosmo because 3 dogs is a lot of dog. We placed him once with my sister and after 4 days he came back because his youthful puppy enthusiasm was tooooo much for her older lab and her then 18 month old Mason and 2 1/2 year old Grace. I then placed him with a wonderful family who had a 2 year old Boxer. He came back after 2 days because their boxer was having some aggressive issues toward Cosmo and wasn't to happy to add him to the household. So we decided to keep him. We had fallen in love with him initially and he felt comfy here already. The boys got along famously! RUNNING crazy about 3/4 of the day. If you have never had a couple of boxers or seen a couple of boxers playing you probably can't even FATHOM the chaos that happens. Their complete JOY and friendship(well the boys at least, Macy is a bit too cool to usually get involved) is such a wonderful heart-warming thing to witness. However, we did have several disputes over pack order, nothing that wasn't normal. In the early spring we had a full on 3 dog fight that unfortunately led to Macy having about 8 staples. It was over nothing and it was totally all 3 involved equally, unfortunately I think Macy got the brunt of it because the boys teeth are sharper because they are younger. The next day they were back to doggie peaceful friendly happy friendship. Then about a month ago the same thing happened. AGAIN all three were involved and it started over nothing at all. Macy this time had to be put under and got about 22 staples...not pretty and big bucks again. We realized then that this probably isn't going to work. It was breaking our hearts but we know for the safety of EVERYONE involved, someone had to go. I tentatively put some feelers out (all the while crying). EXTREMELY unfortunately the SAME thing happened Friday afternoon. VERY unfortunately, Cole stuck his leg in between the
two boys ( we had separated Macy already at that point). As they were attacking each other Cole's calf happened to be part of the equation. Inadvertently, and SADLY he was bitten by Cosmo. Please understand that COSMO, nor any of the others would EVER hurt any of us intentionally. EVER. They are sweet and loving to us, kissy and always affectionate even when one of the feet accidentally gets stepped on or something.
Poor Cole, was bitten through his favorite pair of Gap jeans. ( We'll just consider them distressed now) Peyton was already on her way to a friends so she went there. Callie stayed home and I made a quick call to my husband at work to let him know that we were off to the emergency room DEFINITELY for stitches. We walked into the leper ward at our local hospital. Well, at least it felt like that, 3/4 of the people had masks on and looked TERRIBLE and the place was PACKED. Luckily, we got called back to Triage quickly (considering that it was a dog bite) then were whisked to the pediatric waiting room which wasn't quite as bad. 6 hours later, Cole got 13 stitches. All the while I felt like (and continue to feel like) the worst MOM ever for not taking care of this situation a couple months ago. I'm so sorry that it came to this and to see my baby boy (who is taller than me and we weigh about the same but he'll ALWAYS be my baby boy) endure this. With dog bites they often don't even stitch up at all and let it heal from the inside out but his needed some help. The stitches are placed not very close together, purposely to allow it heal on it's own. So you can imagine it was quite large.
Needless to say, one of the boys needs to be placed into a new home. We've consulted our Vet and he agrees that 3 isn't working (duh for me) and since this pattern has started it's not going to end. Heartbreakingly, it has come to the point where one of my children was hurt. This photo of Cole is
and Cosmo is from this morning. It's going to hurt our hearts but it HAS to be done.
In a bit of other news. I was given a couple old windows from our friend Curt, www.wadecontractors.net and I think I'm going to do a project for the powder room. Come on back later for that!
Another section of the kitchen cabinets are almost done. Don't mind Matt's corner of tool and paint and other schtuff he needs while working. These need to be wiped now to show the distressing and then get a coat of poly.
Here is one of the new quotes on the chalkboard/magnetic board. It looks really sloppy because the kids keep writing goofy stuff below it that MUST be quickly erased!
Okay, so if you've made it this far, I'm amazed. But thanks for letting me ramble. Anyway, obviously I'm looking VERY hard for HAPPY today,or tomorrow or anytime soon! Oh and I'm having a procedure on my nerves in my back on Thur. I'll talk 
about that tomorrow! Enough doom and gloom in one post! Believe me I know people can only handle so much DOOM AND GLOOM! You've had your daily allotment!
I did some virtual shopping for the kitchen over at polyvore and not only was it a blast but it was free! If you click on the goodies it tells you where you can get them! Pretty cool!
***EDIT:
There is a much better update here if you'd like to check it out as well! ;-) THANKS!!!
By the time we are done with this project, you're going to be sick of seeing my kitchen! Here's this section that is finished and has the satin polyurethane. I have to admit, a coffee maker usually sits over there next to my mixer but I moved it for the photo. :-) I'm just being honest! My mixer is like a zillion years old. Seriously, I've had it since I was like 17 and I'm ancient now at 39 so yeah, it's OLD. (little know Robyn fact: I used to decorate cakes...a LOT of cakes, wedding cakes and specialty cakes, all kinds of cakes! For money, like as in a part time job! LOL) So this mixer and I have been through a lot and she better keep on mixin' 'cause I love her and I can't afford to get another anytime soon!
Hey, do you see how that platter sits up there real nice above the microwave in the cabinet? I love that!
Here's the kitchen sink area with only one coat of black on. Remember the process...Primer, wax your areas you want distressed then paint, let dry, wipe those areas, re-wax, paint and dry, wipe, wax, paint and dry, wipe, repeat if necessary then poly. Click on the photo to see it larger. These are the two FAKE drawers in front of my sink. I had Matt remove the knobs because who are we foolin'? EVERYONE knows
those aren't really drawers. So we put these pretty little wooden doohiggies from the Home Depot on (they were like 3.50) and now the front looks so much prettier! Ideally, if I won the lotto, this would be a BIG OL' FARM SINK with the front that comes down but that hasn't happened and you gotta play to win and all that stuff. So I'm happy with my little doohiggies I have.
I received an email today from one of the girls that used to work for Matilda Jane (you can search for Matilda Jane on my blog search...love love love me some MJ stuff!). She and a friend opened their own company it's called LUNNY & LU or http://www.lunnyandlu.com/. The stuff is really cute and the way you purchase it is through the featured items of the week. Everyweek different items are featured and thats the only things you can purchase. I guess they'll control inventory that way so the don't have the snafuu's that MJ always has. Speaking of MJ, I've got so many cute pieces from the 2 shows I had. Stuff that Peyton HAD to have and now I have to twist her arm to get her to wear most of it. Apparently, there's a little girl in her class that has a BIT too much to say about Peyton's fashion sense. I guess she never learned, "if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all!" In that vein of thought...my 2 newest quotes on my chalkboards in the kitchen are: It's not in how you look it's in how you SEE. AND BREATHE...Life is good!
Meet Little Mister Tyler. Don't you want a hug from him? He is super sweet and has a look in his eye that means trouble just might be around the corner. Tomorrow he gets to see his Daddy for the first time in 6 months. His father, Todd has been deployed for a year and finally gets to come home for good tomorrow! We are so excited for Tyler his Momma Gina and Todd. Thank YOU Todd for serving our country so well! I know Gina is super excited to see you and she said she also can't wait for an uninterupted nap! LOL Gina and Todd are awesome neighbors and we are so thankful to have had them move in across the street. ;-)
