visiting Grandma:)

Got to try this!

Poppy Chow {Puppy Chow made with Popcorn}
Check it out at on my recipe blog:  http://intheklopkitchen.blogspot.com/2011/10/puppy-chow-with-twist-poppy-chow.html

Just be careful....very addicting:)

Belated Idea....or really early:)

An late or early idea I made based on another blog (I am not sure where I got the idea) but was so cute I wanted to share. I made one of these for S on Father's day....filled with his favorite snacks:)

I was thinking this would be a great Teacher gift too.....with vintage teacher tags:)

Abby

do my eyes need adjusting?

So within an hour I made two visual mistakes and I think something is wrong with me:)


First Jack came up from the basement and asked if he could have a few of "these" to take camping with dad....I glanced and saw a green bag and thought it was the individual bags of Sun Chips....and I said no you can only take one....one for each of you.  Jack exclaimed, "one!  that's not enough!"  I said of course it is enough you don't need to take that many....so he pouted and did as he was told.  Later I am going thru his snacks and I see this baggie with 3 pastel mints in it.  I ask Jack "what is this?  that's not very many!"  He looks at me and says, you said one for each of us....we both had a good laugh:)

Then Jack was cleaning the bathrooms (his favorite job) and he brought a container to me and said is this what I use to clean the mirrors?  I am very specific about the mirrors because if the wrong stuff gets on the mirrors it is a pain to clean off!  I glance and say "yes, yes, that is the one"....off he goes...."mom it is kind of smeary"......"just keep wiping!"......more spraying....more spraying...."I think that's enough spraying Jack!"...."but it isn't getting very clear"....."just keep wiping"......more spraying....."mom, come look"....yes, I look and it is a very cloudy mirror....glance at the container and it is furniture polish...yikes....maybe I should just throw in the towel and go to bed!

M's portrait session:)

I have been very slacking in the blogging dept.....don't even know if anyone reads this...but any how since I last blogged we went to Gulf Shores on Spring Break, saw my parents from TX a couple of times, saw my new baby nephew, saw my baby go off to Kindergarten, and my oldest turn 10!  I know I missed a ton of stuff in between like bloody noses, deep cleaning bedrooms:)

Here are some pics of my Kindergartener:  she sure loves to pose:)

Items for Sale

Grey flannel scalloped booties with pink bows

Cobalt blue pleated scarf with white buttons

Light blue and navy wool rose hair clip

Chocolate brown scalloped booties with tulle bow and orange embroidery

burnt orange wool moccasins with navy wool rosette

Are you in love? I just wish I would have had the idea when Molly was little enough to wear them!

For sale only at the Missions Auction on Saturday at our church! Sorry! But if you like chili....and you like auctions...and you like donating to a good cause.....maybe you should come:)

Or, have a baby and ask me to make you some! They have been really fun to make!

Have a happy snowy day!

Abby

Touching up here and there...

I have been itching to do some decorating....I think it was the late night at Riley Hospital with Molly. They had wireless internet, so I did a lot of browsing and reading and getting great ideas...well, I think so:) My first thing I tackled was our stool that sits at our kitchen island. It was a boring honey color....Changed it to black this fall and last week decided late one night to put a number on it. Numbered items are really in....I see it on everything...kinda fun. I picked 5 because of our family total...the kids were worried about that...really? yes...they thought it would be terrible if we had an addition to the family and there was a 5 on our stool! I simply said that I wasn't planning on any additions and that even if there was, a five on the stool is just that....a 5!

My other decorating fun was taking coordinating scrapbooking paper and cutting it down on one side so it would fit in my printer:) Then I printed our family rules, framed it in a frame I had and posted it on the wall.
Happy decorating! What have you done lately?

Our Little Miss Molly

I have been on an emotional rollercoaster the pasts few weeks....yes.... surgery, bad weather....cancel surgery....reschedule surgery....sending my little one off with the nurse for surgery.....waiting.....more waiting....I could go on. However, we are on the other side of surgery and now we wait to hear a good report on how it all is going. Molly got back to her room with a sign from the Sunday School:

Jack informed me he signed it 9 times. Speaking of Jack....it was really sweet of the boys to make cards for Molly the night before. On their own, they went to their billfolds and pulled out money from their allowance to give to her...dollars, not even change! How sweet they are!These two pictures show the device they used to close up her 22mm hole (ASD)...amazing what they can do these days! Here is amazing Dr Hoyer who performed the surgery.

It was a tiring day on Tuesday. About 8pm (when it would normally be past her bedtime) she was wheeled down for x-rays. She didn't fall asleep until about 10pm and then was awoke every 4 hours to take vitals. Oh, me too! I was awake most of the night. Not only was the nurse coming in, but her monitors would beep or sound an alarm and keep us awake.

The things that most annoyed Molly was her IV (I hate them too), keeping her legs flat and straight and having to go potty at the hospital.

I was amazed that she didn't cry before or after surgery! She was so brave! The time she did break down and throw a fit was to go on the hospital potty. She informed me she would just wait until she went home....ummmm...no...that's not going to fly!

Here she is getting another ECHO before she is discharged....best part? She got to pick out a gift every time she went down there....she scored 3 gifts in 24 hours:) A Barbie wanna-be, a pink hippo beanie babie, and a bead kit.
She could not wait to get clothes on....I don't blame her....few people like to wear a hospital gown:)

At home, Molly opened her first gift from her Sunshine Basket from her church friends. Kent and Shelia (Chloe, Sam, and Lucy's grandma/pa) gave her a playdough kit. I am so thankful for the Sunshine Basket because it keeps her still and busy. Everyday she will have something to open...Thanks everyone!

Now we just wait. Monday we go for more testing and to check and see how the device is holding and how her heart is functioning with it on.

Again, thanks to all who have sent gifts/cards in the mail, provided food, prayed, emailed encouraging words, etc... ! You are all so awesome!

Abby

Vintage Recipe Cards

I have a bad habit of blog surfing every once in awhile. I am usually too busy to do it, but when I start, it is hard to stop. There are so many creative people out there who have more time than I do to spend blogging. But anyhow, I spent the wee hours of the morning surfing (beacause I was addicted, you know...).

And now I am organizing recipes....I love anything to do that organizes! Look what I found:

I thought this was totally cool! You can print your recipes right on these vintage cards. Looks like they are all typed with added hand written details. Isn't this fun? You can find the template here. I want to print them off and put them in plastic sleeves that have index card pockets in my recipe binder. That recipe there is one of my childhood memories....my mom would make homemade pudding for breakfast (probably to use up a good amount of milk...). Serve warm with a cold glass of milk. Yum! My kids do like it, but not as much as I do:)