Are you pinterested?

If you aren't on pinterest yet...you should be.....:)  Well, I have found so many great ideas, recipes, etc....that I can't really keep up unless I shipped the kids away for a couple of months....

Here are some of my favs:

from: http://morganmoore.typepad.com

William-Sonoma Smelling house.....simmer on stove:  2/3c water, 1 sliced lemon, few sprigs of rosemary, and 2 t vanilla....re-add water when needed...can get about 2 days and then you will need to add fresh ingredients.


Healthy (er) Sour patch grapes
from: puresugar.net

destem grapes; rinse and leave water on them, put a small amt of jello powder in a bowl and a handful of grapes; roll around and place in another bowl; repeat until you have how many you need.  Refrigerate for 2 hours.  Serve.....I thought these were good....I used Raspberry Fusion Jello....I wonder if there isn't a jello that has a little more sourness to it....maybe lemon or lime? 
I put them in the kids' lunch with a tooth pick.


Pizza Balls
from: penniesonaplatter.com

We all loved them....a spin on pizza...take pizza dough, squares of mozz., a pepperoni....stuff balls of dough with a cube of cheese and a slice of pepperoni...form into ball, put in greased cake pan....brush with butter or drizzle with olive oil (of course TS Roasted Garlic Oil is good) and sprinkle with parm. and Italian Seasoning (may I suggest TS's?) and bake.....dip in marinara

It's not all food.....

from: sewmanyways.blogspot.com

I also implemented this....I call them clutter baskets (or maybe declutter baskets)...each family member has their own basket on the steps and when you are trying to straighten up you sort out the clutter found and put it in each person's basket and then they have to clean out their basket. 

Or you could just teach your children to put things away when they are done with them in the first place and you wouldn't have the clutter prob. to begin with.  Hmmm....why didn't I do that?

Or sometimes I just find stuff that is way cool (in my opinion).....like this.....

from: mysweetsavannah.blogspot.com
or this....


from: thelilhousethatcould.com

stamped concrete to look like wood....I want to do this.....

Are you intrigued?  I just love this pinning......got to go....

What have I been doing?

I haven't had time to blog much....and I don't know who is still reading, but just in case relatives are....here are some pics from the last month....
Drew was Orville Redenbacher for his Famous Hoosier project
Molly had a very belated birthday party
Molly also dressed up in a traditional German way for her GS World Thinking Day....learning about different countries
The boys and their Pinewood Derby Race and drew won 1st place from the whole pack....he was super excited about that!
We made a visit to Nappannee to visit Laura and the kiddos while Caleb was gone.

Vintage Nursery Rhyme Baby Shower

Vintage Nursery Rhyme Theme:
What's on the menu?

Pease Porriage Hot Oatmeal (Baked with Berries) and served with Almond Milk
Humpty Dumpty Egg Casserole
Little Miss Muffett Brie and Crackers
Three Little Pigs Bacon/Egg Sammies
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Fruit
Peter Peter Pumpkin Muffins
Little Boy Blue-berry Muffins
Rub a dub dub Three men in a tub of Punch
Polly Put the Kettle on Tea and Coffee

How to decorate:
Found vintage nursery rhyme prints and printed off 8x10's and hung on fireplace
Made 5x7 Menu cards for each item with the corresponding vintage picture
Made white and gold tissue balls to hang above island...easy and cheap decor:)
Tables set with fresh greenery(recycled jars, filled with river rock & water, tied with twine bow) , stacks of nursery rhyme books (from the library), vintage stuffed animals, large tea lights.
Used old china, and vintage silver (thanks grandma!)
Mints and mixed nuts

We asked guests to bring a book to add to the mommy to be's book collection! Hope you enjoy!

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:)

Trying to catch up...

Here is the latest....

We had some of the Geisel clan down in October. We had a lot of fun....my sis can throw a pretty mean football:) Thanks, everyone who could come!

Molly turned 5 and celebrated in TX with my parents and then in Leo with Scott's family.

We went to TX over Fall Break and had a blast with Grandma & Grandpa Kipfer....Dinosaur Park, Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory, and my favorite....shopping.

Molly also has been enjoying gymnastics!

I am sure I am missing a ton of other things:)

Something New

I just finished my first canning experience, and it was fun! I had to trial it in a small batch to make sure I knew what I was doing....I have always been nervous to actually can. Growing up, Mom always used a pressure canner and I knew I was too afraid to try that! It would probably explode on me...hee hee....anyway, so I went with the boiling method and it went pretty smoothly...except for the fact that I am a last minute person and didn't really check all my ingredients first:) So I made a quick run to the grocery to get a very large bag of sugar!

So now I have a nice little stash of my very own Strawberry Rhubarb Spice Jam! Now....what to do with the rest of my strawberries and rhubarb?

Should I be worried?

Let me translate: (found on the floor)
how to sneak

• always be ready to freeze
• be quiet
• be ready to hide
• look all around for windows
• walk next to walls
• do not get on top of things stay below them
• if there's a shower or bath with a curtain, do not shut the curtain

Drew must be practicing for hide and go seek or spy work....

I need ideas

This weekend I re-did a piece of furniture that was in our basement (the green cabinet). It was a dark walnut with a "lovely" (not) pickle finish with brass hardware. I even reused the hardware...just a little black and silver spray paint. I was super excited to put it in our bedroom and use it as my new sewing cabinet. We are blessed with abundant space in our bedroom. I also had a great big mirror that went over my long dresser (part of our bedroom suite that's 20+ yrs. old). I have been wanting to paint the frame black to pull in other black elements in the room. Anyway, I was touching up with the second coat of paint and let it dry outside. Later, I heard a thump and to my horrific surprise the wind blew it over and broke all the mirror out! I was SO sad and sought out hugs to recuperate:) After I cleaned the mess up, I just couldn't bear to give up. I had looked forward to painting this mirror for over a year and just now got to it! So I put it up anyway (refusing to be defeated by the wind) and used it as sort of a bulletin board. So I thought I would ask you what you would do....Do you have any brilliant ideas for using this piece? Does it look stupid with pictures hanging? Would you go get a piece of mirror cut for it? I was trying not to spend any money....also, look at the wall....I was thinking of hanging something to the left (3 of something, just don't know what)....any ideas? Probably put an upholstered wood chair (need it to sew with anyway) as decor to the left as well....I have one I found in the trash a while back..

Would love to hear what you'd do...especially with the tragic mirror!

Thanks! Oh, I don't want to leave out the fact that my kids are great helpers! Molly (aka Cinderella) took all the bolts out of the back of my lovely mirror and all the kids took all the hardware off of our furniture and replaced it with updated hardware! Great kids!
Abby