Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Valentines Crafts

Here are a couple of Valentine
craft ideas that I got off
Pinterest and made my own
modifications to.
They are for sale at Rusty G.




Monday, January 28, 2013

Sweet and Salty Fritos Snack Mix


This recipe is gluten free
and was a big hit with everyone who 
tried it, especially my little niece 
who enjoyed the peanut M&Ms 
with out the rest:)

2 c.Corn Chex
10.5 oz bag Fritos
2 c. GF Pretzels
1 1/2 c. Peanuts
Mix in large bowl


1 c. Brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. corn syrup
Melt over medium heat. let mixture come to a boil
and then boil for 4 minutes without stirring.
Pour over Frito mixture, stir to coat evenly.
Transfer mix to a large roasting pan
and bake at 350* for 8 minutes.
Remove from oven, stir and bake for 
8 minutes more.
Transfer mixture to a wax paper lined
counter and let cool completely.
When cooled sprinkle with 
1-2 c. Peanut M&Ms.

Store in airtight container.

Modified from recipe
at

Sunday, January 27, 2013

A Literary Walk part 4

At this point in my walk I am heading
into the Sussex area of England.

A Walk with A.A. Milne
                                                     The walk here is in Ashdown Forest 
                                                                           in which
a bear of very little brain lived
along with the real Christopher Robin

 15.2 miles
A.A. Milne took the every day life of 
his son Christopher and his stuffed
animals and turned them into the 
best loved stories about Pooh Bear.

"Pooh's House"

My favorite character is Eeyore,
 the very gloomy donkey, 
who is so extreme in his gloominess
that you just have to laugh.

Favorite quote
"Sometimes (Eeyore) thought sadly to himself,
"Why?" and sometimes he thought, "Wherefore?"
and sometimes he thought, "Inasmuch as which?"--
and sometimes he didn't know quite what he was thinking about.
So when Winnie-the-Pooh came stumping along,
Eeyore was very glad to stop thinking for a little,
in order to say, "How do you do?" in a very gloomy
manner to him.
"And how are you?" said Winnie-the-Pooh.
Eeyore shook his head from side to side.
"Not very how," he said " I don't seem to have felt at all
how for a very long time."

From Winnie-the-Pooh



Saturday, January 26, 2013

Living It Up

 
A look at my Living Room
 Coffee Bar & junk tray
both upcycles from garage sales
 My favorite things to collect,
cameras, fans and typewriters
My ladder throw holder
and a mix of interesting things in a vintage
soda box.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

A Literary Walk Part 3

 Ending my walk with Jane Austen in
Chawton and
Chawton woods
7.5 miles
These woods were where Jane and her dear 
sister Cassandra spent many hours 
walking and talking.
 The house below is where Jane lived in Chawton
as an adult until her final illness caused her 
to be moved to Winchester where she died.
It is now the Jane Austen museum.

My 3rd favorite is Sense and Sensibility
My favorite character from this book
is Colonel Brandon.
He loves Marianne from the very start but
she is not interested in an "old man"
and makes fun of him with the infamous
Willoughby. His loyalty and gentle
care after her heart is broken by said Willoughby
 finally wins her over
and he can be happy at last.

Favorite quote:
"I do not attempt to deny," said she, "that I think very 
highly of him--that I greatly esteem, that I like him."
Marianne here burst forth with indignation:
"Esteem him! Like him! Cold-hearted Elinor.
Oh! worse than cold-hearted! Ashamed of being
otherwise. Use those words again, and I will leave the 
room this moment."

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Boy Clothes

I enjoyed coming up with some
ideas for clothes for my grand son.
I had gone into Baby Gap
and was not very impressed with what
they had for boys of 18/24 month.
So I made my own!

The gray pants have a red zipper trim
and print cuff,
the jeans have "raggedy" patches
and zipper trim down the side.
I made long sleeve T-shirts with fun
graphics but forgot to take photos:)
I did a very soft twill tape in the waistband 
of both as chubby bellies need to be comfy!

Friday, January 18, 2013

What's For Dinner?

It's all Gluten Free these days as my son 
is eating that way too now...makes it a lot
more simple for me!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

A Literary Walk Part 2

The next part of my walk continued
on with Jane Austen
 Steventon
to
Chawton
15.5 miles
 The vicarage in which Jane was born in
Steventon no longer exists,
but the field above is where it was located.
Jane's father was the rector in Steventon
until he retired so Jane spent 25 years of her life
in this area.

My 2nd favorite of Austen's books is
Pride and Prejudice

I admire the character of
Elizabeth Bennet for her strength of
mind and ability to be unswayed by
society's norms that would cause her
to marry for any other
reason than for love.


Favorite quote:
"An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth.
From this day you must be a stranger
 to one of your parents.-
Your mother will never see you again if
you do not marry Mr. Collins,
and I will never see you again if you do."

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

A Little Laundry

Since I moved into a smaller home
I have realized that things can
be kept up much easier and still
be decorated in fun ways.
My laundry...

The ironing board cover is a plain muslin one
from Wmart but I added the french
words for ironing board
to give it an interesting touch. 
The black baskets I found at a sale
and painted, the box for medicines  
is painted w/ chalkboard paint so it can be changed
at any time to say something else.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Upcycled Velour

I had a plain black velour track suit
that needed something added...
This is how it ended up 
With the pants it is for sale at Rusty Glamour

Saturday, January 12, 2013

A Literary Walk Through England

To motivate myself to walk in this next year
I am using an idea I saw (somewhere:)
where you keep track of your miles by 
"walking" from town to town on a map.
In other words I am not going to England
Unfortunately!!
I will just be walking around here with my goals
to be areas of England in which some of my all
time favorite authors lived and wrote.
I will be adding in some pics of places on my route
and quotes from my favorite books etc.
I began in Jane Austen Country,
Oxfordshire.

Basingstoke-Oakley Hall
to Steventon
7 miles
Oakley Hall is where Janes' friends, the Bramstons lived
and it is said she used it as a setting for Mansfield Park
and Lady Bramston as a model for Lady Bertram 
from the same book.

My favorite book of Jane's is
Persuasion
I love the heroine Anne Elliot
for the contrast she gives
 to the other women in the book.
 Anne quietly waits in the shadows
thinking the great love of her life will never come again.
Parted by family, war and money
her wait is rewarded finally when 
Captain Wentworth sees her for the true
steadfast person she has been
through it all.

Favorite quote
"All the privilege I claim for my own sex
(it is not an enviable one, you need not covet it) 
is that of loving longest, when existence 
or when hope is gone"


Wednesday, January 9, 2013

My Lovelies

My children
My grandchildren
My sons-in-law
My daughter-in-law
My heart





Christmas Eve 2012

Friday, January 4, 2013

'Night My Daddy

Dad
Born September 22, 1920
Passed on to Glory January 2, 2013

When I was small 
you gladly carried me,
until you saw that I was
able to walk alone.

When you were old
I gladly helped you walk,
for I saw it was too hard 
for you to walk alone.

When He saw best
Jesus carried you home
beyond my sight to Heaven,
where you will not walk alone.

'Night my daddy,
my heart carries you close
until I can walk with you
again on streets of gold.

Karen