Perfect day!!

Today is one of those AMAZING beautiful days that make the winters in Wyoming all worth while! Temp is in the high 70's, little breeze, sun is shining, brownies are baking, every thing is right with my orbit!!

Happy Birth~day to Cloie!!

Tomorrow my first born turns 12! I can't believe time has flown so quickly! She is a beautiful young lady, who has made me very proud!!!

Dually Covered Wagon

Okay, here is an original!! Someone took the base from a dually truck and retro fitted it with it with an covered wagon!! I love it! Now, what should I do with it??

Cute kids, cooking!!

My kids love to cook and a love for them to cook~~for me~~ this Memorial Week-End weather was not so hot, so into the kitchen they came! Here is Cloie and Miss Olivia making their famous, cookie dough inside the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting!! Yum~ola!

From this to this!

My favorite sistah, Mindy, came bearing a bushel of rhubarb! Stolen rhubarb, no less! Since they were letting it go to seed, not picking it, thus insuring it wouldn't grow anymore, we felt it our duty to pick it so that it can continue to grow and maybe they will want it when it comes back! But if they don't, then we have yet another crop to pilfer!!
So now it is all chopped up, frozen and ready for rhubarb crumble (love that word), rhubarb bread, rhubarb muffins, rhubarb any other ideas??

Johnny and Jane West!

Just like Johnny and June, except it's Johnny and Jane, they had to find a new home and it is on the rock wall to my office!!

Other treasures just unearthed!

two! chandeliers! one for me and one for some lucky soul!
Old, tarnished silverwear, a child's beaded belt and fun duplicate money receipts (with absolutely no idea how I will utilize those!!)

Garage sale BLISS!!

I have always wanted to do the below to the above piece of furniture!! Robin Brown does it to a dresser in "A Bit of Velvet and a Dash of Lace" book. I've searched high and low for a carpet I could bear to cut up. And this week end I found the perfect carpet for the job!!

Great success at garage sales this week end! I got this carpet for FREE! FREE! FREE!

We went to a sale in a house and found out there were out buildings but everything in there was 'trash', "can we look", "sure take what ever you want, it's being torn down mid month". Joy! My favorite phrase, "take what ever you want"!! And we did!! You saw some of the treasures last week! But the rug I had to hose down, so I think this is it's debut! Now to get the nails and get busy!!

Spring? Where are you hiding??

It was one long winter, and spring has yet to come home to stay! But rumor has it she will arrive this week-end and will hopefully be here to stay!

Hot fresh tortillas

I will never go back to store bought again!! Last nite in a deperate quest for beef enchiladas and absolutely NOT wanting to drive back into town, I found a recipe for tortillas, whipped em up and WOW! Yum-ola! Super simple, easy, quick and much lighter than the store......sooooooooooooo, I suggest you try em your self! Ole!

Oh, here is the recipe...............................

2.5 c all purpose flour

Scant 1/2 c shortening (3.5 oz)

1 t salt

1 c warm water

In my kitchen aid I mixed flour, shortening and salt. Mix till crumbly (love that word), about 3 minutes. With mixer running stream in warm water (I didn't use the whole cup). You want to be able to hanlde it so you don't want it sticky. Get it out of mixer and form into a ball, put it in a bowl to rest 15 minutes to an hour, cover with towel. Then make 12 smaller balls, let rest again, 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface roll balls into 8 to 10 inch circles, it seems really thin but its right. Heat a dry griddle to medium and start cooking, they'll get puffy and brown. Serve warm or make into enchiladas, tacos, etc. My kids love them just warm right off the griddle!

Jackpot!!

My partner in crime and most consistent side kick, Jilly Bean, called this morning and said, "After we drop off kids and before we work out lets stop by this Estate Sale on Jackson", so we did.....they had just opened the doors and people were checking out with treasures I envied. Then we went in the house, where chaos reined! And there in the midst of it all was the creator, Johnny, saying 'we're not ready for people in the house', which meant virgin territory to me! So we sidled right up to Johnny, smiled real pretty and he said "we" could stay! So we snooped and picked and amassed a pile, when out of the blue Johnny asks a lady if she needs an old fridge? Nope and the subject is dropped. But I think, hmmmmmm, there must be more because there wasn't an old fridge in the house. So Johnny, I'd like to see the old fridge (not really), and off we go with his keys to the lock on the garage! B-I-N-G-O! Remember the gorgeous chair from Turned Antiques last week? There $400, here free~~WHEE! Antique Thread cabinet? Yep, free! Anything in the garage? Yep, free!! Our eyes were rolling around in our heads and we snooped and picked til both rigs were FULL!! Here's what I got, Jilly Bean high tailed it home with her loot!!

Apartment #3

Okay, I'm trying to do my bit for our education system, so every year January through April I rent my fully furnished vacation rental apartments to student teachers. About 20 some come here from Laramie (5 hours away) to teach every year. Since I could never ever be a teacher, this is my pay it forward for all of the wonderful teachers who never have been paid enough for what they do...........I give them one months rent for what I usually get each week. Most of them truly appreciate this...............some do not and today I spent 4.5 hours cleaning one of the do nots. Thankfully, I always require a hefty deposit. Unfortunately, for them I am a VERY expensive cleaning lady.......they could of had much more money returned...........and now Apartment #3 is back to it's serene glory!!

Inspiration destination!

I need this exact cupboard for my kitchen, it wasn't terrible, $450

Went with my pal yesterday to our inspiration destination, because we can't afford anything at this store but we get lots of good ideas and see lots of others along the way! So here is what I loved but cannot have but can recreate!! The peace sign my sis can make! Guitar was darn cute and very patriotic and the lounge chair! Cushion was so soft and fluffy, you litereally poofed when you sat in it, definately making those cushions!!

Sunday = Chocolate Cake

Don't know about you but on Sundays for Sunday dinner you need a chocolate cake. My mother in law got me this cake stand for our anniversary and it inspires me to make chocolate cakes about twice a month! Wouldn't it inspire you?