Manic Monday (yes, I need to come up with a new title)

So for my 1st (and possibly last) Manic Monday post:

This week Chris and Mark, our best friend, decide to do "manly work" a.k.a wood cutting.  To test their skills, I had them cut a heart out of the last piece of wood.  Weak, I know, but it was all I could think of on the spot.  So, they did (and it came out pretty good, yes, I admit, I was impressed).  And, like any good piece of art, it needed spray paint.  And assuming that it would eventually go into Kait's room (and seeing the final cut out version) I painted it purple. 

Yesterday, I noticed the spray paint outline on our gravel driveway.  Love it.

"We may think we are doing the right thing, but the LORD always knows what is in our hearts."

Proverbs 21:2 (CEV)

Family Friday

The kids & I had had planned on having an arts & crafts night, but someone didn't clean his room....

so instead we.........

Played in the (much needed) Summer Rain

                                                

Made Smoothies

     

First, I've had a Ninja for some time now and have never used it.  Horrible, I know. 

Now that the kids are loving smoothies, I decided why not make our own....

So, I started by visiting my favorite food site - http://www.allrecipes.com/

That is where I found this goody:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/purple-monstrosity-fruit-smoothie/detail.aspx

We also made one with Spinach leaves.  Kaitlin's comment "looks like vomit, but tastes good!"

If I'm going to make this blog thing work

I am a creature of habit. I am a creature of organization.  I am a creature that wants to make this blog thing work, but I need to know what I'm going to blog about each day. So.... I need help & ideas.

I was thinking, if I had a "worksheet" that told me (in a cute bloggy way) what I am going to blog about each day, I could will make this work. 

Here are my ideas/1st draft:
Monday - Manic Monday (sooo original, right). This is the start of teh week & can be anything.
Tuesday - Tutorial Tuesday.  This is, obviously, tutorials.  This will probably be my favorite.
Wednesday - NO CLUE.  I have friends that have done Way Back Wednesday, which I love, but right now all my good old pics are on a broken computer. Ugh. 
Thursday - Thankful Thursday.  This is my day to say at least one thing I am thankful for. I think we all need this at least once per week.
Friday - Family Friday. This will be a recap and/or introduction to what the family has or will do.

Please provide ideas, this is just a draft. I especially need something for Wednesday. 

I SEE THE LIGHT: lamp & lamp shade redo

A few weeks ago I bought a very heavy, metal lamp at a garage sale for $5 (I used its purchase to bargain with the seller to get two awesome tables for cheap - more to come on that later)! It was in perfect condition and was probably quite expensive back in it's day.  I really did want it, to redo, but always knew that if I ended up not liking it, it could always be used as a weapon - yes, it's that heavy.

 

The lamp before (pardon Olive in the background). 

What you need:

Lamp, Lampshade, Sandpaper, Primer & (spray) Paint, Fabric (optional ribbon)

Plus Fabric Scissors & Glue Gun

Step 1 - Sand (to better adhere) & Prime the lamp. 

Step 2 - (as shown) Spray paint the lamp your desired color. I chose a basic black. It took about 2 coats.

Yes, it's literally that simple.  I now have a beautiful lamp....except one thing....

 

Look at that lampshade.  Eek.  

Next Project - New Lamp Shade. 

Well, since I'm super cheap frugal and couldn't find the correct size drum lamp shade at my local Walmart or Target store, I decided that I could easily make one update one. 

     

Step 1 - I purchased a $2 - 1970's lampshade at my local Goodwill. 

The cover was so old that it easily peeled off.  Otherwise you can create a template on trace paper or do as I was going to do and just "wing it!" :)

I took the shade cover off and cut it open.

Then I set the original cover on top of my fabric & cut the same shape/size

 

Step 2 - I started gluing the fabric to the lamp shade.  

I started at the outside top, but think it would be better to start on the inside top and wrap it around.

 

I did this all the way around the lampshade.

 

Step 3 & 4 - I glued the inside edges, beginning with the bottom (since I had already glued the outside top), then I glued the top inside.

 

Step 5 - Trim the unwanted fabric.

And.... Voila..... (it's hard to see, but I went around the outside top with ribbon, this is optional)

 

Total Cost: 

$5 for lamp at Yard Sale

$2 for lamp shade at Goodwill

$6 for primer and spray paint (but you will have it left over for another craft - yippee)

$4 for fabric on sale at Hobby Lobby (I bought extra, again for another project)

$17 - if you have to buy everything.  This is less than one lampshade! Awesome!

Time to (really) start blogging.

Welcome back.  This is my 2nd attempt at this blog, possibly 3rd if you count my New Year resolution (let's not).  One of my favorite past times is to read blogs, so why can't I do this? I'm lazy... that has to be it. 
Well, now that I'm becoming rather crafty, I've decided that I'm going to start blogging.  As I'm in the process of my craftiness, I actually think about what I'm going to write on my blog and then I don't do it.  Lets stop that behavior and start this.... blogging.  Here it comes.  Stay with me, hopefully they will get better as time passes. 

Welcome - Olive Porter - adopted 1.30.11

Introducing Olive (oil) Porter.

We adopted this little 6 week old sweet heart from the Gravette pound. She is (so far) very fun, playful, and smart. We have only had 3 accidents inside the house, in which we (the humans) take the blame.

She is adored...

Did I mention.... I Love These Kids

Hey - Hey - We're the Monkeys (at the zoo)

Happy 8th Birthday to Kaitlin Isabelle!

Kaitlin's 8th Birthday was January 28th.

For her birthday we had a family "thing" at home, time at Chuck E Cheese and then Tulsa Zoo (on our 70 degrees Saturday). It was a good time, all around.

I promised Kaitlin next year we will have a girlfriend sleep over... but as for this year, here are some pics.

Kaitlin Belle - I Love this Girl!

Kaitlins "5 & Dime" from Sam's. So Good.

Chuck E Cheese Time:

Tulsa Zoo Time:

Where is the Pixie Dust?

Last Saturday, Kaitlin, Hayden, Kelsey Gaithe (my cousin), Ashley Carter (friend) and I took a trip to Terra Studios (http://www.terrastudios.com/). I have always loved this place. There is something completely magical about it. I love all the knomes, pottery, blue birds, glitter and glitz, magical trails and the labyrinth. Plus, it is free. I can't wait to go back in the Spring when flowers are blooming and new life is introduced.

Shameful Little Indulgences

Okay, first, I do not watch a lot of t.v. I just feel like there is not enough time in the day. But, I do like to use it for background noise while cleaning or for those special times. :)

So, today I spent a little time adding some Shameful Indulgences to the Netflix instant queue. And, yes, I truely mean the word shameful!

I added (to name a few):

Sometimes you have to Improvise

I love cooking new recipes, but don't have a lot of time in the evening with work, homework, reading, baths... and cooking. So, I try to improvise. Plus, I'm not a great cook, so if it takes longer than an hour, I pretty much give up before starting (I know, not a good example to set, right).

One recipe that the family loved, but had to be a "weekend meal" due to the length of time it takes to prepare and cook, is the Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole from the Campbells website. Here is the link: http://www.campbellskitchen.com/RecipeDetail.aspx?recipeId=27173&ref=%2fSearchRecipesResult.aspx%3ffilter%3d%26q%3dcheesy%2bchicken%26fbid%3dsuymo8XA6nm&fbid=suymo8XA6nm .

Here is how I make it, and my family likes it just as well.

1. I cook the rice in the microwave, while the oven is preheating at 375 degrees.

2. Once the rice is cooked, I mix in one large can of Cream of Chicken soup, one can of pea's and one can of corn (you can add any veggies).

3. Add your seasoning - pepper adds a lot of flavor.

4. Transfer the mixture into a cassarole dish.

5. Add canned chicken to the top, shredding it well. You can mix it into the mixture, if you desire. Top with cheese.

6. Bake for 30 minutes or until warm and cheese is melted. Enjoy.

Kaitlin & Hayden

I'm sitting here in a house by myself, working on creating something new, something about our family, something to share with "the world" - this BLOG. And as I sit here, I think about where I should begin. I assume that most people who read the blog know about Us - The Porter Family. But, I wonder, should I give insight, background, on us? So, I will...I will start by providing background on the most important reason for Chris and me to take our daily breaths - our children - Kaitlin Isabelle and Hayden Maddox.

Kaitlin Isabelle Porter. 7 years old. 1st grade. Jan. 28th, 2003.
Beautiful. Brown hair. Brown eyes. Just lost her first top tooth. Kind. Gentle. Thoughtful. Smart. Punctual. Fun. Dramatic. Loves music. Loves people. Caring. Concerned. Artistic. And as we joke regularly: OCD. She is, in one word, wonderful.

Hayden Maddox Porter. 4 years old. Feb. 21st, 2006.
Handsome. Blonde hair. Brown eyes. Sensative. Imaginative. Creative. Laid back. Loves. Movies. Music. Concerned. Zombies. Funny. He is, in one word, awesome.

We Are Blessed.