let me eat pie...

i'm going to make this pie:

Peach IceBox Pie

1 baked pie crust

1 (303) can sliced peaches, drained

1 pkg. peach jello (4 serving size)

1 c. sugar

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1 c. water

1 container Cool Whip

Mix jello (dry), sugar, cornstarch together; add water. Bring to boil - boil 3 minutes - cool.

When above mixture is cooled, arrange peaches in pie shell. Pour jello mix over peaches. Place in refrigerator. When set - top with Cool Whip.

surely i can do this without the fire department...

comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide where i have a timer... 3 minutes boiling time - i can DO THIS!

SPRING!!!

I have had so much fun exploring the signs of spring in my 'hood!!! ESPECIALLY 'cause everything I grow is accidental!!!

Although - in my defense - I can grow an AWEsome rock garden! (and a stray animal sanctuary... but that's a whole 'nother post (or 9) in itself...).

I can grow Cactus... which has buds on it...

and the birds all plant Hackberry trees for me... I like how limey green the trees are in the Spring! And yes, I pull branches off of the tree and bottle 'em for my personal enjoyment!

I can grow Rosemary...

and it's blooming... but I think it's near impossible to murder rosemary. I know it grows even through lack-of-attention... *hangs head in gardening shame*.

My peach trees just kind of happen...

and they are all blooming!

And my Iris's are growing and blooming...

 despite repeatedly being mowed down... oops...

I tip-toe through my Buttercups...

and even rub them on my nose! Then I sneeze... but do it again!

I have some Sunflowers introducing themselves...

and these purple things. Used to I would have called this a weed, but I've since learned that if it is welcome in my yard, and it makes me smile because it's pretty - then it's not a weed!

comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide where I'm hoping your accidental Spring is in FULL BLOOM!!!

ramblings of a crazy red.neck...

Where was I?
*hangs head in shame as I look at the date on my last post...*
In my defense - I've been making great things!!! And doing great things!!! And in the middle of that - haven't had much to say that you would find interesting!!!

i stole this from Jenn @ Give Me Props!

My last Soiree was INCREDIBLY great! April (the hostess), her family and her new home are GORGEOUS!!! It was such a joy to just park my duct tape and enjoy meeting new friends, chit-chatting with old friends and soaking up the fun!!! It all started with a squirrel thinking he was on the guest list and making his rounds through April's house...

i stole this photo from Jenn too... this is April's daughter - the BEST product model i've ever had!!! beautiful - chocolate covered strawberries and all!

and ended with Mama Debinator and THEE Kitty Cat Daddy comin' in to make sure Jenn, April, Lezlee (aka: Prior aka: Elsie Mae on Market) and I were behaving ourselves!!! Of course we weren't... and to be honest with you, Mama Debinator and Kitty Cat Daddy weren't either.

A couple of weeks after that, I showed my freckle-face in the Ft. Worth area and Jenn (my rep (*giggle* (yes... i still giggle when i say "rep"...))) took me to all kinds of FANTASTIC shops and stores!!! We tinkered around with checking in to red.neck "arriving" in various shops in various zip codes, but it turns out - I don't really fit in anywhere that we have found yet!!!

Heading home that night I had a bit of a complex... my style isn't shabby awesome, it's not rhinestones and big hair, it's not subtle timelessness, it's not hippy coolness or cowgirl/western laid-back... I'm just me. THEN I realized: I don't "fit" anywhere 'cause I'm almost ready for a shop of my own - and I'll know that my random style that is SEW ME will fit in just perfectly - and I can freely and with GREAT JOY work in all of the other styles that make life so fun - and there will be something for EVERYone!

Until "red.neck Chic" the general store throws her doors open, Jenn is lining up red.neck Chic Soiree appearances for me... my next is on the 15th with Kristi and Amy - watch out San Antonio!!! Luckily Jenn is ALSO keeping me in line and telling me where to be and when... a friend said it best, "you finally have someone that will focus for you while you just dance around in your crazy duct tape roll forgetting what day it is." If that wasn't true, I would probably be upset at that statement... but instead, I will just thank Jenn yet again 'cause there is no denying the fact that I usually can't remember my own name. :-/

What else, what else...

I've made some new pocketbooks - re.po'd and re.designed some new pearl-snaps, dishtowels, soaps, etc. etc. etc. You know me... I set one thing down and pick up 3 new things to make. *big grin*

a very big GIANT pink flower tree!

The "Taj Mahal" in The Hillsboro Antique Mall is going to get a major face-lift in a couple of weeks. I've been shopping my own barn, picking up things here 'n there, making MORE new things... fashion. home. life. is all fixing to collide in one big space... again. Oh wait... that's kind of an on-going thing, right?

I'm still harassin' Honey at Honey's Home + Style off and on. I've run in to some on-going health problems (no worries - it's nothing some duct tape, Wd-40 and time up on cinder-blocks can't fix right up!) so if I'm stayin' home instead of going to lust over beautiful things at Honey's store, it's with a big grin because I duck outside, run straight for the lab.or.a.tory and lock myself in!!! Let me tell you though: there's a post in "edit" right now waiting for me to take some pictures... Honey has swung me to the "fine linen" side of life. And, I'm not kidding, it was like SANTA came to visit me when she got new fabric samples in for her furniture! I sat and just touched them - and was kinda sad when I had to leave them! I know, I'm such a sick fabric hoarder! LOL!

In the meantime, I've sprinkled some random photos through this post because that's what I do... oh, and I also take photos of random stuff. LOL

this photo cracks me up... it looks like hairy bricks.

The man-child is winding up to slide in to graduation!

We're in the second semester of his SENIOR YEAR - good GRIEF when and how did that happen?!?! - and Prom, Senior trips and skip days, Senior stuff in general... graduation... AUGH! -  it's all being discussed in the single-wide.

A couple of weeks ago we had the Area Youth concert where he was first-chair trombone... then last week he had UIL Solo & Ensemble where he did so well he gets to advance to the State competition in 2 different ensembles! One with his trombone and one with his baritone!

hmmmm.... I think that just about sums up my last month! Laying low (check). Staying out of trouble (check) (okay... maybe a question mark...). Making fun things (check check check). Taking random photos through-out the United States (check). Gettin' ready for my next Soiree (check). Enjoying the man-child (check). Keeping my blog updated... uhmmm...

comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide where I do miss you... and even if I don't say anything - I'm still cyber stalking you and your blog... just thought you should know that.



Would you like to host your own "Soiree"? Contact Jenn at Give Me Props... she'll hook you up and then I can come park my single-wide in your back yard! Yee HA! xo

towering piles of...

(I found this picture on a past post... I WISH WISH my laboratory still looked like this!!!! Instead? 3 years later - utter, complete, and total annihilation... I wonder who broke in and set off the hand grenade(sssss)?)

towering piles of future pocketbooks.

After the Junk Hippy Show in November I have been SERIOUSLY lacking pocketbook inspiration... or ANY inspiration!!! I have just stood in my sewing room (or sometimes not even stepping through the door!) totally lost with NOTHING jumping out and screaming, "make me! NOW!".

My sewing machine was on mute... wouldn't listen to me OR talk to me... my bobbins were gathering dust... my fabrics were growing their own spider webs...

truly tragic.

Then? I was re-painting my bathroom and the paint fumes must have stirred something 'cause I now have entered in to some weird pocketbook making mode. I'm putting bags together in my head WAY faster than I can make them happen with my fingertips! I have a toppling tower of, "to make next".

Pocketbooks - 24/7. I'm almost skeert to sleep for fear the mad desire to make great things goes MIA again!!!

This one is MINE now! LOL I liked it sew much I dumped all of my fun things I think I have to have on a daily basis right in to it!

I have my next "swa.ray" Friday night... I'm thinking there are going to be a lot of "never seen before" pocketbooks arriving for the par-tay...

Are you feeling inspired to make great things or is your creative space growing dust-bunnies?

now I'm off to repo some pearl-snaps...

comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide where I should proll'y move my piles and vacuum my dust bunnies so they don't feel compelled to grow some more... but that requires stepping away from my sewing machine and promptly tripping over my piles then landing nose first in more piles... pffffttt...

 

Would you like to host your own "Soiree"? Contact Jenn at Give Me Props... she'll hook you up and then I can come park my single-wide in your back yard! Yee HAW! xo

i'm hungry.

if you know me well AT ALL, you know "i'm hungry." are two of my favorite words in the vocabulary.

if i didn't know better i'd think i had a sugar-craving tape worm. but... i know better 'cause the scale tends to slap me in to reality...

stupid scale.

anyway - my favorite food group is: peanut butter.



yes - i said, "food group".



i like bananas too... and butter...

Grilled Peanut Butter Banana Sandwich:

Ingredients

2-3   Ripe bananas 

8   Slices white bread 

3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter 

3 tablespoon honey 

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 cup butter

Topping: 

1/4 cup of sugar 

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions

In frying pan melt 3 tablespoons of butter - make sure butter does not burn.  In a small bowl mix together peanut butter, honey and cinnamon. Slice bananas into 1/4 thick slices. Spread the peanut butter mixture on four slices of bread and cover with banana slices.  Top with remaining 4 slices of bread.  Spread butter on both sides of sandwiches.  Grill sandwiches in frying pan until each side is golden brown.

For topping, combine sugar cinnamon in shallow plate.  Coat grilled sandwiches with mixture.  Cut diagonally and serve hot.

Recipe Courtesy Paula Deen

it's on now...

i'm hungry.

comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide where i figure i'll call the fire guys and give them a head's up 'cause this is what i'm makin' for dinner!!!

bowled over.

I had blogged (here) before about how I ADORE and WANT an Arco lamp!!! However... the ol' pocketbook screams and runs when looking at the price tag on a real (aka: vintage) Arco, and though I think the sky is the limit when it comes to decorating my house...

my ceiling height tends to put a lid on my imagination.

Enter Target and their lamp department:

The frame of it is close enough for me - the height is just right - the PRICE TAG was fantastic!!!

But - the shade and base weren't right...

so I found a stainless steel bowl and a wooden rectangular box.


*big grin*


I am gonna fill the box with concrete when I get a couple of nice "concrete pourin'" days in a row (right now it's weighted with bricks), and then I will decide if I'm going to break the box away and have a concrete base - or just leave it!

comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide where sometimes my determination (and total dis-respect for cooking equipment) to have something I like just makes me laugh... but happy!!!

What do you use YOUR mixing bowls for?