The Apron

by Ang

About a month ago, I got a package from my mom and dad. I wasn't expecting anything and I had to go to the post office and sign for it. I was SO EXCITED when I opened it!

It was an apron.

But not just any apron.

This apron was my Great Grandmother's. It was made by her mother (my Great Great Grandmother) over 85 years ago. It was one of the few things that my Great Grandmother brought with her on the boat from Germany to America in 1926.

It's in really good shape for being so old. I knew I wanted to display it and not just stick it in a drawer or a box. So I bought a shadow box.

I knew I wouldn't be able to display the apron in it's entirety (they don't make shadow boxes that big!). So I folded it a few times until I finally found a way to display it so that it showed off the beautiful embroidery.

Then I lightly ironed it. I didn't iron it completely - I was scared. It's really delicate! So I did my best, and then secured it with four small stick pins:Then I slid it into the shadow box:

And hung it in the dining room.

I love it so much. I love that it has so much history. I love that it was so important to my Great Grandma that she brought it with her to America. I think of all of my Grandmothers when I look at it. It is priceless to me!

She said, "AMY!" and other matters

By Amy


I've been a little busy. But I thought I would share a few pictures. And then return to my busy-ness. (: Meaning you may not hear from me again this week. Maybe. Just trying to get caught up on some stuff.

This week the little miss came to see me! And she said my name! Without prompting or bribing! She was in the living room and I was in the kitchen and she needed some help. "Amy!" "Amy!" Clear as a bell. I fainted. Not really but I did tear up. (:

Guess who wins the "Cutest Little Pony Tail" award?

And who has the cutest nieces in the world? That would be ME.

Poor Ginger. She can't be around the little kids yet because she is still a bit to hyper. She has a hard time controlling herself because she gets so excited! But that doesn't mean she is neglected.

Just look at Ginger's face. Totally loving it.

In other news...still cooking. Made this.

But I modified it. I cut up the lamb and made gyros instead. My sous chef put oil on the pitas.

Just a FYI. I buy flowers for myself every week. Have I told you this before? I get them at the grocery store for five dollars or less. The other week Hy-Vee had flower bouquets for just 1.67. Score! I pick them apart and put a arrangement on the table and a tiny one in my bedroom. They make me happy.


I was going through my pictures and decided I didn't have enough of my 15 year old.

I guess there is a reason for this.






Oh I also made the Red Velvet Cupcakes out of my cookbook. They were a bit dry. But I think that's because I cooked them to long. It didn't stop me from eating two though. Ok, it was three.

That's it for now. I am buried. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. I'm taking a few days off this week and next to get caught up on stuff around here. I'm not expecting miracles. Actually I am. I would love to get all my closets cleaned out, my photos organized, a budget planned, meals planned, party decorations made, desk organized and my house spring cleaned. That's not asking to much is it? (:

Simple Things Making Me Happy Today

by Ang

The cloudy day today. I love clouds!

This calendar featuring Little Miss A:

Netflix streaming TV:

This book....the 3rd and final in the Hunger Games series. I will be sad when it's over!

And him:

Random

by Ang

*It was beautiful today. I took the dog to the park for a nice long walk.

*I'm trying to drink more water. I don't drink nearly enough, and it is incredibly dry here.

*My phone finally died and I got a new one yesterday. So if you've texted me in the past week and I haven't gotten back to you, I'm sorry. I was having technical issues!

*I love the way doing laundry makes the whole house smell like Tide with Downey.

*Things I've learned today:

1. Big dogs and leather seats don't mix when you take a fast turn.

2. I drink much more water when I have a straw.

3. Doing homework on a Saturday afternoon is no fun.

4. There is such a thing as too many highlighters (I counted 13 in my pencil cup).

*I'm making pasta with chicken sausage for dinner tonight and I should get started on it.

*My husband has been gone all day at a scuba diving class and I miss him!

*Doing homework on a Saturday stinks. I know I already mentioned it, but it REALLY stinks.

That's all! Have a good weekend!

Technical and Mental Issues

By Amy

Hello there! Just thought I would pop in and say I would be MIA for a few days. You are thinking.....what's new? This week is stirring up to be insanely busy. As in my days and nights are so jammed packed I will be happy if I have time to use the bathroom. I am also dealing with the nightmare of having someone hack into my hotmail and claim that I'm in London and I have been mugged, send money asap!! So I have to clear up some stuff. See you in a week or so.

Nanette

by Ang

When e-readers first came out, I was interested, but slightly hesitant. I didn’t know enough about them to decide if I wanted one. It was a whole new concept for me…I mean, reading a book electronically just seemed…weird. Wouldn’t you miss the feel of an actual book in your hands? Turning pages?

I was intrigued though. So I started researching, and it came down to the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook. It didn’t take me long to decide which one I wanted to go with. The Kindle was cheaper, but it doesn't come in color. Also, it didn’t have the ability to check out e-books from your local library, which was the main reason I decided that I wanted the Nook (that came in color AND had the library feature).

So I mentioned it to my husband and said ‘one day I want one of these!’ and added it to my mental ‘wish list’. And a little over a month ago, he surprised me with a Nook Color from Barnes and Noble.

I was SOOOOOOO excited. I got it all set up and registered, created an account at BN.com, downloaded my first book and was ready to try reading a book electronically.

And I fell in love! (I’m so cheesy and dramatic)

But seriously. I love it. It’s almost addicting. I’ve always been a gal that reads more than one book at a time. Because I don’t know what I’ll be in the mood for, you know? So I like having a selection. But there’s no way you can carry around a selection of books in your purse (even if your purses are as big as mine usually are). But on the Nook…..wow. You can download books in about 4 seconds. FREE books too. They have a really good selection of free classics, and tons of books that are 4.99 and under. They have ‘Free Fridays’, where they pick a book to download for free (usually it’s a newer book too). And if you friend ‘Nook’ on Facebook, they have other free book offers during the week sometimes.

You can preview any book if you can’t decide if you want it or not (they usually give you a couple of chapters).

In my College Writing class I’m taking, I have to write an essay on another essay (sort of ‘my take’ on what the author was writing about). Anyways, in his essay he mentions 3 books that changed his life when he was learning to read in the 40’s. I was curious about them, and within 2 minutes, I had downloaded all 3 of them on my Nook (for free, none the less). I mean, without the Nook I would have had to drive to the library (or the bookstore), check them out (or buy them), etc. Instead, within 3 minutes I had all three books at my fingertips for FREE and will now be able to write a more well-rounded essay on the topic.

Oh but that’s not all she does. You can play Sudoku:

Or do a crossword puzzle:

Or play chess: (which I don’t do, because I don’t know how, even though my nephews repeatedly tried to teach me):

Or browse the internet:

And of course, the best part….read! I have set a $20 per month limit on the books I buy for my Nook. Because it would be very easy to get carried away. So $20 can get me anywhere from 2-10 books (depending on how new they are, the brand new ones are usually from $7-$12), which is plenty for the month. Plus, all of the free ones I download!

Oh, and you can also download documents and magazines:

I can understand why some people might be hesitant about an e-reader. A lot of people like to build up their actual libraries with ‘real’ books. But I’ve never been one of those people that hang on to books. I don’t keep it unless I absolutely LOVE it. Which is why I only have maybe 15 (fiction) books on my ‘keeper’ shelf. And I’ve decided that if I read a Nook book that I fall in love with, then I will buy the real thing to add to my collection. But it’s rare that I love a book so much that I HAVE to have it in case I want to read it again. There have only been a few (Gone With the Wind, The Poisonwood Bible, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride & Prejudice, The Pull of the Moon, The Shadow of the Wind, to name a few) in the YEARS that I have been reading that I loved so much I had to keep them.

So the Nook works for me. Thank you sweet husband for buying her for me! Yes, I said ‘her’. I named her Nanette. And it’s caught on. That’s all my husband and I call her. It’s even caught on at work (I bring her with me to read over my lunch break). The two ladies that sit closest to me always ask me what I'm reading on Nanette. :)

Love it or Hate it

By Amy


I have slowly been changing some things around the house. I feel like my stuff is really....blah. And not me. But since I'm not rolling in the dough, the changes have been sllllllooooooooowwwww. Which is fine. Because it's fun to look around and shop for bargains. I like the look of blue and green. And since my bedroom walls are blue...I thoughtI would get a green comforter. But the one I choose is kind of a puke, olive green. Which could be classified as ugly.

It's actually a little darker green in real life. Sometimes I walk in my bedroom and think, "Hey, that's a nice bed!" and other times I'm like, "Oh goodness, what have I done." So I don't know if I love it or hate it. I do know for a fact that I love my pillows.

All pillow covers came from Etsy. I think I have told you of my love for Etsy.com. Just look at this sweet pillow!

I want to be this crafty! I want to fill my days with fabric and sewing and card making and scrapbooking! Until then, I will just buy stuff from people that have time to craft on Etsy.

And in other news, I can check off two more recipes from my Barefoot Contessa cookbook. I made Panko Crusted Salmon and Roasted Cauliflower.

The salmon was a hit. The cauliflower was not. You can't win them all.