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THE CARPORT IS CLEANED OUT!


Yes, only one car is parked in there. On the other side there is a giant shelving unit with 8 different recycling bins, two riding lawn mowers and a 27" planter box. Cleaning out the carport was a giant accomplishment which took all day last Saturday. Now it is done and I couldn't be happier to pull into the carport. I think J.D. and I need to take turns, but she says she doesn't mind parking in the driveway. Martyr.

The Gifts of Spring

If you follow my blog fairly regularly, you know that I live in my grandparents former home. This June my grandmother will have been gone for a year and this August my grandfather will have been gone for two years. To say that I miss them greatly is an understatement.

Last fall and Christmas were probably the hardest times living here. We had just moved in and everything was in chaos and I missed them so much. We had been renovating since August and I hadn't broken down yet. I was fine when we sorted through all of their belongings and moved the furniture and stripped the wallpaper and ripped up the carpet. Then came November and it was time for me to pack up Gamma's linen closet. As I sat on the bathroom floor with that box and inhaled the scent of her linens, I sobbed. They were folded perfectly and smelled heavenly. It didn't matter what laundry soap she used, her linens always smelled the same. She always ironed the pillowcases and there they were, sitting on the shelf in neat little stacks. It was more than I could take.

Looking back, I wonder if somewhere inside I felt that by renovating their home; I had removed them from it. Packing up those linens felt like the proverbial nail in the coffin. They were gone and I couldn't have them back.

Me and my Grandaddy. I was about three.

Kyle, Jessie and Grandaddy. This was Kyle's first garden. He's about four here.

My front porch now

Then came spring. Bulbs that my grandmother had planted years ago started popping out of the ground. I felt her again. The things that she loved were coming up again and it was like she was there to remind me that she was still here.

The Magnolia tree getting ready to bloom. My grandmother loved Magnolias.

Iris's underneath the Magnolia.

Apple tree outside of my window.

I used to make homemade applesauce every summer with my grandparents.

Fig tree behind the house. It's taller than the house now.

Beautiful, huge bush right outside my back door. Can you tell me what it is? I have no clue.

Another Iris behind the house.

Every time I walk outside or pull up in the driveway and see the beautiful plants, I feel warm inside. I can sit by my bedroom window in the evening and listen to the birds and crickets and I am instantly transported back to my childhood and a feeling of security and love instantly washes over me. Isn't it amazing how senses can take you to another place and time.

Thank you, Gamma and Grandaddy.

A corner cabinet, 80% done

Meet my friend, Mr. Ugly. He's a corner cabinet from an era that no one is quite sure of. He came from another family member who purchased him at a yard sale in the late 1970's- early 1980's. That would make him 40-50 years old? Who knows? He begged to be put out of his misery. He was pine-y and had hideous plastic knobs and ugly hinges. I knew Mr. Ugly had potential, but he needed an extreme makeover.

First, he needed his warts removed (the ugly knobs and hinges). Once we removed those with a scalpel, it was time to exfoliate. We sanded off that top layer of skin and removed the shiny, glossy, oily finish. We primed him inside and out with a coat of Kilz and then gave him two coats of Ralph Lauren's "Turret Stair".

I then gave him some new jewelry (pretty new knobs and hinges) that I installed kind of almost by myself. Really I put the knobs on by myself and hung one set of hinges, but then I needed help. J.D. is super handy with the drill. I did the measuring, Lord help poor J.D. It's a good thing she understand that when I say three and four quarters and between the next little line, she knew what I meant. She's good like that.

He's definitely not done yet. He has piece of molding that goes on the top of the cabinet, I guess that would be a hat for his head. He also needs glass to go in the doors and I want to put lights under the shelves. But, I still think he is 100% better. What do you think?

I H.E.A.R.T. The Nester

I love The Nester. I know I am like, one of her many thousand fans and I will go ahead and tell you that this girl belongs on Oprah. Possibly her own show on HGTV or Style.

Nester makes tassels. Beautiful, gorgeous, to-die-for tassels. Last week, she listed 100 tassels at 9am and by 9:14 am there were only like eight left. I bought one of the remaining eight and it came in the mail yesterday. I almost wet my pants, I was so excited. Seriously.

Would you like to win a gorgeous birdie tassel made by The Nester? Head on over to Amy's site, Everything Etsy and enter for your chance to win. If you haven't discovered Etsy yet, well you need to head there too. It's like the best online handmade store ever. I could spend hours, maybe even days there. It's where I buy the best, most adorable dog collars ever. I will never switch, so Shannon better keep cranking them out.

How's that for a ton of links?

Today I feel anxious....

I feel yucky today. I have no reason to feel yucky. Well, I should say no good reason to feel yucky. I woke up, was able to put both feet on the floor and see the sunshine. That's a beautiful thing, right?

Pickle, our youngest dog terrorist, bit J.D. this morning. It's the third time in about two weeks. Ladies when I tell you she bites, well, she bites bad. She has bitten her chest (the area that is covered by a bra) three times. J.D. has said that Pickle can leave a mark through a shirt and sweater. I don't know what to do. Pickle gets jealous when I give attention to one of the other dogs so she tries to attack the other dogs and when J.D. tries to stop her, she bites. Pickle doesn't bite me like that and I feel guilty. That wasn't a good way to start out our morning. A side note.... Pickle has never bitten anyone but J.D. and wouldn't hurt a child.

J.D. and I are both stressed with work. The economy is hurting our pockets good bit. I haven't had a bonus in three months and J.D. got a tiny one this month. Please don't think I am crazy for being sad about us not getting a bonus; our bonuses are a large part of our salaries and usually very easy to attain. I am very, very, very thankful that we do have jobs! Do you know that J.D. and I work for the same company? How cool is that?

Our house overwhelms me. Everywhere I look I see something that needs to be done. Painting, cleaning, sanding, installing, it's everywhere. I know I need to stop and remember how far we have come. I seem to lose perspective very easily. When our friends and family walk into our house they are amazed at how much we have accomplished, but when I look at it I don't see those things. I know I need to.

We plan on cleaning out our carport/garage this weekend. It has never really recovered from when we began renovating last August. All of the subcontractors who were in and out never cleaned up their messes and materials and when we moved if we didn't know where to put it, it went in the garage. I think that this will help a lot because a) I hope to park there and b) it is the first thing I see when I get out of the car at home and it stresses me out everyday! I just need to do it!

Last night we did manage to scrub out our recycling bins, put the final coat on the corner cabinet and plant some flowers. I was also a good girl and we ate dinner at home. We were also in our beds by 10:30! J.D. was happy because Mr. stayed in bed with me all night long. He usually ends up with her at some point and totally takes over her bed.

Does your heart ever hurt and want to break for all of the sadness in the world? Somedays I feel like I am going to have to quit watching the news. I know that there has to be good news in the world; where are those stories?

How do I love thee, Chicken Tortilla Soup?

I H.A.T.E.D. soup growing up. Could it have been because my mother was a horrible cook and her idea of cooking soup was dumping different canned vegetables in a pot and adding spaghetti noodles? Possibly.

Then I grew up. I think my love of soup began when I first ate my stepmother's shrimp and corn soup. Mama Laura has tried to tell me how to make it several times, but I am afraid of it tasting like shrimp water, so I haven't attempted it. Instead, I have her make it every time she comes to visit and I freeze it and ration it out.

The soup I do make? The Lazy Organizer's Chicken Tortilla Soup. I could eat this stuff a few times a week. I make it nearly every week anyway. It's cheap and delicious and full of flavor! Seriously. Sometimes I only use one chicken breast for a pot of soup and you can't tell the difference! The recipe does call for two cups of heavy cream, but I don't exactly do that. I'll tell you my secret: I use one cup of half and half and one cup of skim or 1% or 2% milk, depending on whatever we are using that week. I think I also add a lot more garlic, onions and bell pepper than she does because that's how I roll, baby.

On to the recipe!

Chicken Tortilla Soup
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 cups water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup salsa
1/2 -1 cup frozen corn
1 can black beans, rinsed
1-2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
cumin powder (I don't measure, keep adding and tasting, it's probably a T. or two)
chili powder ( I don't measure, keep adding and tasting, it's probably a T. or two)
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 cup cold water
fresh cilantro, torn
tortilla chips
1 fresh lime
grated cheese

Saute garlic, green pepper and onion in a tablespoon of olive oil until soft. Add water, bouillon, cream, salsa, corn, chicken, and spices until boiling. Stir corn starch into cold water and add to soup slowly. After it’s thickened add fresh cilantro and lime juice. Serve hot with tortilla chips and grated cheese.

Maybe it's just me and the way I cook, but I always have these ingredients on hand. I am also a fan of soup and salad in the summer. If I don't have to turn on my oven in the summer, I am a happy camper.

Enjoy!

P.S. Mom, when are you coming to visit? I need some shrimp and corn soup for the freezer! J.D. and I also have a woodworking project for Dad for our sun room.

Big furniture changes!

We have had this corner cabinet in our carport since the Christmas holidays. It came from another family member's house. They renovated and didn't need it anymore. I knew I wanted to paint it, but had no motivation.

Then came Rhoda's post on her flea market corner cabinet. This was the inspiration I needed! We hauled that puppy into our sun room, sanded it and put a coat of primer on it. My camera battery died as we put the primer on it. Tonight, we put on a coat of Ralph Lauren's "Turret Stair". We'll let it dry tonight, buy camera batteries and put on another coat tomorrow night. I can't wait! I love free furniture!

Happy Birthday!

Today is my friend Lizzie's birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIZZIE!

Lizzie and I first met in high school. We didn't have any classes together until our sophomore year and then we were in Free Enterprise/Civics class together with Mr. Washington and Mrs. Ross. We also had Biology with Ms. Bennett together. Mr. Washington was a notorious sexist and I remember being terrified of having to take one of his classes. I remember Lizzie's dad coming to school on one occasion to have a talk with Mr. Washington about one of his tests. Ms. Bennett was absolutely crazy and she could be quite insulting. I don't think Lizzie or I ever had to deal with being the subject of one Ms. Bennett's jokes, they were brutal! Lizzie, do you remember Ms. Bennett drawing a "short bus" with a girl in the window on a piece of paper and "driving" it down to a girl named Jenny when she asked a stupid question? Or Ms. Bennett saying things like "your a** is grass and I'm John Deere, let's start mowing!!!"?

We really became friends our senior year of high school when we both had radio together. For those of you who don't know, our high school had a student run AM/FM radio station. Lizzie taught me how to "run the board" and we would work on crossword puzzles together. Cori was also in radio 7th hour... we had so much fun. Do you remember the time Mr. Dean fell on the floor and he had all of us write up reports of our versions of what happened and Cori wrote "I looked up and Mr. Dean was on the floor."? Cori also wrote "The Histoire of 7th Hour Radio" during that time. I wish a copy of that still existed!

I remember sobbing in your driveway before I left for college. I remember Christmas break of our freshman year of college. I think you had surgery for your deviated septum a few days before I left to go back to school. I didn't call you or come see you before I left. I know you were upset with me for that. What I don't think I ever told you was that I couldn't stand saying goodbye again. Leaving for college hurt way too much.

You were the first friend I ever had who accepted me for who I was. I don't know when I told you how crazy my mom was, but you never judged me. I never felt like you held back around me and I never had to hold back around you. I loved you so much (and still do) and I knew that you loved me just as much. You weren't pretending to be friend, you were. (and still are)

We may not talk as much as we used to. We may not email as much as we should. But Lizzie, I think of you every day and hold you so close to my heart. Today, I thank God for bringing you into this world and sharing you with me! I hope you have a wonderful birthday and that I get to see you soon!

"On today, we shall synchronize our personal timepieces and wish you a Happy Birthday!" (That would be a J.B. Williams reference for you)

I love you!

P.S. There will be picture added within the next day or so, I just need to scan them!

Easter in our backyard

One of my favorite things about living on our family compound is the area we call "the park". The park is between my house and my Aunt Gail's house and we hold every family event from Easter to the end of October here. I tried to take pictures of what it looks like. We didn't get to finish planting flowers before Easter and everything isn't in bloom yet, but this will give you an idea.

It's decorated with lots of vintage items. There is an old bicycle, pots and pans, a pedestal sink and a clawfoot tub. The clawfoot tub is about to be turned into a fountain with koi. I joke with my uncle that I am going to get him an antique toilet for him for Father's day. He actually wouldn't mind.

My cousins Daniel and Kyle. Dan needs a haircut. His hair is really curly and he had me straighten it that morning. I straightened it all right; straight into him looking like a Ken doll.

Me and my cousin Erica.

J.D. and Erica

Me and Grandad H.

Sweet Aunt Gail and cousin Kyle. His birthday was the day after Easter.

We had a great day. Every year I realize more and more how blessed I am to share life with my family. Thank you, God!

Mi casa!

So a lot of my blog friends have been talking about doing tours of their homes. Up until now I have been very leery about showing a lot of my home because it isn't "perfect" and we are renovating. Well folks, today is your lucky day because I am throwing caution to the wind and disclosing everything! Okay, just about everything. You aren't seeing the pantry, laundry room and yucky basement. We are also going to skip a few closets. Without further ado, I present to you the new thorn in my side: MY KITCHEN


It's dark and dreary. I love to cook and this kitchen most definitely does not inspire cooking. It's a basic galley kitchen and I am open to any and all suggestions as to inexpensive updates. The cabinets are custom and the countertops are Corian, but I disklike it all.
Yes, those are takeout boxes in the photo below. Did I just say I love to cook?

The kitchen leads to the den. Which is about 80% complete. We still need to finish the trim and paint the doors. Bonus points if you can guess what LJZMP stands for. Seriously, I am thinking of a prize if someone comments and guesses correctly. You will get something good, I promise.

Off of the den there is a hallway that leads to the bedrooms and bathrooms.

First stop, J.D.'s room. The bedroom furniture came from my Great Grandmother.

To the left of this picture you can see into my bedroom. It's across the hall and our next stop on the tour.

My room. I honestly love it!

One drawback; my bathroom is connected to my bedroom and there are no doors to the bathroom. I can see the toilet from my bed. SCORE!

The other view of the hallway:

Guest bedroom. Aren't the blue window frames classy? We haven't gotten around to painting those yet.

Back into the hallway into J.D.'s bathroom. I hate the gold faucet. Unfortunately, replacing it is low on the list right now.

Linen closet in bathroom. Oh, none of our closets have doors. Yet. We have them. Where are they, you may ask? Why sitting in our carport, mildewing while waiting to be painted.

Foyer. It's boring. I haven't done anything but paint and replace the light fixture.

Formal living and dining. No furniture in the formal living room. Low on the priority list as well. One benefit of taking these pictures is that I have realized that the chandelier above the dining room table is way too small. I think I am going to put it over the kitchen table and get a new one in the dining room. You didn't see pictures of the kitchen table because it's a little cluttered right now. So sue me. I take that back, don't sue me. ( Line totally stolen from Michael Scott, Dunder Mifflin... THE OFFICE)

As you can see the dining room table is covered in "stuff". The clutter in here doesn't bother me because I go in here about once a week and it is completely shut off from the rest of the house.

The sunroom.

Yes, those are blankets on the floor. In the spring/summer I take away the dog beds and they lay on blankets. It's easier.

This concludes our tour. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.