camping 101

The granddaughters and I are back from our big camping trip.

All that packing for one night beside the river...

it was worth it.

Grandma had to sleep in the top bunk so they could

giggle together late into the night.

I hope they know they will be tucking 

granny into bed early tonight.

What? Did someone say fireworks tonight?

Count me in! ~ b

Just ask for the soap...

Paula Deen found out a career can go down the drain with a slip of the tongue.

If you've been following the news...

She got caught saying a naughty word.

Did you ever get your mouth washed out with soap for doing the same?

 She has lost endorsements and been fired from the food network for it.

She tried apologizing to no avail.

She should ask for the soap.

And someone should tell her that it's okay to use drugs, sleep around or abuse your family...

but be careful what you say...or you will lose your job.

So in honor of Paula's spectacular career...

I bought this hand towel from her kitchen line

at K Mart.

b

dazzling

This past weekend I was happy to finish up three projects...

because there is always three new ones I can't wait to begin.

I really enjoyed embellishing these denim jackets

 we gave the granddaughters for their birthdays.

I think I may need a BeDazzler!

Remember those from the 80's?

They still sell them.

I can't believe daughter knit and pearl didn't have one of them.

She will be happy to see I did fancy stitching on them

with my Porsche of a sewing machine.

Would you believe I still have our sons high school denim jacket

 in the back of my closet?

And my embroidered one from the 70's!

That's about as hippy as I got back then.

This weekend we enjoyed...

 barbecued ribs...a fun shopping trip...

digging up a fairy garden...

and a much needed rain, over three inches.

Tune in tomorrow when I weigh in on the Paula Dean saga.

b

roses

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

Juliet

b

A Bee C

Bee is for baby...

I found another bumble bee print 

in my fabric stash

and couldn't resist.

b

dawg recipe

How to make the perfect hot dog...

fire up the grill

use a good quality hot dog...

we like Ball Park Franks

go ahead and toast your bun, insert laugh

these are the condiments I like...

see that relish?

you ain't gonna find that in no store!

Rolland's Relish, so good.

sorry it's an old family recipe

but I could be enticed to sell it for six figures?

go ahead and take a bite.

I like to take the first two bites, one off of each end.

Don't you hate when you have only bun left at the end?

It isn't summer until you've had hot dogs on the grill.

b

cotton candy and ferris wheels

I'm not sure just exactly when going from a participant

to a spectator turned out to be more fun?

Maybe it was when our children came along.

Or is it much later when grandchildren come along?

Or maybe it's when anything that goes around 

begins to make you dizzy?

 Watching our granddaughters at this carnival

and remembering my own carnival days

was a lot of fun.

b

Dads...

We had a fun Father's Day weekend.

Saturday it was golfing for 'the dads'

with a steak grill for our supper.

Our son definitely knows how to grill a good steak.

Sunday we stayed home and just enjoyed a quiet day by ourselves.

These five brothers are from my husbands side of the family.

Mr. b actually has two father's in this group.

The second man from the left is his dad.

When he passed away his mother married the 

youngest one in the group, on the far right.

I love these old pictures.

This one is from the late 1920's.

Don't they look poor and happy?

b

poor man

I made poor man's doughnuts for us last night.

Pretty easy...

1 can refrigerated biscuits

oil for frying

and sugar.

Of course they're always the best right out of the frying pan

 and after rolling in sugar.

Sometimes being poor can be a good thing.

b

empathetic monsters

Good grief...

knitting monsters is slow going - 

Eyes, ears, arms, legs!

All on circular and double point needles.

I have to say I love the colors I have chosen for them...

sage green and lavender...mmm

butter yellow and bright pink.

I have two granddaughters impatiently waiting for them,

the pressure is on.

Thought I would share a favorite slow cooker recipe of ours.

Sante Fe Soup with Melted Cheese

1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained

15 1/4-oz. can corn, undrained

15-oz. can kidney beans, undrained

14 1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies

14 1/2 oz.- can stewed tomatoes

2 Tbs. dry taco seasoning

corn chips, or soft tortillas

1. Combine all ingredients except chips or tortillas in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on high 3 hours.

3. Serve with corn chips as a side, or dip soft tortillas in individual servings in soup bowls.

We like this year round...        b

honey

baby shoes...

so sweet!

I have a sister that has bee hives on their land.

So guess who gets free honey.

Have you seen the price of honey?

Bee happy...

b

weekend fun

Making monsters...

is such great fun!

And don't you agree...

the back is cute too?

That big pocket on the back is perfect for holding

monster secrets.

This weekend I planted a lavender plant and 

some chili peppers...

made rhubarb sauce...

cast on for a knitted monster

and cast on again

and cast on again...

you see I kept twisting my stitches.

The sun is out once again and

I do believe the russian olive trees may soon be a bloomin'

b

dirt

I am finally getting my hands in the dirt.

Our temps are getting closer to 80 so I decided it's about time

to get a few posies planted around here.

I said NO petunias this year.. 

but one little petunia seed lost his way and 

ended up in my mexican heather.

Before I plant a few tomato and green pepper plants

I will once again have to get in my neighbors face

about spraying liquid weed killer to close to my garden.

Happy Friday to you...   b

snap happy

This little pouch is called "snap happy"

because you insert two pieces of a metal measuring tape

into the top casing

to make it snap open and closed.

And yup, I stole Mr. b's tape measure to make them.

Who comes up with these nifty ideas anyway?

(Thanks for sharing the pattern Mom.)

"Don't stress over anything that you can't change."
Mickey Mouse

b

cheeky chicken

Meet Chuck...

He is a very cheeky chicken!

He is the first chicken to come out of my sewing room

and he gave me quite a little trouble.

There was one little glitch in the pattern

that I just could NOT understand.

So go ahead and ask me why I am making a chicken.

Because one of the granddaughters asked me this weekend

if I would make her a chicken.

And that was before they both wanted monsters!

b

grandpa's pants pockets

The granddaughters and I got a good laugh

as grandma cut off the pockets of grandpa's pants

to make little purses for them.

When grandpa asked them if they cut up his pants

they were quick to rat me off...

"Grandma did it!"

The girls and I were back in my sewing room

 before 9 a.m.Sunday morning.

Are we related or what?

I now save every little scrap for them.

They love to cut and piece creations only a 

grandma can identify.

I have purchased a lot of little craft kits for them from Michael's.

If they can't talk me into a trip to the toy store

they know they can always get me to Michael's.

b

one way only...please

We had little visitors this weekend...

and boy can they keep this grandma busy.

I haven't quite gotten the hang of this twin stuff yet,

one goes one way...

while the other one goes the other way.

It's like they have their heads together 

teaming up on me!

If I don't see one I go into a panic...

something I never did with my own two kids.

Well... maybe once or twice I may have.

They definitely can run circles around me.

b