An Ode To The Nester…

Otherwise Known as… I want to live in her bedroom!!! 

 Okay.. now that I’ve caught your attention.. I just want to post a few pictures for a fellow blogger, The Nester @ The Nesting Place.  Her recent Blog, Window Mistreatments:401 has me totally capitvated.. I want her style, I want her windows.. I want her bedroom!! 

  Anyway, I commented on her blog, and asked her to come over to check out “the Expensive Quilt” aka, My Bedroom.  I just want some gooood suggestions on what kind of fabric I should look for to “Mis-treat” my windows in there.  Right now I have some Sheers that I am not happy with.  The main problem is, I live in the NORTH, NORTH, NORTH… and in the summer, it stays light outside till after 10:00 at night.  So, I can’t just have bare windows… the room darkening blinds just don’t darken enough..

  So, indulge me, look at my bedroom, and offer ANY suggestions of fabrics that would look good with the “Expensive Quilt”.  Meaning.. I can’t possibly change the bedding, because I spent WAAAAAAAY to much money on this quilt.. and I have to use it for at least 10 years to feel like I got my money’s worth!!  I have to tell you.. the pictures are a couple of weeks old.  The shelf over the bed is outside in the garage, sanded down waiting to be painted, as are the other small shelf and the plate holders.  I’m painting them black.  Also.. the stuff on the chest of drawers is my husbands.. he has warned me not to remove them.. he needs 4 square feet of space in our home!!  Als0 remember.. I live in Military housing.. so the room is SMALLLLLLL!!!

Don’t mind the pants hanging off of the bed.. that is a normal sight around here!! 

FIRE AWAY!!!

I know.. its been a week again!

Whoa.. it has been a busy one too!  First of all, I DID get my Explorer back.. and it was ONLY $2000.00.  Better than we had planned, but there goes my beach vacation this summer!!  I don’t know where I was going, but I was going somewhere warm!!  LOL~  Its just been the week from hell~  Thats all I can say.  Hubby’s been grumpy, kids are busy busy.. and I never seem to catch a break!  Let alone enough computer time, and motivation to post.. and I LOVE posting!!  I’m sorry I’ve been gone.. What did I miss???  Anything Juicy, or Fun??  I need some fun everyone!!!!

  Anywho.. I am SOOOOOOO ready for spring!!!  I have these little flowers coming up in my flowerbeds.  I don’t know exactly what they are.. but they are so pretty!  Since this is my first spring in this house, they must have been planted by the people who lived here before.. and they did an interesting job of planting.. see the pictures?? **pictures to follow, my camera battery is dead!**  If there are any gardening experts out there, can you tell me if I can safely move these bulbs so that next spring they are somewhere that they can be seen??  I really want to buy some primroses.. they grow really well up here, and I’m dying for a little color…  We are going to get off of this island this weekend, and I’m on a flower hunt..  or treasure.. I wish I could find some thrift store treasure that would give me something to do for a couple of weeks! 

  Onto other news.. my daughter got her hair cut!  She hasn’t had any real length taken off of it since the end of 2nd grade.. and now she’s in 5th!  She got a super cute, layered shoulder length, real, pre-teen hairstyle!  And she looks sooooo grown up!  I will try to snap a picture of her when its all done up!  Yesterday was her first day at school with it, and it was her day on the school’s morning newscast~  She was so proud when she came home.  I guess lots of teachers and students gave her compliments~!   I’m very proud of her, I just really got tired of seeing long straight hair, or a ponytail~  Thats all she would do with it.  I know on some people long straight hair looks great, but not on an active tomboy kinda girl.. this suits her much better!

  So far today its very gloomy outside.. hopefully the sun will make a little appearance…  That would make me happy!  I’m running over to K-mart later on.. they have casual knit capri pants on sale for girls, $5.00 each!  I hope to get a few different colors for Ali.. she loves Capri’s~!  Hubs and I are going to the Licence Beauru to get new licence plates for his motorcylce and the Explorer, maybe I’ll get him to take me to lunch!!

Bath Day!!

And we aren’t happy… LOL!!  Sophie may look happy, but she growled at me the whole time she was wet…

Maybe…????

We MAY know what is wrong with my Explorer!!!  After almost 3 weeks!  Its the Air Intake Manifold, Valve.. whatever.  It has a crack in it.  Of course… after we’ve replaced the ENTIRE Exahst System, every wire, plug, coil.. everything, and its a crack in a plastic part.  UGH.. I’m miserably happy.  Is that possible?  Is that even a real emotion???  I sure will be happy to get my car back, but who knows what our bill is gonna be… there goes my trip to Europe (I wish I was going there.. just trying to be Melodramatic, my Mother wouldn’t approve!)  At least its an answer, we’ve; meaning Hubs, his father the mechanic, his brother the mechanic, his friend the mechanic, THE Mechanic working on it, and every other person we’ve told about the drama surrounding the Explorer- uh oh.. I forgot where I was going with this.. Oh yeah, we are all thankful to have found something!  Cross your fingers.. I may have a car by the weekend!!!!

Anyone Read The Twilight Books?

Okay.. these are my FAVORITE books!  I read them (all three) in one weekend, and I’m waiting for the 4th to come out August 2nd..   If you like Vampires.. I do, I know.. I’m weird.. these are awesome books, beautifully written.  I’m a dork, I watched Buffy and Angel.. and the new show Moonlight.. I don’t want to run into a Vampire, trust me.. but something about mysterious characters draws me in..   The books  are Young Adult.. so nothing gory or anything.  Its more of a Teenage Love Story.. they capitvated me! *EDIT* (The Vampires in this book are ”good” vampires.  The head of the family is a Doctor!  They are trying to be as normal as they can.. its a strange plot.. but it really pulls you in.  I think you can read the first chapter of each book at the Stephenie Meyer site)  ** I re-read the books, and probably will again before the next book comes out.   They are set in Forks, WA.. not too far from here.. just a ferry ride and a drive… I think I may have to go there at least once while I live up here.  Here’s a link to the books:

http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilightseries.html

  So anyway.. they are making a movie based on the first book, “Twilight” and they just did the press release for the characters..  Only a couple of them remotely look like what I had in my mind.. isnt’ that true for all books though??

Read about it here: http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/twilight_movie.html

The movie comes out in December.. I can’t wait!!! 

You should be dancin’

Today, I was doing my “first cup of coffee in the morning blog surfing” and found my way to Jennifer’s blog, The Peterson’s Go Public, (a fun blog.. check it out) and found myself waking up.. and FAST!!!  Someone, aka my Daughter, had left the computer speakers up QUITE loud!  Anyway.. Jennifer has the Bee Gee’s “You Should be Dancing” on her music player.. which motivated me to head over to ITunes to download it.. and “Tragedy” for my MP3 Player.  I am always on the lookout for a good, upbeat song to put on there.  AND.. The Bee Gee’s are part of my Childhood.  My Mom used to listen to the Bee Gee’s on Saturday Mornings when we would clean.  I happen to know all of the words.. Sad, I know, but true!  So, now on my MP3 player, right after “It Takes Two” by Rob Base and DJ Easy Rock and right before “Wild, Wild West” by the Escape Club lies 2 of my favorite Bee Gee’s Songs~!!  I have quite an assortment on there.. ranging from Blondie to Rhianna to the Go’Go’s..  oh, and a little Garth Brooks too~ 

  So, you tell me… What’s on your MP3, Ipod.. whatever you listen to?  Do you listen to it LOUD, or mello?  I like mine LOUD!!  I listen to my MP3 while I’m cleaning.. full blast!  And, I get a lot done this way, and I can’t hear myself singing.. Poor Doggies though!!!  I’m off to Dance, uh, I mean Vacuum~!!!!  Have a great day everyone.. and Thanks Jennifer for the Inspiration!

Shirley Goodnest.. a funny!

I got this in my email this morning.. Way tooo cute not to pass along!

 A mom was concerned about her kindergarten son walking to school. He didn’t want his mother to walk with him. She wanted to give him the feeling that he  had some independence but yet know that he was safe. 
 
So she had an idea of how to handle it. She asked a neighbor if she would please follow him to school in the mornings, staying at a distance, so he probably wouldn’t notice her. 
 
The neighbor said that since she was up early with her toddler anyway, it  would be a good way for them to get some exercise as well, so she agreed.  The next school day, the neighbor and her little girl set out following  behind Timmy as he walked to school with another neighbor boy he knew.

She did this for the whole week.  As the boys walked and chatted, kicking stones and twigs, Timmy’s little friend noticed the same lady was following them as she seemed to do every  day all week.

Finally he said to Timmy, “Have you noticed that lady following us to school all week? Do you know her?” 
 

 Timmy nonchalantly replied, “Yeah, I know who she is.” 

The friend said, “Well, who is she?” 
 
“That’s just Shirley Goodnest,” Timmy replied, “and her daughter Marcy.” 

“Shirley Goodnest? Who the heck is she and why is she following us? “ 
 
“Well,” Timmy explained, “every night my Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm  with my prayers, ‘cuz she worries about me so much. And in the Psalm, it  says, ‘Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life’,  so I guess I’ll just have to get used to it!” 

 May Shirley Goodnest and Marcy be with you today and always!

100 things..

Can you tell I’m home, my house is clean, my kids are gone.. and I’ve read my last library book?  In other words.. I’m bored! 

 

1. I’m 37 years old

2. Next year I will have my 20 year High School Reunion

3. I graduated in 1989

4. I got married when I was 21

5. He is in the US Navy

6. He was an E-2 when we met

7. He is now a Chief

8. We’ve been together for 17 years

9. We’ve been married for 15

10. I Love him more now than I did the day I married him

11. We’ve probably only lived together 12 of the 15 years that we’ve been married.

 12.I had my first child when I was 22

13. His Name is Jordan

14. He was born in Italy

15. We lived there for 3 years

16. I want to live there again!

17. I had my 2nd child when I was 26

18. Her name is Alissa

19. She was born in Illinois

20.  She wishes she was born in Italy too

21. I didn’t like Illinois as much as Italy

22. We lived there for 5 years

23. I moved back home when I was 30, Jimmy was headed out on deployment, so the kids and I went home.

24. I was in my Mother’s basement on Sept. 11, and happy to be there.

25. My husband was on an Aircraft Carrier in the Persian Gulf on Sept. 11

27. We moved to Washington State when I was 31

28. We moved back here when I was 36

29. We lived in Colorado in between

30. I Loved living in Colorado

31. I didn’t think we’d ever live here again!

32. I have 2 American Eskimo Dogs

33. We used to do Rescue, and had up to 5 dogs living with us at one time

34.  I would have 5 dogs if I could, or more

35. I Love to Cook

36. I would love to own a Diner someday

37. I love to sew and craft also

38. I love to make my house more like home

39. I need to be more organized

40. I envy people on this base who have new housing (its big)

41.  But I love my house because it has a fireplace

42. I love looking out my window and seeing Bald Eagles flying over

43. I have 40 or more Seagulls who love my backyard at any given time.. and they are NOISY

44. I have blonde hair, and its not my natural hair color

45. I have blonde hair so I don’t have grey hair

46. I Love being a Navy wife, although I’m ready for retirement

47. I miss having my own identity sometimes

48. I like to be alone, but I’m extremely social too

49. I drive a Ford Explorer, I wish I drove a 2 seater!

50. I love a good movie or book

51. Last month I read 3 500+ page books in one weekend

52. I wish I used my time better, see # 51

53. I’d rather have salty food than sweet

54. I screen my phone calls

55. I don’t like raw tomatoes

56. I love to shop.. and live somewhere that the shopping is pathetic

57. I was a lifeguard in High School

58. I’m terrified of drowning

59. I love to lay in bed on Sundays and watch the Food Network

60. I hate gloomy days, and I live somewhere that its gloomy a lot

61. I’d love to have a house by the beach (Hawaii)  and one in the mountains (Wyoming)

62.  I love to  drive, and listen to 80’s music really loud!  Much to the annoyance of my kids

63. I love the Wyoming Cowboys

64. I love coffee, and probably drink too much of it (especially on Sunday mornings!!)

65. Right outside my window, at this moment, there are two Eagles perched on a tree and the Electrical Pole. 

67. I hate when my camera battery is dead

68.  My favorite book as a child was “Ann Likes Red”

69. My favorite color is Red

70. I Love the snow

71.I’d rather be at home than anywhere else

72. I refuse to be anywhere but home on Christmas Morning

73. I love being a Stay at Home Mom..

74. I wish I had a better idea what I want to be when I grow up

75. I want to move back to my Hometown when Hubs retires from the Navy

76. I love that Hubs wants that too

78. I have the house we will live in already decorated in my head

79. Hubs wants to get two Bulldogs when he retires, and I’m okay with that

80. I have awesome kids

81. Sometimes I feel like I don’t do enough for them

82. I get overwhelmed very easily

83. I’m constantly on a diet of some kind

84. I would drink Diet Coke all day and not eat if I could

85. My best friend is Carmen

86. She is the Mother that I want to be

87. We met at our daughter’s ballet class, and have been friends for 5 years

88. We hardly have a thing in common

89. I’m running out of things~ Are you even reading still??

90. I wish we lived closer to family

91. I watch too much tv

92. I’m totally craving a Sonic Foot Long Chili Cheesedog and a BIG ICY Diet Coke

93. I cuss like a Sailor.. (I need to stop that!)

94. I would have another baby, even though my kids are big

95. I’d rather go to a movie theater than watch at home.. even though we hardly ever do

96. I love seafood

97. I love to vacuum- I know, its weird.. but its an instant gratification thing..  See #98!

98. I think I have ADD

99. I don’t want to be rich, but be able to afford to enjoy life without worries

100. I’m happy I’m done!

Valentine’s Dinner..

I forgot!  I promised to post the recipe for our dinner tonight..

WARNING!!!  This is not Diet food!!!

Tortellini Alfredo with Garlic Shrimp

2-3 packages Cheese tortellini (depending on the size, mine are 9 oz, I’m using 2 for 4 people)

1 8 oz package Cream Cheese room temperature

1 cup milk

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

2 heaping tbs. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1 clove garlic

3 tbs Butter

1 1/2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined

Parsley, to garnish

Cook Tortellini as directed on package.  While they are cooking, saute the shrimp in butter and garlic until pink in a separate pan.  Don’t over-cook the shrimp, they will get chewy!  Mix the cream cheese, milk and Parmesan cheese together.. add to hot, drained tortellini in the pot that you cooked it in.  Cook on med-low for  about 5 minutes, until heated through. 

To Serve:  Put the Tortellini in a serving dish, top with the Sauteed Shrimp.  Sprinkle a little chopped parsley on top.

 We are having Garlic Bread, Roasted Asparagus and a salad with it.

For Dessert we are having B

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie… (I was going to do a cake, but I’m baking a cake for Jimmy’s Birthday.. too much cake= fat butt on me!!)

Black Bottom Banana Creme Pie (kraft food and family magazine)

1 Nilla Wafer Crust (or make your own)

3  squares semi-sweet chocolate

2 tbs butter or margerine

2 large bananas, sliced

1 package Vanilla Pudding ( I’m using instant)

1 3/4 cups cold milk

1 cup (or more) Whipped topping

Microwave chocolate and 2 tbs butter for one minute, or until butter is melted.  Stir until chocolate is completely melted.  Drizzle the chocolate on the bottom of the crust.  Top with Sliced Bananas.  Set aside.

  Prepare the pudding mix with the milk.  Pour over Bananas.  Refrigerate till firm, (3-4 hours) Top with whipped topping.  Slice a few banana’s or shave a little chocolate over the top and serve!

Now, if I have a chance, I’ll take pictures!!!  Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!!!  Spread the LOVE!!! 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

This Is my idea of a Nice Valentine’s Day~!  I love Roses!!! 

The funny part is.. hubs got them for me.. but had to add a dash of his flair to them.. here’s the card…

And the inside…

I love this man.. even when he’s being Romantic.. he’s got a great sense of humor!!!!