Monday Morning Coffee

Good Morning Everyone!

Happy Memorial Day!  I would first like to thank all of our armed forces that have and are currently defending our beautiful country!  THANK YOU!  XOXOXO

I follow a website called Craft Project Central that let's you sign up for 10 fun tutorials each month. There are others that are there that make these fun tutorials as well.

This last week I was inspired by a great little desk created by Michelle U over at Mushi's Creative Inspirations blog. You should check out her blog. Michelle is so fantastic and so fun to follow and watch all her fun projects.

Anyway I thought I would take a try and make this cute desk. This was so much fun to put together. I had to keep checking out finished product from fellow crafters that too was attempting to make this darling desk.  It took me a while to get mine done, but not too bad I think. This little desk is great to put paper clips in or loose change for the soda machine. You could even put stamps and return address labels in the little drawers. Anything really your heart desires!

Since my camera was on the blink, I was able to get a picture from another creator so that I can show you a sample of the finished project.  Go check out the web and sign up to make some of the tutorials that they offer.  Great projects to make with the kids!

Hope you are doing well. Thanks so much for your visit!

Have a fabulous day!

Hugs,
Kim

Sunday Morning Chat

Hi Everyone!


The warm weather is finally here and that means evening out on the deck with a great cut of tea.

This is a super super quick box that I've made to hold different flavors of tea that I can take out to the deck with me.

Tea Cup Pippin is great company for a yummy cup.

I also decided to use the decorative edge punch as the handle and I'm loving how it turned out.

Gives it such a Spring lattice look.

I hope you are having a great day.

Thanks so much for your visit!
 
Hugs,
Kim

http://southernbellemarketing.ning.com/page/site-resources

New to business of selling your handmade items and just don't know how to advertise or if you should even advertise?  I found this great person that is so friendly and kind.  She is willing to answer any of your questions, help you set up your page, even teach you how to blog!  (They have a 10 week turbo lesson on blogging coming up!) You may want to consider Southern Belle Marketing for your advertising needs. Their sight is fabulous and many other chatters available to also assist you.  Check it out or email Jackie.

 Jackie Ladner (Owner/Creator)
email: jackieladner@sprint.blackberry.net

Visit Southern Belle Marketing at: http://southernbellemarketing.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network
http://southernbellemarketing.ning.com/page/site-resources

Tuesday Tid-Bit

OMG! This is the best cake ever!!!  I am going share this wonderful recipe with you!

OLD FASHIONED CARROT CAKE

Ingredients

For the cake:

2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 pound carrots, grated
1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple

For the frosting:

3/4 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted

For the decoration:

1/2 cup diced fresh pineapple

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

For the cake:

Beat the sugar, oil, and eggs together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light yellow. Add the vanilla. In another bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups flour, the cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Toss the raisins and walnuts with 1 tablespoon flour. Fold in the carrots and pineapple. Add to the batter and mix well.

Divide the batter equally between the 2 pans. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans set over a wire rack.

For the frosting:

Mix the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until just combined. Add the sugar and mix until smooth.

Place 1 layer, flat-side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with diced pineapple.

Sunday Afternoon Chat

I got this book some time ago and I never opened it up.  It's a book about dreams! I got it as a birthday gift from someone I used to work with.  I have always had very vivid dreams and always wanted to know what they meant.  Since getting the book, I just placed it on the shelf and never thought about it until today.  Funny how things go huh?!

I had a dream about getting presents for no real reason, just people were giving them to me.  I pulled open the book and here is what it had to say:

Present/Presents

1.  When a present appears in a dream, it can first of all be a play on words.  We are being given a 'here and now'.  We are being reminded to live in the moment, and not the past or future.  A present can also indicate a talent or gift.  If we are receiving a present we are being loved and recognised and are also gaining from the relationship.  If we are giving a present, we appreciate that we have characteristics we are able to offer other people.  A pile of presents in a dream can signify as yet unrecognised talents and skills.  If the presents give some indication of time - e.g. birthday presents - we may expect some success around that time.

2.  To present something in a dream (as in making a presentation) is offering work that we have done for approval and recognition.  We appreciate that the work we have done is more important than we ourselves are.

3.  One of the requirements of spiritual advancement is that we learn to live in the present.  We need to be able to take advantage of anything that life presents - to use it for ourselves, but also to recognise that it has relevance to other people and can affect the way that they live.

This was pretty awesome description!  I think I like writing my vivid dreams down, then looking in the book to see what they in tail.  So, from time to time when I have some of those fun dreams! I will let you all know what the book says.

If any of you would like for me to look up your unique dreams, make a comment and I will be happy to look it up and reply! 

Anyway, have a great evening!

Hugs,
Kim

Monday Evening - Second to below

Hi All,

I wanted to finish what I was writing about last night.  Researchers have come up with a plan to get your kids moving again!  It starts with you making a commitment.

1. Create a healthy chain reaction.  Make one day an 'active day'.
2. Remember what's in it for your kids.  Studies have shown that regular activity can improve their sleep, focus, and their confidence.
3. Make one dietary change at a time.  Try adding one serving of fruits and vegetables a week.
4. Make healthy fun! Add some berries to their cereal or try using yogurt for desert.
5. Eat and cook more meals as a family.  They found that kids that help prepare meals are more interested in eating them.

These are just a few ideas I read and hope that you can incorporate some fun back into their life and be healthy too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs,

Kim

Sunday Morning Chat

Hi Everyone!

I am sorry I have been away recently and haven't blogged.  Many challenges have been knocking at my door. As written below regarding my house and a scheduled sale date of May 13th! OMG! I want to say; Thank you for your prayers! Jesus' hand has been in this one! The sale date is postponed until June 15th, which my legal team is submitting the paperwork again, for the bank to reconsider a loan modification.  If anyone is experiencing what I am going through.. my heart goes out to you, but know that  God will prevail! He loves us so much and all he asks is to trust him, give it to him and don't take it back.

Yesterday, we went to a seminar that was so wonderful.  My husband and I have been on this weight loss program that has been a fantastic journey.  It has been so successful!  He lost 65 pounds in 5 months and I have lost 75.5 pounds in 8 months.  He hit his goal and is back to the weight he was when we got married! (mmmm!) I have 32 pounds to go! SWEET! Just in time for summer!! I introduced the program to my girlfriend, (picture below) and she lost 58 pounds since January 3rd of this year! She looks great!

What was discussed is our children and how the obesity rate is climbing.  Bad food choices and very little exercise is what is happening!  They stay inside and play video games, Wii, watch TV and munch munch munch away.  Diabetes in children have climbed as well as them having high cholesterol levels.  Where will this take them into adulthood?

We all know that Michelle Obama launched her "Let's Move" initiative aimed at eliminating childhood obesity in a generation, she was right to call this problem "an epidemic."  Everyone knows making the right choices is enough to make your head spin.

Families should focus on the fundamentals: that calories are the energy you get from food.  If you eat more calories than you expend in a day you risk gaining weight.  Modifying your lifestyle to include small 'balancing' changes will help your family develop life-long habits and enable them to reach and maintain a healthy weight.

So let's get our children back outside playing!  Get them on their skates, bikes, walking, take them to the play grounds, enroll them in gymnastics, dance, something that gets them moving; instead of remaining in a sedentary position!  It's our responsibility because we love our families and want them to be of healthy mind and body.

Thanks everyone! I wish you a very happy Sunday.

Hugs,

Kim 

PS:  If you too are experiencing yo-yo dieting, leave me a comment with your email address.  I will respond quickly and you too can join our journey! Love to all!

Thursday Night Chatter

Well I wanted to let you know I am off to Reno for the weekend!!! Wooo Hoooo! My girlfriend had a birthday on Tuesday and I want to see her rocking new body!! She and I have been on this fabulous program that has been melting the weight off!  Then we are going to have a garage sale and get rid of a lot of old stuff! 

I will have to write when I return!  So here's to all you moms! Have a great Mother's Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hugs,
Kim

Spiritual Sunday

I've never read

Mary Had a Little Lamb

poem written that way before and I agree so I had to pass it on!

Kings 8:24

*********************

Wishing you a day Full of God's Blessings!

Please feel free to pass this on.  Bless you!

Saturday Morning Coffee Break

Good Morning,

I find myself in a situation that makes me just want to cry! Instead, I want to share my story. I need to write this down so that I don't cry. I took a chance and now this is what is happening.

This is my house and I have to say, the experience I have gone through in the past few months have been challenging. I have worked, as my husband has too for the past 35 years. We have had top notch credit rating. Then a series of events started happening in the past two years. First it started with a motorcycle accident in which my hub was pretty broken up. Thank goodness he survived and is doing pretty good.

Once he healed he knew he could not go back to construction, instead he did some electrical work. Then about 10 months ago, the company folded and he was laid off. It was a struggle to pay a first mortgage as well as a second mortgage. So in an effort to save my house, we applied for a remodification. To help us pay along the way, we used Curtis' inheritance after losing his dad to cancer. We were able to keep up with the house payment and all our bills with my paycheck and unemployment. We knew we had to make some cutbacks, so the cable went and a few more fun things we had that was an extra expense, GONE!

In October I knew we could not keep it up and could no longer make the payments. There was no supplement to my income as the inheritance money was gone. Hub couldn't find work, so we defaulted. I knew once we did this, our outstanding credit would be gone. What could I do? We had a legal team working with the bank to get the modification through.

If anyone has gone through this, you know what I am experiencing. I have never never not paid my bills and it was the most difficult decision I made. I knew I risked the chance of loosing my home. So here I am today and received notice that my house is up for auction on May 13, 2010.

Sad, very very sad that the bank does not want to work with us. We tried to work with them and refinance in the beginning, but they didn't want to do that, which brought us to the decision to tried the modification.

My heart is heavy and all I can do is pray. Pray for strength as the days count down to when May 13th comes around. I pray for guidance, as I don't know what will to be. I leave this in the lords hands. He will guide us and not leave me alone.

Thank you for listening..

Hugs,
Kim