Shop the Pig

It's been awhile since I posted...my apologies!

This evening a friend and I will be hosting dinner for the Lakeland Handbell choir.  We have a rehearsal at Lakeland, and then later on a rehearsal in Sheboygan (not that far from my house) so I thought it would be wayyy more fun to have everyone over than to just fend for ourselves and not bond at all!  (especially right before Thanksgiving).  Anyhoo, why is she up at 5:26 you ask?  Because I was SO EXCITED!  Not really...but I do need to do some cooking and want to make sure I have enough time...

I'm going to be making my absolute favorite casserole, and I thought I'd share the recipe!  It came from someone on my mom's side of the family a long long time ago and she's made it several times, but I've loved making it since I went to college and I've never had a participant ever complain, so I've made it again and again.  Here goes!

Crescent Roll Pizza   

Bake 20 min. at 375 degrees.

1 ½ lbs. hamburger                                         2 pkg low fat crescent roll mix

1 onion chopped                                             2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese               

2 cups (or one 1#10oz jar) spaghetti sauce     ½ cup Parmesan cheese          

1 tsp. oregano                                                 

In large skillet, brown hamburger; drain excess oil; sauté onion in same pan as hamburger.  Add sauce and oregano.  Heat together thoroughly.

Take a 9x13 ungreased cake pan, line bottom with 1 pkg. crescent roll, pressing pieces with finger tips to cover evenly.  Pour on hamburger mixture, top with cheeses.  Place remaining package of crescent rolls on top of entire mixture.

Bake 20 min. in 375 degree oven.  Serve immediately.  Makes 9 – 12 servings.

When it says "9-12 servings" that's kind of a lie.  Most people like to eat it...and I mean, like to eat it...so I'd say it's probably more realistic to almost say 6-8, because you want big servings, man!  Also, I like to add more vegetables than it calls for.  If I have tomoatoes at home, I usually cook some fresh tomotoes with the onions, and also red peppers if their not terribly expensive at the time.  I'm planning on going to the store as soon as it opens, and I guess I'll just see how expensive they really are...I might have to pass though...

Have a lovely day!

Bad Day

Usually, when a combination of unfortunate events occur, we consider this a bad day.  My day so far:

1. Sweater falls from my lap into my puddle of tuba spit.

2. Glasses fall in toilet.

3. Can't find the beer.



Luckily, since deciding that this is a bad day, I have located the beer.  Not only did I grab one and bring it upstairs, I BROUGHT THREE.

Sophia

Sophia

This beauty features 16 inches of cranberry freshwater button pearls and smoky quartz rectangles, all hand-knotted on silk thread and finished with a sterling silver fishhook clasp.

To view on Etsy, click here.

I need your help.

Last night I received a call from my mom.  Yesterday afternoon, Aunt Betty, who I consider to be my "extra" Grandma, has gone into the hospital.  She was having trouble breathing, and they are not sure if it is congenital heart failure or cancer in her lungs (she's had and conquered breast cancer).  I'm going to visit her shortly in the hospital, since I can walk there from my house.

From left: Aunt Faye, Grandma Delores, and Aunt Betty

My parents' wedding - 1977
Aunt Betty is on the far right in the striped jacket.

The difficult part is that the first anniversary of my grandma's passing is approaching, and this is kind of an emotional time for everyone already.  My grandma had dementia, was 85, and was ready to go.  Aunt Betty has some living left to do.  I would love it if everyone could send some prayers her way.

Grandma and I some birthdays ago...her b-day was three days after mine, so we often shared cakes.

Thanks guys. I'll keep you posted!

Berries & Cream

Berries and Cream - $29

Nineteen inches of cranberry potato freshwater pearls and creamy keshi pearls are hand-knotted on silk thread and finished with a sterling silver filigree fishhook clasp. 

This necklace could take you straight from fall to summer!

Felt Flowers

Ran across a crazy-cool tutorial at creativejewishmom.com on how to make this amazing display:

Ahhhh! Look at how pretty that is!

Adorable!

So sweet!

 To view the post for the above boquet, click here.

And another type!  How amazing!

To view this post, click here.

Ivy

Ivy
This beauty is a custom order I did for a dear friend in Seattle, for her friend's upcoming wedding.  I just think it's absolutely adorable and am actually really jealous that I can't find any more of these amazing green pearls (I bought the last strand).  Aren't they just ridiculous?  I would love to make something for Christmas like this!

Boots

It's actually getting chilly.  Wonderfully chilly.  Makes me really really really want to wear boots...too bad I'm pretty lacking in that categorie.  I have a pair of wonderful Aldo boots that I got in 2006.  At $90 on clearance, they were still ridiculously out of my price range, but I have cared for them well.  I've had the rubber heal replaced once already.  Problem is, they are ridiculously uncomfortable and terrible out of style.  My other boots consist of two pairs of furry Rocket Dogs.  Still wonderful, but not exactly what I feel like going for...

This would be what I'm craving right now:

Cirocco by Aldo.  Probably not comfortable either, but the round-toe would probably last me longer than my ridiculously-pointed boots.  $160.

Mizwicki, by Aldo.  Love love love love love these.  Omg.  $120.

Folse, by Aldo.  These would be the ones that you can just wear absolutely every day.  Want. $160.

Tripin by Chinese Laundry.  These would be another pair that you could just wear alllllll the time.  $99.95.

March by Boutique 9.  This would be another pair that I could wear nonstop.  $199.

New York Randi, Kate Spade.  Don't you just want it to rain EVERY DAY so you could wear these all the time?  Too bad I already have some adorable rain boots... $125.

Fast Lane, Diba.  I love how country these are.  $169.

Tall Ship, White Mountain.  What, you thought I wouldn't throw an over-the-knee pair in?  Too bad I'm tall and these probably wouldn't even come that high on me...  $85.

Needless to say, I never can get cute new boots until the end of season when they go on clearance.  Or (at least) the day after thanksgiving ;)

Loud

Loud - $19

This bracelet features three strands of hot pink blister pearls all hand-knotted on silk thread and finished with a sterling silver tube clasp.

She measures nine inches when straight, but when twisted shortens to about eight inches. I do shorten for free if a shorter length is preferred.

To view her on Etsy, click here.

To view her on Facebook, click here.

New Houses

Don't get me wrong.  I love my house.  We worked so hard to get it, and we've worked so hard to make it pretty(er).  Show it some love.

But as I realize that almost every single room of my house has been painted/updated/decorated, what am I going to do now?

My husband and I have been entertaining the idea of buying a duplex for investment opportunities.  Certainly not for flipping (there's no market in that, silly) but to slowly collect real estate until we're fabulously wealthy.  The get-rich-slowly method.

Anyhoo, all this checking out duplexes makes me check out other houses...houses that are not mine.  Houses in the country.  How I long for more than a 1/4 acre and a place to have a dog.  I would love to have a dog.

Here are the homes in my greater area that I pine for:

House #1: Wayyyyy out of any price range I can even imagine, but it has everything I want...Country!

Exposed rafters!

A SPIRAL FREAKING STAIRCASE!

A patio AND a deck!  (So you can observe the country)

That's one house I will be sad over.  Here's another:

House #2: Country!  Between 20 and 50 acres!!!

Porch!

Yay!

And I didn't show you the inside because it was dark and ugly.  But you know what? That's what decorating is for!!!



Not in the country, but it has a big yard and is an adorable Victorian! I want!



And this one's just so terribly ugly inside, I wouldn't be able to wait to get my hands on it!

And that would be what I'm pining at this moment.

P.S. - I sold a necklace to Australia yesterday!  Woohoo!

Grey Skies

Grey Skies - $29

This stunning bracelet features grey blister freshwater pearls and 4mm clear swarovski crystals, all hand-knotted on silk thread and finished with a sterling silver tube clasp. This beauty is just over 9 inches long when straight, but is meant to be worn twisted to about 8 inches. I do shorten for free.

Please contact me if you would like something similar in a different length or size. I love custom orders!

To view this item on Etsy, click here.
To view it on Facebook, click here.

Free Curling Iron!

Last week Wednesday there was a choir concert.  It certainly went well.  Everyone looked lovely.  Everyone sounded great.  There was even a standing ovation or two.  What happened before the concert was not so wonderful...

Yes.  This is the offending curling iron.  And yes.  That is my hair.

I've never had this happen before! And this curling iron isn't too old, but it isn't new either! I've certainly used it before!  I have nooooo idea why my hair MELTED onto the barrel!

This would be what happened when I touched my hair.  It crumbled.  YUCK!

Think those are whiskers? NOPE. JUST MY DISINTEGRATED HAIR.

:(

The moral of the story is, I will no longer be using that curling iron.  But the title is a joke...I definitely threw it out...

And most importantly, my hair is thick, curly and layered, so nobody could tell the difference.  Still went on to look like this:

(That's me...in the left corner...and the side that you see would be the side that I melted)
My bathroom still smells like burning.

Emily has a lady-date with her niece



Last week, I watched my niece (Jayde) while my sister took an exam.  This would be what ensued:

Molly (The Cat) absolutely hates Jayde.



"I can watch Finding Nemo and terrorize the cat at the same time..."

Showing Winnie to Molly.  What she doesn't realize is that not
only does Molly hate Jayde, she absolutely hates Winnie.

We got Winnie when she was two pounds, and Jayde immediately saw her as her kitty. 
Now Winnie is big, and Jayde is not, but she's still Jayde's kitty.

Watching Finding Nemo like a good girl.

This is what happens when you leave a three-year-old alone so you can clean the bathroom. 
She decided your stuffed animal needs a diaper change and gets baby powder e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e.



M&J Trimmings

I know that I JUST posted about shoe clips, but seriously, this website is AMAZING!  Coolest things I have to share:


By now you all know that I LOVE seasons.  How much do you want to buy some $5 throw pillows from Wal-Mart and sew a couple of these on?  And you could! They're only $5 each!  Click here.



Hello black cardigan with this sewn on!  $8!  Click here.

And this cute little bow at the top of a plain white tee?  Ahhh!!  $5!  Click here.

I totally have a pair of turquoise flats with these on top.  Are they not perfect for shoe clips?  $8. Click here.

(Emily quickly posts so she can search for inexpensive throw pillows...wishes they had snowflake appliques...)

Shoe Clips

I've definitely been on the cute kick lately.  I go through spurts where I feel like wearing jeans and a t-shirt everyday, and I go through spurts where I feel like looking adorable everyday.  As of right now, I have gone two days in a row looking quite put-together.



I haven't tried anything new and crafty lately (other than the usual jewelry-making of course) and I have been wanting to try making shoe clips for awhile.  Here are some sites where I found nice tutorials and explanations of how to do some different kinds.



Aren't these adorable?  Martha Stewart instructions of course...
You can see the instructions here.



One of my favorite bloggers, Mrs. Priss, does a nice tutorial on how to make these fluffy ditties.
Click here for the tutorial.

Ehow.com has a nice tutorial on how to make shoe clips for cute old earrings.  Estate sale anyone?
Click here.

Another blogger, M&J Trimming, has a nice tutorial on how to make this adorable one!
Click here.
(There are also a bunch of really cool DIY-projects)

This is something else really cool from M&J Trimming.  Not exactly a shoe clip, but the same type of idea...
Click here.

And now at this point I've just become engrossed with M&J Trimming's blog...SO MANY FUN THINGS TO MAKE! Good thing next week is fall break...