Where I've Been Hiding and Home Tour Tuesday

Where have I been hiding, you ask?  Well, like I said in my last post, I was on PTO from work last week, so I was hiding out at home, sans kiddo, for a few days!  I went to East Texas to visit my grandad in the hospital last weekend and dropped Jack off with my mom.  Jack got to spend a few days with his Grammy and Papa in Houston and I know he had a good time! 

While Jack was busy being spoiled, I was enjoying a full night's sleep, sewing, being lazy, hanging out with Randy and getting ready for Thanksgiving.  Since my Grandad had knee replacement surgery the Thursday prior to Thanksgiving, my Memaw decided she wasn't doing Thanksgiving at her house this year, so it was moved to my house!

Randy's mom came in on Tuesday, then my mom, Jeff and Jack came on Wednesday.  Jack was either teething or sick, or maybe both, so Wednesday night was not fun!  He didn't want to sleep and was just crying and wouldn't eat.  This went on until Sunday.  I'm glad I caught up on a little sleep during my mommy-cation, because there have been many sleepless nights since Jack's been home.  I feel like I have a newborn again; thus, confirming that one child is enough for me!  HA!

For Thanksgiving, Randy fried a turkey in his new infrared cooker and it was so good!  We put it in brine the day before and the turkey really absorbed the flavor nicely.  I made my Memaw's stuffing recipe - it wasn't nearly as good as hers, but not bad for my first attempt!  We also had green bean casserole (we add velveeta - YUMMY), sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy, hominy casserole, deviled eggs, a pumpkin roll, pecan pie and carrot cake.  I was STUFFED!!  Sorry, I don't have any pictures from Thanksgiving day, or all week, for that matter.  It was all I could do to get dinner on the table and keep my child from crying constantly, but it was a good Thanksgiving.  We are certainly blessed and have so much to be thankful for.  I think my mom took some pictures.  If so, I'll try to post them later.

All of our company left on Friday and we didn't do a thing the rest of the weekend!  I'm now back at work, Jack's back at school and Randy's enjoying his PTO and peace and quiet at home this week.  Jack seems to be feeling better and ate a pretty good dinner of hot dogs, bananas, goldfish and yogurt last night.  He's still not sleeping through the night, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that tonight will be a better night! 

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving too!  Now it's time to get ready for Christmas - let the shopping and decorating begin!  I even listened to my Kenny and Dolly Christmas CD on the way to work this morning!  I love this time of year!

 This week's theme for Home Tour Tuesday is "My Peaceful Place".  I'm not sure if our patio is really considered peaceful, but it is fun! Our Patio Since these pictures were taken, we have added a patio table and TV, making it the perfect place to just sit, have a beer or glass of wine and just relax!  There is also a lot of GOOD grillin' goin' on out there too!   

We built the patio back in July and have enjoyed it so much! The back of our house faces West, so without it, it was nearly impossible to hang out there in the summer.

That's it for my peaceful place! 

Where is your peaceful place?  Hope over to Shannon's blog to link up!  Shannon is also hosting an ornament exchange that I'm participating in.  You can click the link on my sidebar to sign up.  Tomorrow is the deadline, so don't delay!  It's going to be fun!!

Random Friday Ramblings

Before I get to the randoms of this post, let's play 5 Question Friday with Mama M. 

 1. What Christmas song do you loathe?

None come to mind right now, but I'm sure there are quite a few.  I did not like the Christina Aguilera Christmas album though.  I do LOVE Kenny and Dolly's Once Upon a Christmas!  Jack and I will be jammin' out to A Christmas to Remember come December!  :)

2. Do you and your significant other cuddle at night or sleep on opposite sides of the bed?

We don't exactly cuddle, but we're not on opposite sides of the bed either.  It usually ends up with me in the middle of the bed right next to him.  Especially now that it's winter and an igloo in our house!

3. Have you ever had surgery?

Only a c-section when I had Jack.  Although I am very thankful I didn't have to "push" him out (I was really NOT looking forward to that), I hope I do not have to go through another c-section, EVER!

4. When do you typically have your holiday shopping done?

I wish I could answer with the Friday after Thanksgiving, but the truth is: I am a procrastinator and even though I do most of my shopping early, I buy gifts up until Christmas Eve.

5. If money were not an issue (and you HAD to pick something), what would your ultimate luxury item be?

A Ranch. 

A beautiful piece of land in the middle of nowhere with a gorgeous home, awesome view, lots of starry nights, creek, pond, horses, cattle, someone to tend to the ranch, horses and cattle and a full-time maid.  I guess that isn't just one item, but o'well.  If I had to pick only one item, it would definitely be the full-time maid.  I loathe cleaning, laundry, dishes, laundry!!  HA!

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Now for the randomness - I'll try to be brief!

{one}  I'm having Thanksgiving at my house.  It will just be my mom, Randy, Jack and me, but still...  Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and pies, OH MY!

{two}  I will be on PTO next week from work, so my blog will be on vacation too!

{three}  While I am enjoying my PTO - Jack will be staying with his Grammy and Papa for the week.  Ok, it's only 3 nights, but that seems like a really long time.  In 16 months, he's never spent a night away from me. 

{four} My baby is 16 months today.  I'll have to do a full post on that later.  Happy 16 Months Little Man!

{five} My Etsy shop will be going on vacation today too.  I'm closing until after the New Year to allow me time to get all orders completed and shipped and spend the holidays with my family, stress free!

{six}  I'm going to be an Aunt!  Yay!  My step-sister found out today that she's having a little boy!  We're expecting Baby Boy B to arrive sometime late March or early April.  I couldn't me happier for her!  And I know Jack will love having a little cousin to play with!

                   
I hope everyone has a
Safe and Happy Thanksgiving!!    

A Pumpkin Truck and a Rockin' Giraffe

I made this shirt for Jack a while back.  It was the first Pumpkin Truck shirt I made and while it is definitely not perfect, I think it looks pretty darn cute!!

I've been saving it for him to wear until closer to Thanksgiving.  Since it's white, I figured we'd only get one wear out of it, but I just couldn't wait any longer and put it on him the other day and I love it!  This shirt looks so much cuter on my little pumpkin than it did just hanging in the closet! 

Much to my surprise, after getting pizza all over the shirt eating pizza in the shirt the first time Jack wore it, it came squeaky clean in the wash and looked just like new when he wore it to school today!  I was so excited!

I guess Jack thought that since he was wearing a pumpkin on his shirt, the house should smell like one too. 

(No, my child does not usually play with lighters, use a paci or sit on the cabinet - at least not all at the same time!)

Jack and his Rockin' Giraffe

March 2010

He wasn't even big enough to sit on the giraffe or pull up on him in that picture and now he's riding him like a professional giraffe-boy!  My mom and I saw the Rockin' Giraffe at World Market before Jack was even born and since she is a lover of all things giraffe, it was a must have for the new baby boy!

The Rockin' Giraffe has become Jack's favorite toy this week.  He gets on and off of him over and over.  He's so funny!  Notice his blankie in the background - he hasn't quite figured out how to get on the giraffe with the blankie in tow.  It's only a matter of time before my little Linus figures it out!

Happy Wednesday Yall!!

And the Winner is...

Comment #22 Amy Brock! 

Congrats Amy for winning the Giraffe Clutch giveaway!  I'm emailing you now!

Just Like Daddy

Those are some BIG shoes to fill little man,

but I'm sure you're up for the challenge!

"What?"  "This isn't normal?" 

"Daddy always puts funny things on his head!"

Oh, the adventures that lie ahead...

Looky Looky!

 So, the fabulous Shannon over at Webbisodes has started her own blog design business, Persnickety Pages {& More} and guess who got a bloggy make-over?!?  JUMPING JACK!  YAY! 

I love the new design!  It is just perfect - a little boyish with girly touches!  I cannot thank Shannon enough for her hard work on my blog.  I know it must have been a nightmare!  While I know a little about html I'm sure my code was butchered, as I had edited this and changed that during my brief experimentation with blog design.  Ha!

So, what do you think of our new look?  If you like what you see, please head on over to Persnickety Pages {& More} and give Shannon some love!  If you are in need of a new look for your bloggy, she is the lady to talk to.  Shannon is so easy to work with and so very creative! 

Now, on to Miscellany Monday...

{one} Today is the LAST day to enter my giveaway for the Giraffe Clutch.  Click HERE to enter.  Winner will be posted tomorrow.  Good Luck!

{two} I'm getting my hair done this afternoon and I couldn't be more excited!  It has been FOREVER since it's been highlighted and the last time I had it cut was at Wal-Mart at the beginning of September.  That was not my best decision.  HA!  I learned of the awesome Erica from my bloggy friend Mama Laughlin and am so happy she agreed to come over this afternoon and give my hair a much needed make-over!

{three} Randy bought me a tanning bed a few months back and it's finally up and running.  Now I know tanning isn't really good for you, but I nannied for a dermatologist in college and he said so long as you don't burn yourself it's ok to tan in moderation.  So I'll be tanning for 10 minutes a couple of times a week in hopes of maintaining a little color and getting rid of the pesky little bumps that live on my arms. 

{four} The Cowboys actually WON yesterday!  OMG - I guess the coaching change did the trick.  Damn Jerry for waiting so long!  Fingers crossed for a winning remainder of the season!

{five} A post without pictures today.   Unbelievable, huh?  I was having issues getting out of the house this morning and left my camera on the bar.  O'well, at least dinner's cooking in the crock-pot!

Have a great week!!

It's a Perfect Day...

 for Rainboots! 

With scattered thunderstorms predicted for today it would be the perfect day for Jack's monster galoshes, but since he doesn't walk too well in them, his tennis shoes will have to do.  He does LOVE to parade around the house in these boots though and will bring them to me to put on him and just giggle. 

For Playing Inside!

Along with the thunderstorms in our forecast are MUCH colder temperatures.  We'll end up in the mid-40s by tonight and it doesn't look like we'll make it out of the 60s until maybe the end of next week.  BURRR RABBIT!

For Lighting a Fire!

But that isn't going to happen because the fireplace is still covered with plexiglass to keep little wandering fingers out.

For Sewing and Making NEW Things

I have a ton of orders to get completed by next week, but I was able to make a few new things last night for a sweet friend's new little niece.  I wish I had made the snowman sooner, because I'm sure it would look so cute on a shirt.  O'well - I'm hoping to make Christmas kitchen towels for my family and a few gift exchanges, so the snowman will definitely be making his appearance on those!

How cute is this little bird on a vine?  I love it!  And I have the prettiest orange, yellow and green paisley fabric that I will use next time.  Too cute!

For Entering My Giveaway!

Click HERE for your chance to win a cute Giraffe Print Clutch.  Entry deadline is Monday.

That's all from me! Happy Friday!! 

I hope yall have a fabulous weekend!

Work of Art

Click HERE to enter Giraffe Clutch giveaway.

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Last night while I was trying to fix dinner, Jack had a little impromptu art session...

I never think to let Jack color because he's usually running around the house like a wild banshee, but this little activity kept him busy, quiet and contained for a good 20 minutes. Just enough time to get my great potatoes* and jalapeno stuffed chicken* in the oven.

I did not say this was a clean coloring activity - after all, the best masterpieces take creative freedom and a little mess!

Don't worry that there is as much ink on Jack's face as on the paper.  It is non-toxic and washable!  Thank goodness because there was ink EVERYWHERE!  And, for some reason I didn't take off the brand new shirt before letting him begin this work of art.  The shirt is now soaking in spray-n-wash and I'm hoping it will come clean in the wash!

Such a pretty picture!

The coloring session ended with one M-A-D little boy, just like before, and blood curdling screams.  How dare I take the markers away and declare it bathtime!  Oh well, at least I got dinner made in peace!

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*Great Potatoes (recipe adapted from Heather's mom)

1 lb frozen southern-style hashbrowns

8 oz sour cream

1 can cream of chicken (or mushroom)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

mix all ingredients together, pour in an 8x8 greased pan and bake at 350 for about an hour and a half

* Jalapeno Stuffed Chicken

2 chicken breasts split to make 4 pieces (season with salt, pepper and garlic)

8 oz cream cheese

1 tbsp chopped jalapenos (adjust to taste)

2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped

salt and pepper

milk and egg wash

ritz crackers, crumbled

Mix cream cheese, jalapenos, garlic, salt and pepper together.

Flatten chicken breast to about 1/2 inch thickness, spread cheese mixture on top and roll up

Coat chicken in egg wash, roll in ritz crumbs

Bake on cookie sheet at 350 for about 30 minutes or until internal temp reaches 165.

Hi, I'm Brandy...

Fabric + me = LOVE

I spend a lot of my "free" time browsing the internet for fabric - some for special orders, others for new designs, most just to have.  I have SO MANY fabrics in my collection that I have not even used, yet I keep buying more.  (Remember, I just started this little hobby in June.)

Hi, I'm Brandy and I'm an addict.

Here are a few of the fabric collections I have my eye on right now:

Photos from Fabricworm.com

Zoology and Guitars Custom Quilt Bundle

I have a few of the fabrics in this collection and L-O-V-E them!  I really like the elephants and giraffes on the black background.  Too Cute!

Michael Miller Daisy Dance

I think the fabrics in this collection would be so cute for a pillowcase dress or peasant top.  They would also be cute, cute for burpies.  Oh, be still my heart!  I must have these for spring!

Riley Blake All Stars 2 Orange

Riley Blake All Stars 2 Green

Riley Blake All Stars 2 Blue

I have been eyeing the entire All Star collection for some time now.  I'm not really sure how I would use it, but there's just something about the color combination, stars paired with circles and that paisley that I just can't seem to get out of my mind.  (Crazy - I know!)

2D Adventure Chocolate Custom Bundle

Again, the colors and I'm a sucker for the animals.

2D Adventure Multi Custom Bundle

So bright and cheery!  Wouldn't that make such a cute top or dress for a trip to the zoo?!  Oh I can't wait to have a little more time.  I have some really cute patterns I haven't even sewn yet.

Riley Blake Love Birds Green

This is just adorable!  It would be such a cute rag quilt or stroller blanket!

Riley Blake Love Birds Cranberry

Same with this one.  I actually have a few of the fabrics in route to my house as we speak!

Traditional Christmas Custom Bundle

I wish Christmas weren't right around the corner, because I would love to make something with these fabrics.  Maybe a cozy quilt or pot holders, appliqued dish towels - oh the possibilities!  I do have a gift exchange coming up for a FB Challenge Group I'm in, maybe these will find their way into that.

(Sidenote:  If you are crafty and want to meet other crafters, have fun and/or do a little advertising for your boutique, I would definitely check out Boutique Challenge Group on FB.  It's a fun group of girls!)

Stampede Custom Bundle

{LOVE} that's all I can say about this - all of my favorites in one bundle!

Celebrate Seuss by Dr Seuss Enterprises

And last, but not least Dr. Seuss!  If this fabric is ever back in stock, I will be ordering it!  Although completely wacky and off the wall, Dr Seuss is one of my favorite children's authors. 

"Today is your day! 

Your mountain is waiting. 

So... get on your way!"

~Oh, the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss

Hi, I'm Brandy and I'm an addict.

Don't forget to enter the Giraffe Clutch Giveaway - deadline is Monday, Nov 15.

Miscellany Monday {and a GIVEAWAY}

{one} It is now COLD in Texas!  We went from Summer to Winter in the blink of an eye!  I do not like winter.  I do not like to be cold.  I was ready for some cooler weather, but the 50s at night is TOO COLD for this Texas girl!  But, Jack does look pretty cute in his hooded sweatshirt!

{two}  Since it is now too cold to sit outside in the evenings and watch our sports, we have resorted to Wii bowling for our entertainment!  We haven't bowled in a LONG time, but it was pretty fun Saturday night; despite the fact Ran kept beating me.  I am a sore loser.  HA!  We need a new game - any suggestions?

{three}  Jack is now a CLIMBER!  He can climb up the stairs pretty well, but coming down is a whole other story! HA!  And, he can climb up on the couch too.  He has no problem getting down from the couch - he just goes head-first!  It's only a matter of time before he'll be climbing out of his crib.  Although I'm not ready for him to be in a big boy bed yet, I am excited about getting to decorate another room for him!  We'll be moving him to a bigger bedroom when he's ready for a "real" bed.

{four} I need dinner ideas for us and for Jack.  He's usually already in bed by the time we get dinner ready for us, so I try to have quick and easy things ready for him, but he's becoming kinda picky so it is making dinner time for him HARD on me!  I do not think cheerios mixed with applesauce is an adequate dinner.  HA!

{five} And now for the GIVEAWAY! 

One lucky reader will win this cute giraffe clutch.  It is the perfect size to hold your wallet, cell phone, lip gloss and keys, or it would also make a great diaper clutch.  It will hold a small wipes case, 2 diapers, diaper cream and burpcloth.

Rules are as follows:

Entry deadline is Monday, November 15 at 11:59pm CST

Please leave an email address in your entry.

Winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be chosen.

Winner will be determined by random.org

Giveaway offered to US Residents only.

Mandatory Entry

Leave a comment letting me know what your favorite "go-to" meal is.

Extra Entries - Please leave a separate comment for each entry

1 extra entry - follow this blog (if you already follow, let me know that as well!)
1 extra entry each - Facebook, Blog, Tweet this giveaway (leave link in comment)

1 extra entry per day - click the "We're on the Fence" button

1 extra entry - visit my Etsy Shop and let me know your favorite item

1 extra entry - Like Sunfire Creative on Facebook

Good Luck!