Too Many Projects...Too Little Time!

     It was a busy weekend at our house. We are trying to get several things done before the kitchen countertop is installed, plus we had a few unexpected interruptions. I don't know exactly what happened, but my husband had to did up some plumbing stuff outside and replace it on Saturday morning. Let's just say it could have been lots worse than it was and luckily it only took a couple of hours and not many supplies to fix the problem. He also spent Sunday afternoon driving to a little town about 70 miles south of us to pick up a little electric car that his company is sponsoring. Evidently it is making the rounds so people can see it. In between those things, he put up and stained beadboard on the back of the kitchen peninsula and started painting the kitchen (which is open to the dining room and living room...so there is no stopping now).

     We changed the copper (they really aren't this dark) handles to brushed nickel. I wanted something very simple that would look nice with the stainless appliances. We have 33 of them and this is the second change in 3 years...we won't be doing it again anytime soon!

     I have had some time to work on a few projects while my husband is busy with his. I made a wreath for our mail woman. She is very good to us and she had commented on a wreath on my front door. I kept it very neutral since I had no idea what her house looked like.

I painted a few things that I had picked up last weekend.

A $7 bunny for the front porch. Why was it gray in the first place?

He looks better white with a little stain to tone him down a bit.

     I had been looking for something to use as a "perch" for a bargain ball that I found. The ball was $2.99 at Gordman's (they only had one) and the candlestick was $3 in the 80 percent off aisle at Hobby Lobby.

For now it is going to sit here.

 I'm sure it will find a new home once the house is put back together.

I also found this at Hobby Lobby for only $4. I actually loved this

one just as it was, but I painted it anyway.

After all, I'm a blogger...we paint everything!

I have no idea where it is going yet...time will tell!

I am joining Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday,

Smiling Sally for Blue Monday and

Linda @ Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

Met, Blue and Mosaic Monday and a Winner!

     A couple of weeks ago my husband did his early Saturday morning neighborhood garage sale walk. He didn't do this until I started blogging and now he enjoys trying to find me little surprises. I'm not willing to get up that early on a Saturday morning. He came home with this decorative birdhouse (complete with fake bird). It was 50 cents and he was so proud of his purchase. I immediately had visions of it in white filled with...something. I'm not sure what yet.

The bird had to go. Some white spray paint

and a little dark stain and it looks so much better.

     Now for a bit of the unusual. Early in the summer we planted a very tiny Morning Glory vine on a decorative piece of iron that we purchased a few years ago in Charleston, SC. It was a single stem about  2 1/2 feet tall. All summer long it grew...and grew...and grew. It completely swallowed the artwork under it. It took over the entire corner of our rock garden area and it is still growing and spreading. But, it never had a bloom. Not a single Mornng Glory on the most healthy plant we have ever had...until last week. It is starting to bloom, in October. We have had our first frost and we didn't cover the plant...and it is starting to bloom.

The monster plant.

     Interestingly enough, as the leaves are falling off the trees, our hibiscus are still blooming too. The plants are covered with buds and blooms. I think Illinois was so hot this summer that it thinks it is in the tropics now!

And now the WINNER of a $55 CSN Gift Code...

"My Name Means Wisdom" from Opening Lines

Thanks to all who entered. I have another sponsored giveaway coming up soon!

I am linking today with:

Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday

Smiling Sally for Blue Monday

Mary @ Little Red House

Linda @ Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

A Little Comfort Food, A Little Bargain Hunting and A Blogging Friend's Success

     I wish I could tell you that these beautiful blue flowers are in my yard. They aren't. They were actually at my local grocery store in huge pots. I didn't buy them because they don't match anything I have on my porch or deck, but I fell in love with the color and just had to share them.

     I finally found a desk at a neighborhood garage sale. I want to replace my one drawer desk and my dad loves having a project to work on while he is here. It was $15 and it came with the hutch top which I won't use with the desk because I don't want to block my window view.

I am going to use the hutch in my dish room once it is painted.

I'll keep you posted with the progress.

     I cook more when my dad is here. I also had the grandsons overnight on Saturday night. I decided to try a new recipe of an old favorite, Mac and Cheese. I got the recipe from the book Roast Mortem by Cleo Coyle. Her Coffee House Mystery series is a favorite of mine.

Penne Mac & Cheese

1 pound dry penne pasta (cook according to package for al dente)

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup grated Monterey jack cheese

1 cup grated mild cheddar cheese

5 1/3 T. butter

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 cups whole milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees-grease 3 qt. casserole. Cook pasta, drain and put in casserole dish.

In separate bowl mix the three cheeses together. Set aside.

     Melt butter in saucepan. Remove from heat. Add salt, pepper, flour, Worcestershire sauce and stir until smooth. Gradually add milk. Return pan to stove and stir constantly over medium heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat and stir until sauce thickens.

     Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Stir until smooth and pour over the pasta. Do not stir the pasta and sauce. I did have to press on the pasta a little bit to force a little of the sauce down into the casserole dish so it would overflow.

Top with the remaining cheese.

Bake 20-25 minutes until brown and bubbly.

Enjoy...it is yummy.

One of my favorite blog friends is Kat @ Low Tide High Style.

Kat not only loves the water the way I do, she has been a

very supportive friend to me and I'm sure to many others.

The current issue of Romantic Country is available right now.

I got mine at Wal-Mart.

See that...Kat's name in the magazine. She has a featured article...a must read!

Way to go Kat! How exciting!

I am joining today with:

 Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday

Sally @ Smiling Sally for Blue Monday

 Mary @ Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

Linda @ Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Please visit all of these lovely ladies and enjoy their blog events.

1 Year Anniversary! Met Monday and a GIVEAWAY!

Note: The Giveaway Has Ended


     I reached 2 milestones last week, 200 posts and the 1 year anniversary of I Need Mom! I came to blogging a year ago, after the disappointing changes that had taken place on a writer's website that I had participated in for over 3 years. I wasn't sure my writing could adapt to "blog style" or that I would ever feel that sense of community that I had felt on the other website. Well, I quickly learned that blogs come in all sorts of writing styles and I decided to "write the way I talk" and hope that people would want to read some of it.

     I also learned that bloggers are certainly a community of friends. I already had that figured out when my mom got sick the end of February and all of you stuck with me during times when I was absent for days, had nothing good to say and went through the most difficult thing that had ever happened to me, the loss of my mom. I love blogging. I love reading your blogs and mostly I love getting to know each and every one of you along the way.

So, let's party! It is time for me to thank you with a giveaway! I've collected a few things, some old...some new! My hope was that anyone would find something they liked in this "goodie box" of treasures. Rather than describe everything in the box...I think I'll just show you a few pictures to keep you guessing.

     I'm going to keep this very simple. It is open to everyone. If by chance my winner is from out of the country, I may have to change out a couple items that are heavy, but you will still win.

There are 2 ways to enter:

1) Be a follower of this blog and let me know you are in a comment

2) Post about my giveaway on your blog or on your sidebar and come tell me in a comment

The giveaway runs until Sept. 5th.

Now for those pictures...

This could be headed to your house!

     Ok...now for the Met Monday project. I have made no secret of the fact that if you give me an empty room and a bunch of stuff, I can make it look good. Give me a handful of weeds and I will make you a beautiful bouquet and I guarantee that I can make your Christmas tree look like a department store tree...do I sound cocky? Nope, I just know what I can do. What I can't do...is anything that requires paint, scissors, markers, glue etc. I find some way to mess things up every time. My brain is creative and I know what I'm supposed to do...but, I end up gluing my fingers together, cutting where I shouldn't and getting paint everywhere but where it needs to be. I am craft impaired. I know it.

     I've been watching all the Subway Art showing up in Blogland and I wanted some. I tried to win it from Jen at tatertots and jello, she is the Subway Art Queen. But I didn't win, so with her encouragement I gave it a try on my own.

I started with this canvas. I found it in my in-laws garage...free!

I spray painted it black...even I can use spray paint.

     A few stencils and some scary freehand painting along with some inexpensive acrylic paint and I ended up with this. It will go on my front porch when I put out the fall things. I actually don't hate it. In fact, I like it. It isn't as good as some (well, most) but when I say if I can do this anyone can...you can believe it!

Okay...don't forget to follow my blog for one entry and post about it for a second.

I'm linking today to:

 Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday

Mary @ Little Red House for Mosaic Monday

Sally @ Smiling Sally for Blue Monday

Linda @ Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

Jen @ Craft-o-Maniac for Craft-o-Maniac Monday

AtticMag for Giveaway Friday