Pot Pie Cupcakes

 We've been lucky enough to have a bit of a Mini-Autumn here, lately. It's been wonderful and Fall means cozy food, music, drinks and crafts.

I decided I wanted to make cupcake style pot pies and found this recipe.

I decided that since we didn't have ALL the stuff, I'd use it as a springboard and wing it.

 I used Cream of Mushroom soup instead since my Sissy is a vegetarian, and canned veggies (corn, potatoes and peas) in place of the frozen ones.
I also chose to go the route of Bisquick biscuit mix instead of canned biscuits.

They turned out AWESOME!

File This Under: Baking

The Way Things Are and Why It's Okay #2

Hello!
It's time for the second edition of

THE WAY THINGS ARE AND WHY IT'S OKAY

Feel free to play along, if you'd like.

(This is Sue, I love this kitty)

THE WAY THINGS ARE is that they actually aren't.
In that, I mean, My life is at a standstill right now. Waiting is the worst. But waiting to move forward is a tragedy. I can't obviously divulge the detail of why I'm in this standstill but it had nothing to do with the desire in my heart to move forward. All the problems I had last week are still here this week and really the only things that's different is that I have even less money and even more time on my hands.

School starts the 22nd and I'm a little glad. My kids need to enjoy that part of their childhood. We need the schedule that school provides and it will give me time to focus on remedying the situation I'm in. But, I'm concerned because this is depressing me.
I'm prone to wallow. I don't wallow, but it's my natural response.
I can't help it.
I force myself not to, but here we are... and I just want to sleep.

But

Do you know

WHY IT'S OKAY?

It's okay because some nice, simple things that happened reminded me that I have more than this mess.

Obviously, my kids remind me every single day, but, I had a dear friend check on me this weekend. He's the kind of friend that is rare. His intentions are always sincere. It's nice having someone like that in my corner.

It's also okay because I am learning every single day that I am okay. I AM O-KAY! And I will be okay and I am strong and determined and I have made my way through each obstacle. I can keep going. I have to and I am becoming better for it.

That's not to say I'm not hurting a little. But a little hurt is okay. It reminds us that life is all things. Not just easy things.

(this was a concept taken from a fellow blogger that I used to participate in years back, so while the concept is not mine, it is something I feel strongly about doing. I'd love to hear your stories too!)

I'm Proud of My Size, Link Up #2

Hello Friends, and Visitors from The Nearsighted Owl.

I'm not going to lie. I had a relapse.
I nearly didn't post any photos this week.

I saw this full length shot and was like...
"Ugh."

A literal, "Ugh".

I like my hair.

I like my Mickey Sweatshirt with the awesome pockets.

I even like my makeup and cut-off shorts.

 I like my shoes with the holes in the side panel.

I like being a total slouch sometimes.

I guess sometimes, I project onto my self esteem the fact that I am being lazy when I get dressed.

Do you do that? My problem with the full body shot isn't my body, it's that I am being a slob.

It's worse in life. Trust me.
So, I posted them.
Because this is me. Messy, happy, curly haired, busy, slob, weekending, me.
I'm a size 11 and I love my Mickey Shirt.

and

I AM PROUD OF MY SIZE

...and all the things that make me, ME

The weirdest part is I have gotten hit on more in this outfit than any other. People LOVE this shirt. And I have kissed a sincerely lovely man in the sweatshirt. So there's that.

It's all about confidence. My dear friend always says "With those eyes and confidence the world will love you!"

Wanna Read MORE or LINK UP?
YOU CAN!

Right HERE

File this Under: I'm Growing Up, I'm Proud of My Size

Bread... From Space

 So, Here I am, just under a month till I'm 28 and I have NEVER used a bread machine till now.

I'm literally in awe of how easy this is.

I kept saying "Space Age Technology, for sure!"

 No Kneeding.

No Mixing.

No Shaping.

 It's no replacement for making a loaf, start to finish, all the effort, all the nostalgia of it, but... it was cool.

And it tasted yummy!

File Under: I'm Growing Up, Baking

Look What Came in the Post! #2

I mentioned in my last "Look What Came in the Post" Post that I am a closet goth. This is at least in that vein. I love sweet, little cameos anyway, but that it's a skeleton profile meant I had to have it.

It wasn't even a huge splurge.

I love Etsy for that!

 I usually only buy large rings but this is one of two daintier ones I recently purchased.

(I'm still waiting on the tiny bluebird ring to arrive)

I actually found this in the "Classy and Fabulous" Shop ForeverFierce, on Etsy.

 Here's the Listing, You just specify the color combo you want, and at $6.00 I can justify buying them for my 2 girls to wear!

File Under: Look What Came in the Post, Things I Bought on Etsy

My Vinyl Life #2

My Vinyl Life

Live Albums

The Decemberists, We All Raise Our Voices to the Air

My heart cries a little when I play this record.

I bought tickets for their last tour. heart beaming, hope ensuing, absolute joy... those all come to mind, when recalling. Then my car broke down. And not just broke down, but the engine blew up and I was carless a week before the concert, and no way of getting to the show.

I was angry, hurt, bitter, sad.

I still am a little.

The worst part was, when they came back through close to the end of the tour, someone offered me a ride and a free ticket! Joy! Rapture! But I couldn't bare going without my sis... so I declined... and had a bit of a sulk.

 They're on infinite hiatus, now, you know. So, I'll never see them.

Life sucks like that sometimes. But, When I saw this was coming out I put the money aside to buy it.

tri-fold, covered in photos from the tour, and one of my favorite record to listen to all the way through...

It's sad, because I wish I could have been there, but it's sweet because I close my eyes and I would swear, the way only vinyl can capture something, you can hear the energy, feel it.

The Mariners Revenge is one of my favorite songs, but really, all these songs are incredible. Really amazing, storytelling songs. You should get this on vinyl... but at the very least get the MP3 versions.

No, Scratch that. Just get the Vinyl.

The Who, Live at Leeds

I love The Who.

That's an understatement. And this is a great album!

It pretty much speaks for itself but I smile a lot when I play this. 

Like all The Who's music it is very Summer time. So, this, and a Greatest Hits cassette from them, have been getting a lot of play this season! It feels good.

I don't have some deep story, I just, found this at Omega Music in Dayton Ohio (my most frequently visited record shop) in the clearance section for 50cents.

BOOM!

It came home with me. And I'm very happy!

I love Substitute on that Album

...and on the cassette, Squeezebox

Live Albums are a lot of fun. Listening to a Live Record is perfect for vinyl since you just drop the needle and take the trip.

File Under: My Vinyl Life

What LYDIA Wore

 My 7 year old (nearly 8, mind you) is way, WAY, cooler than me.

She wanted to do one of those "What I Wore" blog posts... and this outfit, is a great one for it. 

YAY Vintage and YAY thrifting!

 Hat : Handmade, Honeycomb Beanie (By my amazing sister)

Shirt : Thrifted, Charlotte Russe

Skirt : Vintage, Thrifted

Shoes : NONE, cause it's Summer, obviously

That awesome accessory is Keek-A-La-Squeek, one of our barn kitties.

Geeze, I love her.

File Under: What I Wore, Tiny Humans

Ava's Tea Party

 

I have no words. No right words.

I sat here, fumbling over the "right" delivery, the "proper" phrase and the sort of balance that Sheye is so known for.

But I don't have it...

 I poured the pink milk, used all the perfect, mismatched tea cups and plates, equally divided the pepto-candies and raspberry chocolates. I hung oraganza and played Sigur Rós  Fjögur píanó, and on vinyl no less, for Ava. But not just for Ava, for Lydia and Layla and Rooster. For the moment that I was lucky enough to have. I celebrated 7 years old. I celebrated 5 years old. I celebrated 4 years old. I celebrated.

 So many things, in the last two years, have changed. 

I am a member of the Single Parents Club.

My Children are Children of Divorce.

I lost my home.

I lost many things...

But I did not loose this life. This life, with them. My three divine, wild, hope-embodying, fariy, milk-drinking, beautiful, tiny humans.

And here we are, today, drinking pink milk, and loving each other.

 I can't fathom the way Sheye's heart feels. Or did feel, or will, or anything. When I try to, I end up a puddle. I'm hurt for her. I'm angry with myself for not being more grateful. I'm scared, of ever knowing how it feels and I am inspired to her embracing, remembering and mourning spirit. 

I am in awe.

Most assuredly.

 Since I cannot relate to the depth of what she feels I want to take the time to see my own life.

Ava's Tea Party is all about taking a moment.

This is ours.

 My untamed littles did not want to wear fancy clothes.

No pictures. No Sigur Rós or elegant tea time.

So, we had pink milk in tea cups and sippy cups. We had a dance party with all the songs they wanted to hear, including "I like to Dance" by Hot Chelle Rae and "Tonight, Tonight" by the Smashing Pumpkins, and we all did pathetic attempts at 'the robot' to Bassnectar's "Bass Head".

 I didn't take any photos.

Not of them. Because they didn't want that.

We laughed. We had a tickle fight. We loved each other.

We planned our trip to the park for later in the day. We talked about what to pack in our picnic.

We drew pictures.

 In my mind I would have 1,000 photos to sift through of our fancy, perfect, tea time for Ava. But... I only have these.

And that's okay.

Because, we had our moment, and there was no one there that was not smiling, and full of joy and love and delight and when it was over, and we stopped the official celebration, we were all still smiling.

Lydia started drawing more landscapes, Layla went off to play with her plushie-dog Fetch and Rooster talked me into letting him watch Tin-Tin on Netflix. I sat down to blog and drink some coffee. 

And I could tell we were all still celebrating. On the inside. Because I have them and they have me.

And Life, Death, Being Busy, Work, School, Weekends with their Daddy, Discipline, TV, Being Hurt or Angry... None of that can take that away.

Ever.

Sheye, has these lovely words on her blog:

I Carry Your Heart with Me

(I carry it in my heart)

I tear up every time I read it.

I am as I type them now.

Gawd, Life, it's so short and childhood is so brief. Even to be blessed with years, of them being little, and to see them into preteen, teen and eventual adult years, it's never long enough.

I have been given something priceless.

Happy Birthday Ava.

File Under: Ava's Tea Party, Tiny Humans

Look What Came in the Post!

 I am a closet Goth.

Wednesday Addams was my hero, growing up. I adored her. Her style, her mono-tone demeanor. Her adorable with and ever-so-dark self.

I still do.

This is one of my favorite artists renderings of Tuesday and Wednesday Addams.

So when I found this set of 3 blank note cards on Etsy, I had to have them. HAD TO!

And look at them, I'm sure you agree.

 Her name is Mab Graves and I am OBSESSED with her Etsy Shop.

Visit it HERE

or visit her on FACEBOOK

 These are some of the extra goodies, 2 business cards that make the sweetest little art for my desk and a poodle sticker that I am in love with! 

I can't wait to buy more!!

File Under: Look What Came in the Post, Things I Bought on Etsy

I Am Proud of My Size Link-Up

It's official. I will be 28 in one month. It's about time I woke up and starting being proud. 

Not just of myself, inwardly, but of me, outwardly.

So Here We Go...
I AM PROUD OF MY SIZE
(read more here, from Rachele)

I may not be fashion-forward, or overly quirky, but I do me, and I like me... and I like how I dress the body I have.

I wish I knew why it was such a struggle for me, coming to this place of self-love. But, to be fair, I think it is for most people. I'm not special in that I have crash dieted, told myself I was ugly, and cried because I wasn't a size 6 anymore...

But...

The older I get, the less I care what number the tag says in the back of my jeans.

Mostly, I just want to be healthier. And I'm working towards that...

Healthy to me, means:

Keeping up with my kids

Eating plenty of raw foods but never counting calories

Feeling good physically and emotionally

Being able to do the things in life that are important to me

and

Loving myself.

To be fair...

I'll fluctuate in size all my life. I've been a size 6, and 8, 10 11 12 14 and 16. 

But I am more than my size.

And THAT makes me proud.

Shirt - Thrifted, Banana Republic

(purposely bought 2 sizes too big)

Cardigan - Thrifted

Shorts - Hand me Down Jeans, Cut off and rolled

Shoes - Walmart

Bag - Walmart

Necklace - Vintage, Handmade

I'll be the first to admit this slightly maternity, over-sized top was probably not the most flattering choice but I love it. I FEEL pretty when I wear it. And this color-scheme of grey/white/navy is my absolute favorite right now.

So, this is me.

I call myself a "chubby little dumpling"

People don't like that, but I don't mean it as a downer...

I like being just that.

 Besides, there are lots of things I truly love about the way I look.

my eyes, my lips, the fact that my skin is very pale, the length of my legs and my freckles.

 PS: This is my little sister. She's my Best Friend.  She took the full length shots for me!! I adore her.

File Under: I Am Proud of my Size, I'm Growing Up