The Best Woman I Know

I was reading my Google Reader and saw a post from Joy the Baker about her mom, and I was inspired.

I'm moving in less than three weeks far away from my mom.  The furthest we've ever lived from each other for any length of time.  Twenty-five years of being in the same household.  And over sixteen years with my step-dad, Donyvan.

 

They are the cutest and I strive to find a love like theirs.

 

She's my best friend in the whole wide world.  I've never kept secrets from her because even if I don't tell her right away, I feel guilty about not telling her and eventually I confess all.  But she doesn't judge, she does, however, tell it like it is.

 

Things I've learned from my mama:

+ Music should be listened to at high volumes, and the words should speak to you.  It tells a story and a song can mean a lot, and take you back to a great place and time.

+ Be positive.  Now, neither of us always live up to this, but we try really hard.

+ Have fun.  But not too much fun.

+ Spank your kids.  I know this sounds harsh, and a lot of people won't agree with this, but in my family this is how we got punished and it worked.  She didn't beat us, but we got the point.

+ Work hard.  I don't think I've ever met someone who works as hard as my mom.  When she and my dad got divorced when I was about four, she had to go to work full-time.  She has been in construction for well over twenty years and she continues to kick butt at it.

+ Wear comfortable clothes.  My mom hates to be uncomfortable.  I think her closet is half-full of clothes my sister or I encouraged her to buy that she just isn't comfortable in.

+ Don't hoard anything.  When I was about ten we had a house fire, and ever since then we don't hoard anything.  That helped us to see that there are a lot of material things that we just don't need.  And when it came to our clothes every six months we had to go through our closet and get rid of things we didn't wear, and donate them- I still do this.

+ Be independant.  There's nothing wrong with relying on people for certain things, but my mom has always been independant and she taught me to do the same thing.  (sometimes too much to where I'm like "I don't need anyone," which isn't always true)

+ Don't be jealous.  Ever since she and my step-dad got married she's struggled with this and she doesn't want the same for me.

+ Be happy!  That's all she ever wants for me.

+ Be goofy.  Who cares who's watching.

 

Love them!

 

Thanks Mom for the lessons!

I've been busy!

A few of the main reasons I haven't been blogging:

• work- I work all kinds of weird hours- one day I can work at 4:30 am and the next at 2 pm until 9:30 pm, and somtimes back the next day at 4:30 am, yeah it's not cool.  So, needless to say when I get home I'm tired, and just feel like chilling not crafting or cooking :(

• Pinterest- this site is so ridiculously addicting that it takes up all my time on the net, and therefore I forget about my blog

• vacationing- a good excuse in my opinion.  I went to Disneyland and LA with my two BFFs from Arizona.  Then my dad came to visit me from Ohio.  It was a fun week with a couple of days of work in there.

Red dot: work, blue dot: home, and yellow dot: my sister and brother-in-law's house.

• the biggest announcement... I'M MOVING!- to Louisville, KY.  So, much of my Pinterest surfing has been decorating my new apartment.  I've been arranging a place to live and a new store.  (there will be another post on this soon)

So, those are my excuses, but all very good reasons, I think.  I plan to get back into blogging when I move.  I will have more space to spread out and work on projects.  But, that's a couple of months, so in the meantime bare with me :)

Things I've Learned as a Single Girl

For those of you who don't know, I'm 25.  And up until about 8 months ago, I lived with my mom and step-dad, Donyvan.  Now, I live in a condo with my grandma, who I call Nan.  In living "with" I mean we split everything, so we're pretty much roommates.  So, I'm on my own.  Financially, that is.  I still have my family to lean on in times of need. 

In those last 8 months, I've learned a lot.  Well, honestly, I'd say I've learned a lot in the last couple of years.  I've learned things about life, people, and, mostly, about myself.  A lot of things my family and friends told me, but I never really took what they were saying to heart until I lived it. 

So, this post is just to give some advice to my fellow single girls, or some that are soon to be single or live on their own.

These aren't in any particular order:

1)  Keep your place clean!  You never know when someone is going to stop by, and the more often you clean the less time it will take you when you do it.  If something's not really really dirty then it'll be a breeze to do a quick clean-up.  I admit my mom cleaned a lot for me when I lived at home.  Now, I do a lot of the cleaning and I don't seem to mind because I love living in a clean place.  Plus, do you really think a man wants to marry someone who's a slob?  If he does, then that probably means he's one too.  Do you want to marry a slob??

2)  Learn to cook.  And no, Ramen noodles don't count.  It's not hard.  If I can do it, so can you.  Just start simple.  Go on sites like All Recipes or find a blog about easy recipes.  As long as you know you're way around the kitchen enough to make some chicken and vegetables for a simple meal or bake chocolate chip cookies, then you're doing good.  Plus, think about the money you'll save and the calories from not eating out all the time.

3)  Keep your freezer stocked.  Whether it's Eggos, chicken breast, or even just frozen dinners, the freezer is your friend.  As a single girl you can also make a full recipe that makes 4-6 servings, freeze it, and have food for weeks.

4)  Keep your place smelling good.  I'm a little weird about this.  I love for our condo to smell good.  I hate when the kitchen smells like steamed broccoli or the laundry room smells like the dogs food, or the air just smells stale.  This is also another good thing to keep in mind if you have people that may just drop by.  You don't want someone to walk in your place thinking: "what is that smell?"

5)  (This isn't really just for a single girl)  This is your FRIEND!!!  I love press n seal.  Enough said. **I'm not getting paid by Glad**

6)  Stay organized!  This mostly applies to bills.  Don't let that water bill get lost in a pile of papers.  Buy a calendar and use it.  Write the bills on their due date and the amount you owe.  A lot of bills you can pay online and even set them up for automatic payments.  If you're forgetful, do this!  I learned this the hard way multiple times.  It's no fun.

7)  PAY YOUR BILLS!!!  If it means giving up that new pair of shoes, purse, or dress, DO IT!  Even if it means eating Ramen noodles every night.  You do not want to ruin your credit, or get evicted because you can't budget.

8)  Make friends with your neighbors, or at least meet them.  (unless they're creepers)  You just never know when you might get locked out without your phone, or need some sugar.

9)  Don't buy toilet paper from the Dollar Store.  Unless you are just really really desparate and poor, I don't recommend it.  It's really not worth the money you will save.  You end up using twice as much because it's basically like nothing.

10)  Do things for other people.  Call it the "Golden Rule," karma, or paying it forward.  In my experience, the more nice things you do for people then either that person will do something nice for you, or out of the blue someone else will.  This especially applies to your parents.  They did things for you over a span of 18+ years.  But them a cup of coffee or invite them over for dinner.  Then if, one month, you're having problems making ends meet they might just buy you some groceries or fill you gas tank.

11)  Learn to sew.  I don't care if it's an entire dress or just sewing on a button.  Granted I learned to sew when I was probably 12 or 13 and made an apron when I was probably 15.  But, I know there are girls who have no idea how to sew.  It's not hard.  Don't sike yourself out and think it's going to be too time-consuming and you're going to jab your finger 100 times.  Just try it.  I strongly believe it's a good skill to have.

12)  Thank your parents.  Listen to their advice.  They DO know a lot.  They've probably lived what you're going through.  They can be your friends- no one whould judge you for that.

I'm sure there are more things.  And I know as soon as I post this I will think of more, but for now that is my list.  Enjoy.  And take my advice to heart.

My Dad's Doll

My dad, Tom, is the coolest dad.  He and my mom divorced when I was about four, but he always made it a priority to spend time with us on Wednesday nights and weekends.  Since then, my sister and I have tried to stay close to him even though we don't all live in the same town anymore.

(Yes, I look just like him)

Well, my step-mom sent me a package the other day and sent me some things that were my grandma's and she sent me my dad's doll from when he was a little guy.

Yeah, he's not the cutest doll.  But, for being 60 or more years old he looks pretty good to me.  His name is Stevie.  And was made by my great-great grandmother (my grandma's grandma).  I'm glad to have him.  I hope I have kids one day and I can display him in their room.  Right now, I think he's going to go into my "hope chest" with the other items until I have a home for them.

** My great-great grandma had some serious crochet skills :)

Antique Find of the Week

This past weekend- that flew by I might add- my best friend, Kristina, and her husband, Eric, came to visit from Tucson.  They came to visit for the Super Bowl.  Not that any of us were particularly cheering for anyone specific team, we just have watched the Super Bowl together for the past few years we lived in Tucson, so we decided they had to come here to visit us to watch it.

They arrived on Friday and we went to Old Town Temecula.  We went to a country club that we were not too impressed with to be honest.  The drinks were kind of weak and the food wasn't great.  We line danced and failed miserably.  Anyway, it was still fun.

Saturday we went to Dana Point Harbor and ate at Proud Mary's, which is my favorite place on the coast.  Then we headed down to San Clemente where my mom grew up.  It's kind of like another home for me because we used to visit quite a bit when we were kids.

Here are some of the yachts in Dana Point Harbor.  A lot are for sale anybody have $90, 000 laying around?!

The view walking down the street where we parked in San Clemente.  Love it here!

 Donyvan, Mom, Eric, and Kristina with San Clemente in the background.

 It was a gorgeous day!

Then after we walked on the beach we went to a street called Del Mar- it's lined with shops and restaurants.  And I found an antique store that only Kristina would go in with me.  She found a camera that was cute then she led me over to another set up cameras and I found this little beauty.  I love it!  It was a little steep in price, but I couldn't resist.  It's from 1926. 

This week I probably won't be going to any antique stores- just because I need to cut back on my spending :)  However, I did get a little something from the IRS, so there will be a new additiong to my sewing table (that is non-existent right now).

Have a good week friends!

Hand Warmers and More Hand Warmers

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been making oodles and oodles of hand warmers.  I made a pair for each of my sisters, one for my brother-in-law, and a pair for each of my three cousins.  I sent those off last week and my sister, Jamie, posted a pic on Facebook.

I can't lie, those were my favorite to make :)  Oh, and I have a matching pair without the buttons.

So, I learned how to make these from a video on youtube.

I cannot read instructions for crocheting.  I don't understand a single thing the instructions say so I watch videos on youtube.

These hand warmers and the others that I made are ribbed, but now I decided to change up the stitch so that every pair isn't the same.



I love the gray and white, it reminds me of the baker's twine everyone is using lately.

Well, speaking of hand warmers I think I'm going to clean up a little then settle down with a movie and some yarn.

Antique Finds of the Week

Nan and I went Antique shopping the other day.  I was setting out looking for a few things specific: some cool glass bottles and a globe.  The glass bottles are for a project that will be in our foyer.  And the globe is just to add to my travel corner of my room.  The first store we went to was so expensive, I believe that because it's in Old Town Temecula where there are tons of tourists that they can jack their prices up kind of high.  So, we didn't buy anything.  Then we went to Granny's Attic (the 30,000 sq ft of antiques, oh yeah).  There the prices are better, or at least if they're high in one booth just keep walking and you might find the same thing in another booth for a lot less.

I didn't find any bottles that I couldn't live without, but I found a GLOBE!

It even has a little rust on the base to make it look pretty cool!  I love it.  I was thinking of writing something on it like I've seen some people do, but I'm not too sure yet.

Then I was supposed to go to some estate sales with Nan and my mom yesterday, but I wasn't feeling well.  However they found some good stuff in my absense.  My mom bought these two cameras.

 This is a Brownie No. 2.  They were made in 1931.  I believe it's from the UK or Canada, I couldn't find any information on one from the US.

This is a Brownie Hawkeye, which is the camera Nan had when my mom was little.  My mom remembers getting her picture taken with it.  Nan is going to search for some photos she took with it.  This one was made betweeen 1949 and 1961.

Those are the finds of the week.  Stayed tuned to see what I find next week!

Temecula, CA Wine Country

I moved to Murrieta, CA about 7 weeks ago.  And we're right next to Temecula (Murrieta and Temecula are pretty much "twin cities").  Today, my grandma, Nan as I call her, suggested we take a drive to the Wine Country in Temecula, on the Southeast side of town.  After some maneuvering through town for about a half an hour- there was a ton of construction and we still get turned around- and a trip to Starbucks we made it to our first winery.  No, we didn't actually sample anything; we just wanted to look around.

It kind of sucked that all the trees are dead right now, but it was still a gorgeous day.

This winery is actually owned by a friend of ours.  Well, co-owned and he doesn't do much with the business.  It's a beautiful place.  All the photos to follow are from there.

This is the view from the wedding site.

Inside the tasting room.

The last time my mom was here with my step-dad she said there was no one here, but the place was busting with people when we were there.

These trees always remind me of "Under the Tuscan Sun" when her friend is standing under them and she calls them "creepy Italian trees."  So, true they are weird.

Even though the vines are all dry it's still a gorgeous view.

After we left Leoness, we took a long drive to the end of the wine trail then circled back around to head back into Temecula.  We thought about stopping for lunch, so we stopped here at Ponte Winery.

However, the restaurant was not cheap, and so we just meandered into the tasting room to check it out (and we used the bathroom :)

Nan, shopping in the Ponte tasting room.

Lots and lots of wine.

After we left here we headed back to Temecula, and went to Panera Bread for lunch.  All around it was a fun day out in Wine Country.  Can't wait for friends to come and visit so we can share it with them.

Buckeyes II

A couple years ago, Jessica and I made some buckeyes and we made a video.

With the other post about buckeyes it made me think of this.

G-Pa's Buckeyes

Like I said in a different post, I grew up in Ohio.  We have buckeyes trees.  Buckeye trees are the state tree.  The state is called the Buckeye State.  But what exactly is a buckeye?

It's a worthless nut.

Yeah, worthless.

You can't eat it- it's poisonous.  You can make necklaces with it and wear them to the OSU Buckeyes' games.

However, in my family we make them as candy.

Not the nuts themselves.  It's a ball of peanut butter dipped in chocolate.

The man who makes these in my family is my grandpa.  Wayland Reid.  He's the cutest little old man ever.  He calls me "Shorty" despite the fact that I am a good 6 inches taller than him.

There he is in the midst of his five favorite girls- well, at least we say we're the favorites.

Despite the happiness of the picture, this was taken at my grandma's funeral this past February.  She and my grandpa were married for 62 years.

Love her.

Miss her.

I miss him too.  It's been since August and I already miss him.

Anyway, this is about candy Buckeyes.

The Peter Pan peanut butter is the most important part.  It's the peanut butter my grandpa uses and we have to use it.  I tried to use Jif one time and it didn't turn out the same.

Mix the peanut butter (remember it's Peter Pan), butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar.

It should be about the consistency of clay.

Grab about 2 tbsp of the peanut butter mix and roll into a ball.  You can either put them onto a non-stick pan or on a cookie sheet on wax paper.

Put a toothpick into each ball.  That way they will freeze with the toothpick and make it easier to dip in chocolate.

While the peanut butter balls are in the freezer melt the chocolate.

I used semi-sweet, but usually my grandpa uses the milk chocolate medallions and uses a double-boiler.  I couldn't find the chocolate and I don't have a double-boiler.  Did I fail?  No.  I don't think so.  However, my sister does not agree that the semi-sweet chocolate is as good.

I set up an assembly line- the peanut butter balls, chocolate, then a piece of parchment paper or wax paper to put them on to cool and dry.

Dip the peanut butter ball in the chocolate to coat with a small amount of the peanut butter showing at the top.

You can take the toothpicks out as you go.

Looking tasty.

It's taking me back to making these in the kitchen of my grandparents' small apartment in North Canton, Ohio.  Sweating because the heat is cranked up and the heat coming from the stove is immense.  But it being about 20 degrees outside.  My grandma in the next room, yelling at us about something (I'm not being mean, that's just what she did, how she was and we all loved her for it).

Put the Buckeyes in the freezer and let them cool enough to enjoy them.

And keep enjoying them for days.

Or just a couple of hours.

I dedicate this post to my grandpa (oh by the way, we call him G-Pa):

 

Buckeyes

1 1/2 cups Peter Pan peanut butter

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups confectioner's sugar

12 oz semi-sweet or milk chocolate

Mix the peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar in a large bowl.  Take about 2 tbsp worth of the peanut butter mix in your hand and roll into a ball.  Place the peanut butter balls on a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet or on a non-stick pan.  Push a toothpick halfway down into the peanut butter balls.  Place them in the freezer.  While the peanut butter balls are freezing, melt the chocolate in a double-boiler or in the microwave.  If you melt it in the microwave, be sure to cook it only 30 seconds or 1 minute at a time, so the chocolate doesn't burn.  If in a double-boiler, be sure to mix it constantly so it doesn't burn.  When the chocolate it melted, get the peanut butter balls from the freezer-dip into the chocolate so a small amount of the peanut butter is showing at the top.  Place them on a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet.  Remove the toothpicks.  Place them back in the freezer.  Then enjoy!