Happy Homemaker Monday

Hello and Happy Monday to you all! This day has just zipped right away and here it is after 5:00 before I am getting the Happy Homemaker Monday done. 

Last month I was toiling away trying to get all our tax figures ready for our tax accountant and was fussing and fuming and super cranky! I decided right then and there that I would keep up with the tax stuff quarterly so as not to lose my mind trying to do it in February...or March. Today was the day and after 3 hours of figuring I finally have it finished for this quarter...Yay!!!

So, better late than never, please join me as I update you on my life via Happy Homemaker Monday hosted by the very busy and moving again Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom! I have lived in the same house for 20 years and I can't imagine what it would be like to have to move. Besides, decent, affordable housing is hard to find. Please visit Sandra and cheer her on!

The weather outside is::::
It is currently 58 degrees and seems like that has been the temperature since about 11:00 today. It is cloudy and just a bit breezy but not windy.

On the breakfast plate this morning::::
Today was my Intermittent Fast Day so no breakfast. However, for lunch we had some delicious asparagus picked right from our garden! The store bought stuff does not even compare!

As I look outside my window:::
Wilson demolished a lily plant in the flower bed:( He really doesn't know any better and unless we catch him in the act it's hard to get after him for it. It's very cloudy and looks like we might get rain later tonight.  

Right now I am::::
Just finished my tax stuff for the quarter so am "relaxing" by writing this post.

As I look around the house::::
Dining table looks good for the 2nd week in a row:) Dog toys all over the living room but the dogs are in the dining room with me. Piles of laundry need to be done--I got one done today and will do 2 more tomorrow.

On today's to do list::::

Quarterly tax prep...DONE
Get ready for Wednesday's stamping club

Currently reading::::
List looks pretty much the same as last week but I am a lot farther along in each one:

• Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lysa TerKeurst
• Read aloud: A Two Pedal World: The Journey (Book 2) by Paul Rega
• Audio: Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult  

On the TV today::::
Thanks to Netflix:
Hart of Dixie
Drop Dead Diva 

We watched the best movie I have seen in a looonnnggg time this weekend. It's called The Hundred Foot Journey and was amazing!

On the menu this week::::
No menu...winging it as usual! However, my new favorite food blog, It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken has 10 Vegan Dessert Smooties that I want to try...well, I want to try 8 as 2 of them have peanut butter in them and I am allergic.

Favorite photo from the camera::::

Prayers, Inspirational Quotes or Devotionals::::
"Let your gentleness be evident to all." Philippians 4:5a (NIV)

Thanks for visiting! I will be back tomorrow for Tasty Tuesday with a delicious recipe for you!

Kat

Monochromatic Man Card

Masculine cards are hard for me but hey, guys have birthdays too! So I scoured Pinterest for a card I thought might be good for our friend Jim! He and his family had just been to the Oregon Coast for Spring Break so this card by Beth Ann Wilson from Beth Ann's Stamp Pad Creations seemed appropriate. It looks like Beth Ann is no longer making and posting cards but she deserves credit nonetheless! For this card I pulled out a retired color...Midnight Muse!

For this card I used the following Stampin' Up! supplies:

• Cardstock: Midnight Muse and Whisper White
• Stamp Sets: By the Tide and Happiest Birthday Wishes (retired)
• Ink: Midnight Muse
• Other: Midnight Muse Stitched Ribbon and Dimensionals (of course)

After yesterday's post I thought I should keep this one short and sweet! I hope you have a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Kat

Wondrous Wreath for Spring

Yesterday was one busy day but a fun one. First up was my dental cleaning...not so much fun...but the hygienist said all looks great at 8 months following my LANAP procedure the middle of August! And I have felt sooo much better since a few months after the procedure...more energy and better immune system! After my teeth were sparkly clean we went to lunch. I know, doesn't make sense to dirty up those pearly whites right after but I was sooo hungry!!! 

Next on the agenda was Joann's...it was Senior Citizen Day with a 20% discount on just about everything. Could I find anything? Well, not much, but I did find embossing folders (reg. price $3.99-4.99) for 5/$10!!! 

The best part was a pedicure with my favorite technician, Joyce! She is amazing and such a sweetheart. I hadn't been since last Fall so it was definitely time! Hubby picked out the color to debut my pedicured sandal feet for Spring; OPI Romeo and Juliet! I love the names OPI gives their polishes. I had picked out Chocolate Moose (yes, I spelled that correctly) but went with Hubby's choice and love it!!!

A trip to Costco yielded me a new pair of my favorite shoes for walking...Fila Hyper Split in a beautiful shade of teal or turquoise or something like that...for just $19.99!!! I am currently wearing a pair of hot pink ones I bought last summer and just started wearing a month and a half ago when I started walking again but they are sooo comfortable I promised myself if they got them at Costco again I would buy them and put them away for when I need them. I have trouble getting tennis shoes that feel good and these feel great!!! I have been walking 2-3 miles a day, 5-6 days a week! Feels good and the dogs really love it and look forward to it:)

Today I had an online class through Creative Live on Beginning Mixed Media. Creative Live posts some classes that are free while they are live but once the class is over you can purchase it to watch over and over for $39. This was a 3-hour class and the instructor was amazing! I don't do Mixed Media (yet) but have been curious about what it is all about. I would like to combine it with Art Journaling, which I also haven't started...yet! 

So sorry to be super long-winded today! I really do have a card to share but was super excited to share all the other fun things as well:)

The card for today I call Wondrous Wreath for Spring! Doesn't this card just scream Spring?!!! The Wondrous Wreath was in the Holiday catalog and carried over to the Occasions catalog. I do hope it makes it into the new Annual Catalog starting in June! I used it for Fall, Christmas and now Spring! It is so versatile!

I found the inspiration for this card on Pinterest and my thanks go out to Amy Koenders of Stamp with Amy K! I switched it up just a little but not a lot! I have some Purely Pomegranate cardstock that I squirreled away when it retired a few years back and thought it would be perfect with this card paired with Wild Wasabi and the combo did not disappoint!

For this card I used the following Stampin' Up! supplies:

• Cardstock: Wild Wasabi, Purely Pomegranate (retired), So Saffron and Pink Pirouette
• Stamp Sets: Wondrous Wreath and Crazy About You (sentiment)
• Ink: Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Pistachio Pudding, Purely Pomegranate (retired)
• Big Shot with Lovely Lace Embossing Folder and Wonderful Wreath Framelits Dies
• Other: Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, Basic Pearls, Dimensionals, Glue Dots

Don't forget that Stampin' Up! has FREE SHIPPING through tomorrow, April 10 and you can get there by clicking on the shopping cart on the right!

That's it for me today! I hope you are having a great day and that the sun is shining where you are. 

Kat

Three Cards One Stamp Set

Last week I shared with you 3 cards I made for a swap that was to include 3 different cards made from one stamp set. Well, the cards above are what I received from my dear friend, Margarita! For these cards she used the March kit from Simon Says! I love the yellow, black and gray!

Since I photographed the group with their plastic sleeves on, I thought I would give you an up-close-and-personal look without the plastic! May I say gorgeous?!!!

Look at those beautiful yellow blossoms!

And this one is my favorite! Thank you Margarita for these beautiful cards! Love them!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Kat

Near East Copycat Rice

Welcome to Tasty Tuesday! I have a very tasty treat for you today!

First off, I would totally flunk in the school of food photography! Now that I look at it, I should have piled the rice on a plate and sprinkled with parsley...or something! Maybe I will get some tips from my niece Mindy about photographing food. Well, I hope it doesn't take away from the fact that this was truly the best rice I have EVER eaten! We used to buy Near East Rice Pilaf but one day I went to make some and there was only ONE box! One box for this family just doesn't cut it so off to the internet I went to Google "Near East rice recipe". Bam! Up comes this recipe for Copycat Near East Rice Pilaf! Not only is it super easy and takes only 20 minutes, but it is seriously delicious! Erica is a food genius!!!

As usual, I made just a few tiny modifications for our tastes but nothing serious!

Copycat Near East Rice Pilaf

Author: Erica
Yields: 4-6 (as a side dish)

Ingredients

• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tbsp butter or olive oil (I used avocado oil)
• 1 cup long grain rice (I used Jasmine rice)
• 1/3 cup orzo pasta (you might be tempted to skip this ingredient but don't...I tried it both ways and it is so much better with the orzo)
• 1/8 tsp tumeric
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt (I used 1 tsp Celtic Sea Salt so my thought is salt to taste)

Instructions

1. Bring broth, water and butter/oil to boil in a small pot.
2. Add rice, orzo and spices and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 18 minutes.
3. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Erica has a printable version of this recipe on her blog plus a lot of other great recipes. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

Kat

Happy Homemaker Monday

Welcome to Happy Homemaker Monday hosted each week by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. I was about to despair that I would ever get the chance to sit down to type this post today! Just seemed to be so many things to do and blogging somehow didn't make it to the top of the priority list until NOW! Well, better late than never and it is still Monday:)

The weather outside is::::
At 4:00 in the afternoon, it is 58 degrees (F) with blue sky and fluffy white clouds. We have a slight breeze that makes the wind chimes tinkle but not clang like they were doing all last week. Actually a very beautiful day!

On the breakfast plate this morning::::
No breakfast today as Mondays and Thursdays are intermittent fasting days which means I eat one meal between noon and 1:00 that consists of approximately 500 calories. That's it...along with plenty of water!

As I look outside my window:::
I see the bird feeder is empty but there are so many other things for the birds to eat right now. I also see lots of green accented by the beautiful red Barberry Bushes. Out my side window I see the lilacs starting to bloom and they are gorgeous!    

Right now I am::::
Sitting at the dining room table which amazingly is cleaned off, with the dogs at my feet (as usual). I just finished my glass of water so need to get up and get another one before I continue.  

As I look around the house::::
The living room is littered with dog toys! Wilson is the worst about the toys...if they are in the toy box, they need to come out! But he so funny doing it! Hubby decided he wanted to turn his chair around so he can see the view out the front window...looks really interesting. My chair was turned around too but Wilson doesn't like it because there's not enough room for me to play fetch with him when it's faced that direction.

On today's to do list::::

Laundry, as usual
Prune the hydrangeas (which should have been done during the winter)
Make two birthday cards

Currently reading::::
Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lysa TerKeurst
Read aloud: A Two Pedal World: The Journey (Book 2) by Paul Rega
Audio: Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
On the TV today::::
Hart of Dixie

On the menu this week::::
I don't have a menu again this week:( I do have some recipes I want to try from this fabulous vegan blog called It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken. Samantha Turnbull is hilarious and her recipes are delish! Look out family!!!

Favorite photo from the camera::::

Love my Emile Henry cover bread baker:)

Prayers, Inspirational Quotes or Devotionals::::
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.   --Romans 8:11

Well that's it for me this fine Monday! I will be back tomorrow with a recipe for Tasty Tuesday!

Thanks for stopping by!

Kat

FREE SHIPPING April 6–10, No Minimum Purchase Required!

From now through Friday, April 10, Stampin' Up! will have FREE SHIPPING on ALL orders (excludes expedited shipping)...no minimum order!!! Can I say Woo Hoo?!!! So, if you are in the market for paper crafting supplies, NOW is the time to purchase Stampin' Up!'s quality merchandise and pay NO SHIPPING!

Check out the following...

• Weekly Deals
• Clearance Rack
• Occasions Catalog
• Returning Favorites from the Holiday Catalog
• ANNUAL Catalog pdf...be patient as this is a big file.

To order you can click on the shopping basket on the right side of this post or click here. I love being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and would love the opportunity to earn your business!

Have a GREAT day!

Kat

Painted Blooms and Butterflies

I was looking on Pinterest for a third card for my 3 Card Swap using the Butterfly Basics stamp set and came across this beauty uploaded by Faith Welch! I didn't find a website or tutorial for you but it is pretty straight forward! Thank you Faith for this simply elegant design! 

For this card I used the following Stampin' Up! supplies:

• Paper: Midnight Muse (retired), Whisper White and Old Olive cardstock; Painted Blooms designer series paper
• Stamps: Butterfly Basics and A Dozen Thoughts
• Ink: Midnight Muse and Tuxedo Black Memento
• Big Shot with Butterfly Thinlits
• Other: Glue dots and Basic Rhinestones

This card will need a bigger than normal envelope because of the Butterfly but that's easy to solve with the Envelope Punch Board:)

I will be back on Sunday with something...just not sure what, yet! Have a great weekend!

Kat

Quick and Easy Butterfly Basics Card

The card today is the second one in a 3 Card Swap I just participated in. We were to send 3 cards all using the same stamp set. Of course I picked Butterfly Basics because, well, it's my favorite!!! 

Card Front

I think this is the last time I use pink as a background to my photos:( This card was super quick and easy. In fact it was totally CASEd (copy and share everything) from Brandy Cox at Brandy's Cards. She did a video tutorial on this card called 10 in 20 where she makes 10 of these cards in 20 minutes! Well, I made 5 cards while she was making 10 but hey, I was totally happy with it! 

Card Inside

Are you loving it?!!!

For this card I used the following Stampin' Up! supplies...

• Whisper White card stock...that's it for the paper! Can you believe it!
• Butterfly Basics Stamp Set
• Ink: Old Olive, Island Indigo, Crushed Curry and Early Espresso
• Big Shot with Butterfly Thinlits
• Other: Glue Dots and Basic Rhinestones

WOW! That has to be the shortest list of ingredients for a card yet (for me that is)!

I hope you enjoyed this card today! Be sure to come back tomorrow for one more in this 3 Card Swap! It is truly amazing! LOVE IT! 

To purchase Stampin' Up! products just click the shopping cart on the right and it will take you right to my Stampin' Up! website! To receive a catalog please email me if you don't already have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator!

Kat

Butterfly Basics Screen Card

I am totally in love with the Butterfly Basics stamp set by Stampin' Up! along with the Butterfly Thinlits! I am having a problem right now because I want to use the Butterfly Basics for every card! I was inspired in the making of this card by Connie Stewart at Simply Simple Stamping. She used a different stamp set but I got great ideas from her for this card. If you haven't checked out Connie's Flash Cards and Flash Cards 2.0, you are missing a lot! Plus Connie has a 2 Minute Tip each Tuesday that is helpful...like how to fold your card stock! Can you tell I'm a fan?!!!

This card is part of a three card Swap and I will show the other two cards over the next couple of days! All three cards were supposed to use the same stamp set which, of course, was not hard for me!

For this card I used the following Stampin' Up! supplies:

• Paper: Whisper White and Island Indigo cardstock; Something Borrowed Designer Series Paper
• Butterfly Basics stamp set
• Ink: Soft Suede, Island Indigo, Old Olive and Early Espresso; colored with Blendabilities (discontinued)
• Big Shot with Butterfly Thinlits
• Decorative Label Punch 
• Other: Glue Dots and Basic Pearls

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you liked the card I had to share today.

Kat

Tasty Tuesday

Welcome to Tasty Tuesday or...What's for Dinner, Mrs. Skinner? I couldn't help it! My mother-in-law had a paperback sized cookbook called What's for Dinner, Mrs. Skinner?

Today's tasty treat is 3-Ingredient Coconut Oil Bisquits! I found the recipe on Pinterest and it comes from Ali at Gimme Some Oven and I was finally able to make fluffy, flaky biscuits! My family loved them with Cashew Country Gravy for a delicious Vegan breakfast!

3-Ingredient Coconut Oil Bisquits

Ingredients:

• 2 cups self-rising flour, store-bought or homemade 
  • http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/how-to-make-self-rising-flour-recipe/
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (solid, not melted)
• 3/4 cup coconut milk (or any milk)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut coconut oil into flour with pastry blender until mixture looks like fine crumbs. 
3. Stir milk into mixture until it forms a soft dough and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Gently knead until mixture is combined but do not over knead.
4. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. 
5. Gently pat or roll dough until about 1/2 inch thick. Cut with biscuit cutter and place on baking sheet.
6. Bake for 10 minutes or till biscuits have risen and are slightly browned on top.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you get the chance to try this great recipe!

Kat

Happy Homemaker Monday

Welcome to my first Happy Homemaker Monday since November! I am excited to be able to participate with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom! 

The weather outside is::::
Overcast but nearly 60 degrees! 

On the breakfast plate this morning::::
Just my cup of Yerba Mate this morning. We are doing intermittent fasting two days a week so no breakfast, only a very light lunch.

I love the mug my son got me for Christmas and use it every day...it makes me happy:)

As I look outside my window:::
I see freshly mowed grass and beautiful flowers! It must be Spring!


Right now I am::::
Watching the dog busy with his toys while drinking my cup of Yerba Mate and typing this post. 


As I look around the house::::
Dog toys are strewn everywhere and I just picked them up last night! My desk and dining room table need some attention but everything else looks good. We do need to repaint every.room.in.the.house and are making plans for that and I would love to replace the carpet with bamboo flooring; carpet is looking tired after 20 years and several dogs. The painting will get done but the flooring hasn't made it to the top of the priority list yet so guess I will just have to shampoo!

On today's to do list::::
Laundry x 2 loads
Clean off my desk
Spend at least an hour organizing my craft room
Walk 3 miles
Make some cards that need to go out this week


Currently reading::::
I just downloaded Praying for Your Elephant: Boldly Approaching Jesus with Radical and Audacious Pray by Adam Stadtmiller...I will be starting it today!

I also have two Jodi Picoult books going...Leaving Time on audio and Plain Truth in a paper-turn-the-page book

On the TV today::::
I am currently enjoying Hart of Dixie on Netflix! Plus I need to finish watching this season's episodes of Downton Abbey.

On the menu this week::::

Monday - Baked potatoes, Butternut Squash and Green Salad
Tuesday - Near East Copycat Rice with curry
Wednesday - Tacos with Spicy Quinoa "Burger"
Thursday - 
Friday - Mushroom Barley Soup with fresh bread
Saturday -
Sunday -

What I am creating at the moment::::   
I am working on a beautiful shawl/wrap for my niece for spring. I am using Paton's Lacy Sequins yarn.

Shine Like Diamonds Shawl

Favorite photo from the camera::::

Wilson pouting because I won't let him help me sweep and mop the floor

Prayers, Inspirational Quotes or Devotionals::::
"Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.Proverbs 15:16 KJV

Well, that's it for my Happy Homemaker Monday! Tomorrow I have a recipe for Three Ingredient Biscuits that are light and fluffy!

Kat

Back to Blogging

I know I have been MIA since the middle of November and I am sorry about that. I just felt like I was on overload and needed to take a break from something that wouldn't have serious consequences if I didn't do it. Unfortunately, that was also something I really enjoy doing! But, the winter is over...at least the flowers tell me so...and the days are longer, the sun is brighter and I have a lot more energy! Yay! So we'll take one day at a time and see if I can keep up!

Today I was walking around in our yard, garden/orchard and took some pictures of the flowers. I love the tulips above. They are coming up to replace the fading daffodils.

Then there are the pear blossoms! Gorgeous! I am looking forward to eating those luscious pears in late summer.

I think the picture above is of the cherry blossoms. The birds have eaten our cherries for the last several years but we are always hopeful to get a few. These flowers are on the Van cherry tree; the Rainier and Bing trees haven't blossomed yet.

This is our last peach tree to ripen each year, O'Henry. Aren't those blossoms a beauti ful shade of pink! 

Spring is filled with lots of work getting the yard and garden in shape...fortunately that is hubby's job! I love seeing all the beautiful flowers, hearing the birds, enjoying the sunshine and a few showers, shedding winter like a heavy coat!

I will not be participating in the A to Z Blog Challenge this year but I have some fun posts planned for you anyway! I will be back tomorrow to participate in Sandra's Happy Homemaker Monday over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

Thank you to everyone who emailed me with concerns about why I wasn't blogging and for those who encouraged me to take it up again. 

Kat