There's no Place Like Home

2011-05-19T14:51:00.000-04:00

Destash

2011-05-19T13:14:00.000-04:00

Green Love Giveaway!

2009-12-06T22:45:00.002-05:00

Follow the link below to enter a drawing for some organic bath products! Great quality, good packaging...they'd make a great gift for a special someone or even to spoil yourself :)

http://greenlovestore.blogspot.com/

Been Farming...

2009-05-21T22:26:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year where I get to go up to Baese Organics and do some farming...here are a few pictures of the work that's been going on...

"Family Bonding"-Sorting cows

"Where's the Cattle Prod?!"-to use on my brother Will

"Lots-O-Dirt"-after an evening of disking

Not an April Fools joke

2009-04-01T16:18:00.003-04:00

I'm planning to run a 5K at the end of June. It'll be the first race I've ever run, not including any I may have run for high school gym, so it should be an interesting experience. I've got plenty of time to gear up for it and I'm quite excited to make it happen.

Wish me luck!

Without further delay...

2009-03-10T10:20:00.002-04:00

Sometimes life just gets away from you and it's made me beyond late for announcing the winner of the drawing. So, I've decided to give away two aprons and another little surprise will be sent out with them for the winners.

And the winners are...

#10: Bekah
and
#15: thelittlegreenhouse

If you two could email me your addresses I will get the prizes mailed out to you!

Thank you to all who participated, I found a few new fun websites to visit :)

Apron Drawing Extension

2009-02-23T13:58:00.002-05:00

I'm extending the apron drawing to Wednesday night. I'll have my niece choose a name and an apron and I'll post the winner by Friday morning.

Apron Giveaway!

2009-02-17T13:49:00.003-05:00

I have this habit, maybe a little OCD, with my sewing...I'll cut out a bunch of one thing, ie. aprons, burp cloths, quilt squares, and then they'll sit in a bag for several months until I go on a sewing spree. I just finished up a bunch of aprons and don't know what I'm going to do with them yet so I figured I'd start out by giving one away. This is a random give away, what the apron will look like will be a surprise.

To enter just share with me your current favorite website. I'll leave this open for a week, maybe longer if there doesn't seem to be much response. Good luck!

Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price-Movie Recomendation

2009-01-17T09:22:00.004-05:00

Have you seen this movie?! I was just lucky to catch it one morning while I was at work and it just awed me! I know that most big box stores have similar overseas factory practices so even though that part was horrible it didn't hit me quite as hard...though the thought that Wal-Mart most likely added the most fuel to the fire to keep those conditions so bad because of their demand for such low prices really does bother me. But I really was appalled at the way they treat the workers in their stores, how they don't allow full time and decent benefits, etc. Beyond that I am also very surprised at how much money towns/cities will give to Wal-Mart to open a store in their community...in some cases millions of dollars to come in and essentially shut down all of the locally owned businesses because of the "cheap" goods Wal-Mart sells. One would think that these towns and cities could find much better things to do with that money. The end did give me hope though because they showed places that the community stood up and said no, they wouldn't put up with a Wal-Mart there and actually stopped it from going through. It's amazing what a few people, compared to a giant like Wal-Mart, can do!

I don't know that I can ever step foot in a Wal-Mart again, it honestly sickened me that much. I'm also having a hard time going into any big box store now because I know that, if nothing else, they probably have at least some of the same overseas factory situations. I have been thinking about ways to save more money and this movie might have just done the trick for me!

I'm not looking for a fight, I do know some people have seriously considered all of their options-buying less, etc.-but may not have any other choice to shop there...if it is someone's last hope I don't begrudge them that. I just hope that the people that do have a choice and choose to shop there will maybe check out this movie and searously consider what they are putting their money into. I also wanted to see if anyone else had seen the movie and was moved as much as I am as well as recomend it to anyone else that hasn't seen it.

Here's a link to the website for more information: http://www.walmartmovie.com/

More down...

2008-12-16T20:58:00.000-05:00

I've lost 5 more pounds! Happy, happy, joy, joy!

Baese's Harvest Party-Bonfire and Hayride

2008-09-25T17:42:00.002-04:00

When: October 4, 2008
Time: 5pm-Whenever
Where: The Baese Farm

Hotdogs and drinks provided-bring a dish to pass-BYOB

If you have any questions, need directions just message me!

It's Almost Fall!

2008-09-11T17:01:00.003-04:00

Whew! It's been awhile... Work has been keeping me fairly busy and with the kids back to school it's made things a little more interesting. I've been here and there between work, Christine's place and The Farm. I feel a bit like a nomad and it's starting to get a little old.

Facebook has been keeping me quite busy for the last few days as I've found and been found by some old friends. It's been fun catching up with them and seeing where life has taken them.

Working on plans for the girls weekend in Chicago in November. We're considering staying at the hostel downtown, if anyone has any experience staying there please share. The girls want to have dinner at The Village at Italian Village Restaurants again. We had such a good time their on our trip last year. Next week I'll post some photos from that trip.

Blessings!

Some Pictures

2008-07-26T14:39:00.003-04:00

The Big 3-0!

2008-07-14T10:53:00.003-04:00

It's my birthday! It's my birthday! Woo hoo!

I've been asked a few times if I feel 30 or is it hard to be turning 30 but really it's not been a big deal for me. I did have a little bit of an issue, a 1/4 life crisis I suppose, when I turned 25 but this year just isn't setting anything off. I feel like I just don't have anything to prove right now. I feel comfortable with myself and where I'm at in my life. Life changes and I just don't mind that, I've always been kind of a go with the flow person and it's just being enhanced the older I get. Oh, don't get me wrong, there are still things that bother me or that I let get me down more than necessary but that's a part of life too. I just don't seem to hang on to them as much and have been figuring out how to not sweat the small stuff.
So, thank you to everyone that has wished me well! And if you've got a moment tell me at what age, if any, you stressed out about the number and if you've gotten beyond that share a pearl of wisdom, or 2 or 3, that you've learned.

Business Plan

2008-07-11T17:39:00.003-04:00

Well, I've decided to write up a business plan for the hardware even though it's not likely to happen. Just so that I can say I've done it and tryed something new.

If anyone's got any tips on writing a business plan I'm open to reading them.

Pipe Dream

2008-07-07T19:04:00.005-04:00

I've got a pipe dream...I'd like to buy the hardware store in my "hometown" and move back up there to run it. I have a sister that would be able to help me out on the business end and a friend that would be able to help out with knowledge of a hardware so that'd be all set. What makes it a pipe dream? I'd never be able to afford it unless I won the lottery or some ailing relative decided to will me their large estate...lol I have always thought it would be neat to own some kind of store and in a small town like that it could be quite interesting too. I would condense the store down to be more like what it used to be and use the extra space for a community kitchen where people could come in and do their canning or cook/bake something they'd sell at a store or farmers market. It would be so fun and I love the idea of being able to help the people in the community like that. So if anyone finds it within themselves to fund my pipe dream just email me ;)

What's your pipe dream? You know, that thing that you'd love to do but unless a miracle happened or you all of a sudden came into a massive amount of money it isn't likely to happen.

Changes...

2008-06-07T16:32:00.004-04:00

Well, the weather is one very noticeable change! Went from quite a chilly spring to a hot and humid one. There've been some thunder storms blowing through and the sky has got that haze that just screams moisture in the air. I do enjoy it being warm because it's nicer to swim then and I love to swim!

I'm a little slow on updating with what's been happening but a big update is my new niece is here! Her name is Clarissa and she's a darling, aren't most babies ;)

Here's me with the little cutie!

Arlexis is quite taken with her, especially since she's a girl, and that's fun to watch. Clarissa hasn't spit up on her yet though so we'll see what happens then because it's bound to happen one of these days. She's just over two weeks old and it's quite amazing how much she's changed already!

No big plans for the summer. I've got the last two weeks of this month off because th nanny family are going on vacation and I'm hoping to fill in some of that time by going up north and some with babysitting to earn some extra money.

I have been looking into going to massage school. There is a very good one down here and I think having something like that would really help to solidify where I'm headed with life. I think after I got through with that I might be able to move back north and get training to be a doula which would add another dimension to my skills. We'll see...

Blessings!

Muffins

2008-05-12T22:08:00.003-04:00

I've decided I'd like to do more cooking/baking so I can work on getting more of the whole grains and other goodness I need to be more healthy. This weekend I made up these very tasty muffins and figured I'd share the recipe so that you all could enjoy the healthy, yummy goodness for yourselves. I made these with spelt flour, both the regular and whole grain, and I made two batches using the buttermilk for one and the yougurt (fat free vanilla) for the other-I think the buttermilk is a little more smooth but really they both taste great. I think that this could easily be adapted using another kind of fruit instead of apples so you can use whatever you've got fresh at the time. Enjoy!

whole wheat apple muffins
(adapted from king arthur flour)
1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat flour
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk or yogurt
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Grease and flour an 18 cup muffin tin and set aside.
Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix in the buttermilk gently (If you over-mix, the buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.) Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on top. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Auntie

2008-05-06T20:13:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm going to be an auntie again before too long here. Will and Renee, who were married last July, will be having their baby soon. The due date is May 13, at her appointment last week the doctor told her she was looking good and could go at anytime.

Arlexis had some misgivings about welcoming her new cousin when she first found out that they were having a baby but I think she has settled in and will do just fine with him/her. I can see how she would struggle a little with having a new baby around since she is an only child and has been the only niece/grandchild on our side of the family for almost 13 years. I think it helps that I live down here near her, though with grandma and grandpa living so much closer to the baby she might still feel a bit bummed about sharing them.

Will and Renee decided not to find out what they were having so there have been all sorts of predictions. Renee thinks she's having a girl but my mom and I think she's having a boy...Arlexis was hoping for a girl but I think she doesn't care so much anymore. Based on the Chinese Zodiac she is having a boy and they tried the pin on the string thing a couple of weeks ago and once it was a girl and once it was a boy. So we're all still waiting to find out what it'll be...lol

Some Pictures...

2008-05-06T15:02:00.007-04:00

I've been uploading a back log of pictures and wanted to share some of them...

Arlexis after she had her hair chopped off

Renee, Will and their first baby Dixie

Arlexis with her cousin Dixie

Me and Mom working on the farm

On our road trip in Kentucky

Dirty Little Secret...

2008-05-06T14:53:00.003-04:00

Okay, so it's not so much dirty but it is my little secret, I suppose not anymore after I post it here...lol

I signed up for Eharmony. Yeah, laugh all you want but they were having some three month deal and after the blind date I decided I might as well jump in and take a shot. I'm giving it three months and if nothing comes of it so be it. In the past month I've "connected" with any guy that was matched with me that was geographically desireable and seemed remotely interesting, that's well over 100 men and only 1 has written me back. Now I know many people sign up and don't become paid members but you can't tell me that only 1 on my list is. Whatever...lol

So there you go, that's my dirty little secret...

Singing...

2008-04-24T13:00:00.006-04:00

(At rehearsal for Will and Renee's wedding...

not the most attractive picture but it'll do.)

I'm singing at my cousin Amy's wedding on Saturday. Lucky for me she chose the same song that I sang at Will and Renee's wedding last summer so that makes it a bit easier on me. Which turns out to be a great thing because last Saturday night I lost my voice. It's been doing a little back and forth getting better, today is the best day so far and I'm praying it just keeps getting better. I think if I were to have to do it today it would sound just fine. I haven't practiced the song all week because I've been attempting to rest my voice, along with drinking crazy amounts of hot water with honey and lemon.

I feel really nice getting to be a part of this day with Amy because of the situation that comes with it. Her dad, my uncle, was killed several years ago and she's the first daughter to get married. I don't know what it is about daughters who have lost their dads and them getting married but I think it's going to be an emotional wedding. She's got an older brother that's married and I just can't remember how it was for his wedding, in fact I can't even remember if I was there. I assume I was but I just don't remember. Her two brothers are walking her down the aisle and the younger of the two, Glen, is giving her away. So at that point losing my voice won't be the issue, the crying will.

I wish many blessings to Amy and Ryan and the new life they'll be beginning together!

Busy Weekend!

2008-04-16T10:29:00.003-04:00

Headed up north on Friday evening, with Christine and Arlexis, so we could meet the girls for my cousin Amy's bachelorette party. We met at a hotel where some of the girls would be staying that night, my parents met us there so they could take my niece Arlexis back home with them. Went to a comedy show that was good, the first guy was horrible but the second two were very funny. After that we went to Rum Runners, a dance club on the ground floor and a piano bar up stairs. We set up camp up stairs to listen to the piano playing and singing for awhile then headed down stairs to dance. It was a great evening!
Saturday I got to sleep in for a bit and then lazed around until lunch time. After lunch I rode into town with Renee and Sarah so they could do some grocery shopping and I could pick up some things for our Yahtzee party that night. Went back to Renee's to help her unload her groceries and get a few things for dinner. Had dinner at the farm with Will, Renee, Christine, Arlexis, Zac and Sarah. The boys layed down in the living room while we played Yahtzee in the kitchen. We, Christine, Sarah, Renee and I, have become Yahtzee fanatics. Christine and I play a few times a week here in the south while Sarah and Renee do the same in the north and then when Christine and I go north we get together and play. It has become quite funny but a very good time. We're talking about having a Yahtzee tournament one day where you've got to buy in and the money going to the winner.
Sunday I went to church with my mom and Arlexis, we came home and relaxed and then went to Amy's bridal shower. After the shower Christine, Arlexis and I drove back south. I was tired out! And just think, I get to do that all over again for the next two weekends-Renee's baby shower is this weekend and Amy's wedding, which I'm singing at, is the following weekend. Yay!

Family Photo

2008-04-10T20:45:00.002-04:00

Here's our family photo from the wedding...

Aprons

2008-04-10T20:19:00.001-04:00

Here are Becki and Phyllis in aprons that I've made. They make great models!

Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure

2008-04-10T20:14:00.003-04:00

My friend Becki is going to do the Race for the Cure later this month. If you would like to make a donation to sponsor her please visit Becki's Race Page. Thank you!

Music

2008-04-10T20:03:00.003-04:00

I'm not certain that I can put into words how much I like music. I wouldn't say I like all music, I don't care for songs that I can't make out the lyrics or ones with vulgar lyrics and the like, but I do like many different styles. Country, rock, jazz, classical, christian, r&b... My bosses handed me down K's ipod when she got a new one and I've been having such a good time adding all these songs that I'm infatuated with. I have a habit of hearing a song I really like and then listening to it constantly. Yesterday I purchased 4 new songs and they've been played fairly steadily since then... "Clumsy"-Fergie, "Come Home"-OneRepublic, "Whisper His Name"-Deluge and "In Better Hands Now"-Natalie Grant. I seem to be very into message songs, ones that make me think or really touch something in me and sometimes make me cry...okay, asside from "Clumsy"...lol
I also am crazy into the soundtrack from "Across the Universe"...you can find my tribute in an earlier entry ;)

Cleanse

2008-04-01T21:01:00.003-04:00

I started a liver cleanse today...should be an interesting time. I do four days of a Seneca Indian cleanse, three days of the Master Cleanse and then four days of the Seneca Indian cleanse. I get to eat some for the Seneca Indian cleanse and then nothing for the Master Cleanse-just a mixture of water, lemon juice, maple syrup and cyanne pepper.

Today I could eat only fruit. It's not been too bad, I don't actually feel hungry I just keep having to remind myself that I'm choosing to do this. When I think of foods as "can't have" things I want them but when I can get myself to think about the health benefits and that this is a choice I do just fine. Here's to my health!

And the winner is...

2008-03-31T13:45:00.006-04:00

Sorry for the delay in the drawing but the day after the date I was wisked away on a family boondoggle for a few days and when we got back it was just one thing after another to do. So here I am to announce the winner...after using http://www.mdani.demon.co.uk/para/random.htm it came up with the number 2 which makes 100 Percent Cottam the winner! Congratulations! Please email your address to me at leezardehb @ gmail . com

The date went well and we even went on a second one this past weekend but I think that's probably about as far as it's going to go. When he was described as quiet that wasn't an understatement! Nice as can be but I felt like I was interviewing someone half of the time and the other half I felt as if I were talking to myself. Oh well...ya don't get anywhere if you don't try.

Thank you to everyone that joined in this drawing, I really enjoyed reading all of your experiences!

You Know You've Lost Weight When...(and a Message)

2008-03-12T08:46:00.003-04:00

Last night I went to a Cub Scout banquet with my nanny family, a fun program that moved nannyboy from a Cub Scout to a Boy Scout. Before the event started we were all around talking to people and I went over to sit with nannygirl who was talking to a neighbor of ours. This woman is someone that I've worked for, she owns a daycare and I've filled in for her when she's had to be away, so we know each other well enough. I sat down and said hi, she looked at me and said, "Hi, I'm Kim." as if she didn't know who I was. At first I thought she was just joking around but then she didn't start laughing right away so I got this puzzled look on my face. She then gasped, laughed and said, "Oh, Liz, it's you!" more laughter and chatter and then, "What have you done with yourself?" in reference to her not recognizing me right away. I said, "Well, I got my hair cut and I've lost 30 pounds.", "That's it!" she said, "Good for you!" and on we chatted. I can't tell you how good that felt!

I took my niece out to lunch yesterday as she didn't have school for an in service day. I picked up an alternative newspaper that was in the entryway and read through it while we were waiting for our food (Lex was reading a book for school at this time). After lunch we read a little more and I came across the Free Will Astrology section. Now, I have to say that I'm not big on this kind of thing, I'd say I read them on occasion for entertainment. This one really caught my attention though so I ripped the page out and brought it home so I could post it on my bedroom mirror.

"Cancer (June 21-July 22): In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, prayer flags are sets of brightly colored sacramental cloths that are inscribed with holy words and images of deities. They're not designed for indoor use in solemn ceremonies, but are hung outside where the wind blows their blessings to the heavens and all over the world. I recommend that you draw inspiration from this practice. It's a perfect time to take your spiritual yearnings away from the church and temple and mosque, and beyond all sheltered, temperature-controlled trappings. Build a shrine in the wilderness, Cancerian. Sing a hymn from a mountaintop, or create your own homemade prayer flags and hang them from a tree."

Wow! That is something that I really needed to read! I've been attending this new church that is quite active, wonderful praise and worship and the pastor is a great speaker-very motivating and makes me think about things much more deeply. I haven't taken the plung to get active yet and put my faith more out in the open. This says to me that I need to step outside myself and my comfort zone so I can shine in a way that I've always wanted to. Someday when I've got a tree to hang prayer flags on I may do just that!

Pictures of My Fun Date!

2008-03-11T15:22:00.008-04:00

Our Heads...

Our feet...after we traded shoes

Hula hoop...

Illegal!

Flying!

Playing around...

Blessed Event Drawing!

2008-03-11T14:15:00.009-04:00

I've decided that in honor of my Blessed Event, aka. first blind date, I am going to hold a drawing for one of my reversible farmgirl aprons. (Check my aprons out --->>HERE!) I haven't decided which one I'm going to give up but as soon as I do I'll post a photo of it.

In order to be entered into the drawing you must comment to this post and tell me about the best date you've ever been on. I don't care if it was what others might consider boring or weird or whatever, I just want to know which one, or more than one, was the best, funnest, etc. I'll start off by sharing my favorite...

I was about 20 when this one took place, I'd been doing a summer community theatre show with this guy and he and I just seemed to hit it off so the night of the last show we were getting ready to go out for the last scene, it was a quick change so I was generally running to the wing and squeezing in front of him shortly before I had to walk onto the stage and I got up the nerve to turn around and ask him if he'd go on a date with me and to my surprise he smiled really big and said "of course!". This was out of character for me because I had a pretty dim view of myself at that time having just come out of high school, being overweight and having been picked on a lot, I wasn't certain that any guy would be interested in me. We decided to meet up at a coffee shop since we were both coming from 15-20 miles in opposite directions. We drove together and bought a disposable camera and proceeded to use up the whole thing in about an hour taking silly pictures of each other and together at all sorts of places (parking lots, inside a toy store, outside a hardware, etc.). After the pictures were all taken we dropped the camera off for one hour developing and then went to have coffee and talk. I don't think I'd talked to a guy like he and I talked, we talked about everything and I didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable. After coffee we picked up the pictures, looked at them for a bit and then went to see "Saving Private Ryan" where he held my hand and squeezed it when the gory parts came on. When the movie was over we walked out holding hands and drove back to his car at the coffee shop. He told me he was having a hard time getting out so we talked for a bit longer and when he opened the door to get out he turned back around and kissed me, he went to get out again then turned around and kissed me again and then that happened once more. I don't know how I drove home...lol

So, that was my best date, not just because of the kissing and how sweet he was about it but because it had been so much fun. If I can find the pictures I'll scan them and post a few. Now it's your turn! The drawing will be open until March 21st, the date that the Blessed Event is slated to take place...yes, that happens to be Good Friday and I'm hoping the holiness of that day will play on normal-ness of the event...lol

I'm In LOVE...

2008-03-09T11:23:00.005-04:00

No, there's no man in my life...well, no physical man anyway...lol I picked up the movie Across The Universe and have fallen in love with it...the music, the imagery and Jim Sturgess who plays Jude. So there is a man but not a man I'll ever really have :p If you haven't seen this movie yet, I highly recomend you rent, buy borrow it or, if nothing else, you check out the music from it because it's so good. If you're a hard core Beatles fan it may not be up your alley because it's all Beatles music but most of it's been redone in ways that aren't the "classic" Beatles. You can learn about the movie here... Across The Universe and check out the trailer here... Trailer on Youtube.

I'm so into this movie that I watch it about once a week, when I'm at my sister's apartment doing some sewing I put it on because there's so much good music that you don't have to be able to see what's going on to enjoy it. I won't lie, the move is probably a bit out there for some...it is very Beatles from my limited experience. If you look at how several of their songs you have to really read the lyrics and think about what they mean, parts of this movie are like that too. Oh, I love it!

Blind Date?

2008-03-03T21:07:00.002-05:00

My brother, Will, asked me if I'd go out on a blind date with a friend of a friend. He's never met the guy but he's been told he's very nice, quiet and clean. Clean? lol...that made me laugh. My one question was "What does he do for a living?", that was the one thing he apparently didn't know but I felt was more important then knowing what the guy looked like. For me anyway... I told him I'd consider it.

I haven't really dated in several years. I just haven't had much interest in putting myself out there and there hasn't really been anyone that's struck my fancy that much. I think it's more that I'm afraid to put myself out there but I can't say I regret the lack of dating I've done because my life has been pretty darn good over the years. I'm a bit nervous though and I haven't even said yes yet. Apparently the guy is quiet, I'm also quiet (especially one on one with someone I've never met) so that could be a little issue. Will said his friend who was interested in setting us up said he thought it'd be better if we did a one on one date but I think I'd be more comfortable with more of a group date, not a double date but maybe a get together with some people at someones house but if this guy is that quiet we might never talk with other people around. I don't know... Maybe I'm thinking about this too much...that wouldn't be anything new...lol

My name is Elizabeth and I'm an over analyzer...

If you've got an experience with blind dating I'd love to hear it!

Garden Goose!

2008-02-23T22:18:00.003-05:00

Check out the Garden Goose blog, she's got some fun drawings going on for the end of this month!

Also check out the Small Town Living site...they have some great articles that I'm sure you'd enjoy reading!

Hope you all are having a fun end of winter!

Keepsake Canvas Giveaway

2008-02-18T11:37:00.005-05:00

Check out Pumpkin Seed's (aka. Rebekah) blog and get in on her keepsake canvas giveaway! She makes these neat themed canvases, for special occasions and such, that you can have guests sign or decorate in some way to comemorate your occasion. Such a neat and creative idea!

It's official...

2008-02-09T23:44:00.002-05:00

I have lost 22 pounds! I stepped on the scale at the doctor's office and started crying. Silly? Yes, but it was an amazing confirmation that I'm doing something right. I'm beyond excited and trying not to be obnoxious in telling everyone I know...lol Yay me!

I've Been Tagged!

2008-01-25T22:09:00.000-05:00

http://countrygirldreams.blogspot.com/ Lainey tagged me so here's how it goes...

These are the RULES:Link to the person that tagged you. Which I did. Post the rules on your blog. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

7 random and/or weird facts about me:

I like putting my hair in pigtails...it makes me feel like I'm a little girl again!
I'm learning to like jogging thanks to having an eliptical at work...whoda thunk?
I like to go driving, to just get in my car and be in control.
I love the dress that I bought to wear to my brother's wedding last July and I don't know when I'll wear it again but I am looking forward to it because it was so fun and actually looked really good on me.
I have at least 8 aprons cut out that I have yet to sew and at least 15 yards of fabric just waiting for me to use on aprons.
When I was a kid I delivered newspapers with my siblings in our little village.
I was once dragged by a car for about 5 or so yards.

Now it's these ladies turn to share!

Susan - http://www.foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com/

Jenny - http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/

Nancy-Jo - http://www.nancy-jo.blogspot.com/

Sue - http://www.countrypleasures.blogspot.com/

The Hansen Family - http://hansenhootenanny.blogspot.com/

Sunshine - http://sunshinescreations.vintagethreads.com/

Christina - http://www.justcallmemausi.blogspot.com/

Check out this great give away!

2008-01-24T21:59:00.000-05:00

Go on over to A Mom in Red High Heels and check out her current give away! It's a $300 dollar package that'd be great for any mom-to-be. Here are some of the prizes in the package...

A mama lisa tee with green/pink from georgie tees. I’ve told you how much I love this tee (can be worn by non-pregnant mamas as well…) and appreciate georgie tees donating this to the winner! Go check out their cool, fun line of maternity and infant tees!
Rock Star Momma book by Skye Hoppus- learn all the ways to look fabulous during pregnancy with this book!
Belli Pregnancy Gift Set- Features 4 oz. sizes of Pampered Pregnancy Body Wash and All Day Moisture Body Lotion as well as 2 oz. sizes of Elasticity Belly Oil, Skin Smoothing Body Exfoliator and Foot Relief Cream.

Now you've got to go over and check out what else she's got and if you decide to enter the drawing post my name and the link to my blog so I can be entered a few more times! Deadline Jan. 27th!

As Little As $25.00...

2008-01-17T16:44:00.000-05:00

www.kiva.org

So I came across this site from a blog I was checking out and it looked like a really neat idea. I love the idea of being able to lend $25, or more if you're able, to help someone else change their life. It's not just a simple donation it's lending the money and it gets paid back so you can take the money back or loan it to another person in need. Check it out if you get a chance!

Girl Scout cookies?

2008-01-09T10:59:00.001-05:00

Anyone interested in buying some? Lex is taking orders until the 26th of this month...email me... leezardehb @ gmail . com without the spaces :)

New Hair Cut

2008-01-09T10:56:00.000-05:00

Here's what I went with...

She took off about 7 inches and layered it a little. I really like how it turned out :)

New Year...New Haircut...Need Your Help!

2008-01-03T14:28:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! (Just a few days late...)

I'm looking to update my haircut for the year and I need some suggestions, hopefully with pictures. What do you think I should do to my hair? Right now it's long, probably 3 or so inches past my shoulders so I've got plenty of options, I just have no idea what I want to do with it. I don't want to go way short but I am willing to go a good 6-10 inches shorter than it is now if I could find something I really liked. So if you've got any suggestions feel free to share! I've got an appt. on Saturday to get it done so any inspiration would be greatly appreciated :)

Here's what I look like right now to give you some inspiration...

New Aprons

2007-11-28T21:31:00.001-05:00

Here are two new aprons that I've made. They're two sided and I love them, I don't know how I'm going to sell them...lol

Wedding photos...

2007-11-26T22:23:00.001-05:00

Here are some more wedding photos!

Check out my MySpace for more pictures :)

As Per Bekah's Request...An Update...

2007-11-13T11:32:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm alive...lol Work is keeping me pretty busy these days. It's nice to be back on a more regular schedule and things are going swimmingly at the work place.
My family are all doing well. Will and Renee are going to be having a baby next spring and my parents are getting more work done on their farm to get to the point of milking their own cows. I'm happy to see their progress on that because it's a dream for them and that's so nice to see one coming true. Christine and Arlexis are pretty much the same, work and school are keeping them both quite busy.
My health is in an eh... place right now. I've found out that my cholesterol is out of wack and that I'm prediabetic...fun times! I've made quite a drastic change in my diet and exercise and I'm hoping to get it under control without having to go on drugs. It's a little stressful but I know that I'll get through it no matter how things turn out. I've got a postive attitude and am willing to make almost any change I have to to get back into good health without having to go on meds. As you can see I am not a big fan of drugs and I'm not a big fan of my dr right now because of that reason so I'm looking for a new one and may end up going to one back north because I know they're recomended by my naturopath. My bosses got a new eliptical machine at the nanny house and I think I'm in love with it...lol I worked out on it the other day and in the same amount of time I'd be outdoors walking I did an extra mile and burned over twice as many calories...how cool is that. I won't give up my walking outdoors but I will be adding time on that machine to get some bonus calorie burning!
I'm looking forward to the holidays...I don't care for winter weather all that much but I really do like this time of year leading up to Christmas. It's so crazy to be hearing Christmas music on the radio full time already...seems so wrong but I can't stop myself from flipping over to it every now and again.
So, I think that's all for now. I'd appreciate any thoughts and/or prayers with this health situation and the strength so that I don't let it overwhelm me and freak me out too badly like I like to let things do from time to time.

Aprons

2007-09-12T08:37:00.000-04:00

I'm heading up to my parent's tonight after I get out of work. I have a dentist appointment up that way in the morning so I figured I'd take the two days I've got off and spend them up there. After that it'll be at least 2 weeks before I can go up again because of my work schedule.
It's a beautiful day today! Clear and sunny but with that almost-fall bite in the air. I love this time of year when I get to pull out my sweaters and sweatshirts, I like to feel all snuggly.

Here are three aprons that I finished over this past weekend. I've got about 5 more cut out just waiting to be put together but that probably won't be done for awhile because I'll be working alot the next two weeks.

My Darling Niece

2007-09-10T15:43:00.000-04:00

Her name is Arlexis and I often call her "A Piece of Work". She is funny and amusing, annoying and sarcastic, loving and imaginative. Arlexis is an 11 year old farmgirl living in the city. She has always lived in the city but has spent the majority of her summers, and many weekends during the school year, in the country on a farm with her grandparents and that's shaping much of who she is. I read over her first assignments in Language Arts the other day, telling about herself, and it was neat to see how she made sure to add her experience showing cows in 4-H and how cows are her favorite animal.

Those are some photos with her cow from this years 4-H Fair. His name was Prancer Pants and she loved him so much! She'd taken a cow to the fair the summer before and didn't have much of a problem when it came time to sell him, partly because some family friends bought him but even when she knew he was going to be butchered she was okay with it and even wanted some of the meat from him. When it came to time clean up her stall area and to see Prancer Pants for the last time she became very upset. She cried while she finished cleaning up her things and gave him several big hugs.

Here she is working hard on the farm...

And all clean and pretty...

Above all, she's my darling!

Rewind...Chicago

2007-08-12T00:41:00.000-04:00

I'm going to back up a little and do a few posts about things that have already happened but either I haven't posted about them or I haven't posted pictures. These posts probably won't be in any particular order but I should be able to give an approximate time just in case anyone wonders...lol

This past May, a group of us ladies took a train trip to Chicago. I don't think that any of us had ever been on a real train trip so it was quite an experience. My mom, my sister and I left eariler in the day than the others and we had a very nice train trip. When we checked in to the hotel we relaxed for a little bit, had a little lunch and then we went to check out the area near our hotel.

Christine and Pam at Cloud Gate

Pam and Liz at Cloud Gate

Garden in Millennium Park

We checked out Cloud Gate and Millennium Park and then took in the Museum at the Art Institute of Chicago. The day we were there was the day you could get in for free so that was an added bonus. After that we went out to dinner at a bar just down the street from the hotel and then went back to the hotel to wait for the other part of our group that were supposed to be arriving shortly. Turns out they didn't get into Chicago until well after midnight because their train had some major problems! After speaking to some other people a few days later it seems that it's kind of common for the last train of the day to have mechanical issues and since it usually doesn't come in until after 10pm it takes longer to get the train repaired and going again.

So the other set of ladies arrived quite late and wanted to sleep in the next morning. My mom, sister and I had a free architectural tour planned through the Chicago Greeter Program, http://www.chicagogreeter.com/ , and we needed to get around and get going so we could make it on time. I would highly recomend that anyone who is intersted in learning more about Chicago choose one of the many tours this group does because our tour was spetacular. We had a woman named Maureen showing us some of the neatest arcitectural sights and taking us into the lobbies of buildings so we could see all of the interesting touches inside as well as out. I think the best part was that it was just the three of us that she was showing around and it made the tour more personal and informative because we could ask her questions and didn't have to strain to hear her speaking over a larger group.

When we were finished with our tour we called the other group of ladies and found out that they'd headed out to do some shopping on the Miracle Mile. We weren't interested in doing any shopping so we got ourselves some lunch and decided to take the train out to The Garfield Park Conservatory to see "Niki in the Garden". This exibit had several sculptures done by Niki De Saint Phalle placed in and around the conservatory. The conservatory in alone was very nice but it was also very neat to see all of these large mosaic sculptures in and among the plants and flowers.

Here we took a little break in our sculpture viewing to play in the children's section...

Christine going up the stairs to the slide

Pam under the big leaf

Liz after going down the slide

After our play time indoors we went outdoors to look at the rest of the sculptures. Little did we know that we'd get to play a little more...

Liz inside a sculpture

Holy cow! It ate Christine!

Awwwww...now they're friends!

Liz and Pam inside the kitty

If you are in the Chicago area by October 31st of this year I would suggest a visit to the Garfield Park Conservatory to see this great exibit!

After our fun visit to the conservatory we took the train further out to Oak Park to view some of Frank Loyd Wright's architectures. He's well known for Prairie Style architecture and we got to see some amazing looking houses, such a distinctive style. We did a lot of walking and then caught the train back to our hotel where we were to meet the other ladies to go out to dinner.

Sarah with her new ipod

We had a great dinner at one of the restaurants in the Italian Village. After that we split up...my mom, my sister and I went back out to do some walking around the city after dark and the others went to the Coyote Ugly Bar.

The next morning they slept in again while we checked out, had our bags stored and took off walking. We headed toward the lake, it was such a beautiful morning!

We also went to Shedd Aquarium and then took the train up near the Miracle Mile to get Arlexis a few things at the American Girl Store. Finally we met the other ladies back at the hotel to retreive our bags and headed to the train station for the trip home. The train was delayed an hour or so but once we got on and got going it was smooth sailing.

So we made it home and had had such a great time that we're looking forward to another trip soon!

It's Just The Beginning...

2007-07-24T14:02:00.000-04:00

Last Friday we squared up the area where my parents are going to be building their new barn. They are also going to build a milking parlor and they'll be getting Jersey cows. On Saturday my brother dug the holes and put in the poles to get the building started.

It's pretty exciting to get to see this happening for them. They've been talking about it for years so now it's their dream coming true. I'll post some pictures when I am able to get back up there.

2007-07-10T17:54:00.000-04:00

The wedding's over! All the planning and issues they had with vendors came together in the end and everyone had a great time. It was a hot day, the church was stuffy and the barn was too but it cooled off some so there was dancing by all. I've only got a few pictures to share but will hopefully have more when they get their professional ones back.

The Rehearsal

The Waiting

The Reception

The Gift of Goats

It's almost over!

2007-06-29T09:55:00.001-04:00

We're getting to the end, about one week until the big day! I can't wait for the party...lol

Weather

2007-06-05T08:53:00.000-04:00

I'm really hoping that the weather we've been having this spring isn't an indication of what's to come for the summer! Last week it was in the 80's and humid, not our typical spring weather here in Michigan. The beginning of this week it's been cooler but I just saw that Thursday it's supposed to be 90 and for the week after that it showed temps in the 80's everyday. That's just nuts!

My bosses picked up two kittens to keep their dog company. Anyone that knows me knows I'm not a big animal person but kittens aren't too bad...we'll see how I feel when they're all grown up. I don't know what it is with me not really liking animals, I guess I just don't like things climbing all over me and licking me-especially when I know it just came out of the litter box, not very appealing to me. No biggie though...

I'm off from work tonight for two weeks, I love my job! We've got the bachelorette/shower mayhem this weekend and that should be all sorts of fun. Saturday we're supposed to go to line dancing lessons and then out to lunch (part of the bachelorette party), that evening we've got an open house for a family friend's "make your own wine" shop, and then gathering at Will's house for food and games and then to the bar for the rest of the bachelorette party. When we get up north on Friday I've got to plant the flowers for the table decorations and finish the aprons because the sewing machine here seems to not want to work. We've also got to pick up a few more things for the shower, cut up watermelon and some veggies, make tea and punch and decorate the church hall for the event. Should be a crazy busy weekend...good times!

Winding up...

2007-06-03T10:14:00.000-04:00

Will's wedding date is fast approching and it seems tha things are getting busier and busier! Renee's bachelorette party and wedding shower are this weekend...it must be said that we had the shower planned before the bachelorette party so it's not our fault if many of the girls show up hung-over...lol We've got a few more things to get ready for the shower-planting the flowers for the table decorations, putting together the prizes for the games, I've got to finish sewing aprons for one of the games and for the prizes, and the list goes on and on...good times!

I've gotten to be a bit crafty lately with scrapbooking and sewing. I put together a dress that I thought I was going to wear to the wedding but it turns out it didn't work so well on my body shape so I think my sister is going to wear it now. Thankfully I found another one I really liked and ordered it quick, it came in this past weekend and it will work perfectly! I had most of last week off from work so I was able to do a bit of scrapbooking and that was fun. I finished up what I could for the book I'm making for Will and Renee and did some on the family scrapbook. I wouldn't say I'm the most creative scrapbooker but I really have a good time putting pages together and remembering all the good times from the pictures.

Today is a rainy day, perfect for sewing which is good because I've got two days to finish three aprons for the shower, shouldn't be that hard because they're fairly easy to do and once they're finished I love looking at them because it's a very neat pattern. Hopefully I'll remember to take pictures to post when I get them finished.

Things have been going quite well all around right now. I've been working fairly regular, well regular for my job, and it's not been too bad. My family are all doing good-everyone is working to get ready for the wedding and it's been interesting to see how much time it consumes. My parents have been working hard at the farm with the change over to new ownership. They're working longer days and more days in a row which I know is hard on them but hopefully it's paying off in other ways. They got corn planted at their own farm and they've gotten some information about where they may be able to purchase some calves for the start of their dairy. Busy times but it seems that everyone is happy and that's a good thing!

Wine Charms

2007-05-03T23:03:00.000-04:00

I made these wine charms for my brother's wedding, they'll be gifts to the bridesmaids from the bride. I got the heart charms from a great lady at http://www.bunnysdesigns.etsy.com/ They turned out great!

Here's my Etsy!

2007-02-16T11:04:00.000-05:00

I've got my Etsy shop open but with only one item so far...even still I'm so excited!

Here's what I've got so far...

Be sure to check out my shop! www.leezard.etsy.com

And we have snow...and ice

2007-01-17T10:45:00.000-05:00

What's snow?! After so many months without any it seems very strange. The ice came first and coated all of the trees with a magical glitter. The sun shines through and it looks like a star filled

sky. Very beautiful! Just a lite dusting of snow the next day, hardly enough to make it worth it. Gotta love all the strange weather.

I don't really care for awards shows but the Golden Globes were on the other night and I couldn't find anything else I was interested in watching so I watched most of the show. I was quite happily surprised that Ugly Betty won for best show in its category and the star of the show won best actress for her category. Now I think that they are very worthy of those awards but it's interesting to see Hollywood acknowledge them because of the content of the show. If you haven't seen the show I'd recomend checking it out, it's got a great message and is very fun to watch.

Christmas Crafts

2007-01-09T20:18:00.000-05:00

These are some Christmas gifts I made for this past holiday...

These stockings were gifts for my brother and future sister in law, hopefully for them to use in their home next Christmas.

I made two each of these aprons for my sister, she gave them to her friends.

Manure

2006-12-20T10:07:00.000-05:00

That smell that fills the air from May to November, no matter how weak the scent it is still there. When you come to the farm from the suburbs it's something you can't miss. It hits you when you open the car door or drifts in your window as you come closer to your destination almost as if warning you to go no further upon penalty of leaving smelling like you'd just dropped from a cow's hind end.

I didn't grow up on a farm but I lived on my parent's newly bought farm for about 4 years just after I graduated high school. Not my choice place to be but at that time I felt it was my only choice because I wasn't ready for college. I worked a few different jobs-retail, babysitting and even one job on a large dairy farm just down the road from the farm I lived on. I fed the calves.

Mixing the milk in 5-gallon buckets and lifting them into the back of a truck, filling a few bottles and then driving out to the area of the farm where the calves were housed at. In the winter it was the worst! The drive was all rutted from the ground thawing and freezing, it was hard to wear gloves because they'd just get wet and freeze to your hands and the less layers you wore the better because it made hauling the buckets around easier but you'd end up with a chill all the way to your bones that felt like it would never leave. Who would want that life?!

I don't remember how long I lasted at that job, a year maybe, before I moved on. One thing I knew after living and working on a farm was that I never wanted that to be my life. I didn't want the midnight calls my father would get from being the manager at the large dairy when something would break or the cows got out. I didn't want to have to spend hours in the cold walking or driving over rutted driveways to work with the cows that would probably end up peeing, pooping or slobbering on you. And most of all, I didn't want to come home every night smelling like a cow, having that manure stench radiating from my skin and clothes...yeah, a shower helps but you just know it's going to be the same the next day...manure happens.

So life finds me today, 5 years later, living in suburbia-where I'm told people go to die. Working as a nanny for an amazing family, great hours, great perks, things changing all the time and opportunity to work part time at other jobs or go to school. I'd love to say I've taken advantage of those two opportunities as much as possible over the past 5 years but that'd be a lie, instead I'm not much further along in anything then when I started. I guess I can't say that nothing has changed...I have grown as a person, I have learned new things about myself and some of my ideals have changed.

I still believe in God and feel that I have a personal relationship with Him but I don't hold to all of the ideas many Christians hold. I believe that people should love who they'd like to, that it is not my place to tell someone that they aren't living as they should because I am not God. A few people have questioned me on this and in the end, for me, I don't feel I'll have a problem standing in front of God and answering for my beliefs. I think that in this life we've become so dependent on what other people think of us-how we're living, what we look like, etc.-that we don't look into ourselves to know how we should be living our own lives. I also have a desire for a more simple life, for growing things in the dirt, producing my own food, to feel like I have something to show for my efforts and to have something physically to give to others.

This brings me to where I stand today...can you guess?...hoping to move back to the farm, not living in my parent's home but living somewhere near by. I can't say what I want exactly I'd like to do on there, all I know is there is this strong desire in me to be there and to have access to the ground and more physical labor. To be closer to friends and in a smaller community where people have concern for each other and offer a helping hand without being asked. Of course there are draw backs and things I'll miss about the suburbs but to me the positives outweigh the negatives. So, someday, God willing, I will be back there, plunging my hands into the dark soil, planting seeds, waiting for them to grow and harvesting the fruits of my labor all the while savoring the lingering scent of manure.

Cement

2006-11-07T08:48:00.000-05:00

It was great fun pouring cement as the daylight faded yesterday evening. Everything went smoothly and it's getting hard for the cows to enjoy that end of the barn instead of the big mud hole it turns into over the winter. Here are a few pictures and then you'll find my embarassing cement story... ;)

So here's my story... When I was about 3 or 4 years old my dad was working as a contractor, he owned his own construction company until I was about 17, and was doing a job at a farm pouring cement for a grain bin. My mom brought us kids to see him at the job and when we got there he was out in the middle of the cement, it was about 1 1/2 to 2 feet deep, that had been poured. As the story goes, I apparently decided I had to go see him and stepped off the edge into this wet cement that came almost to my armpits. Well they fished me out and thankfully I was that young because they had to strip me and hose me off because cement, depending on the mixture, can burn your skin. So every time we do any cement work now I get teased pretty good about my cement swim. :)

"Home"

2006-11-06T15:22:00.000-05:00

I like to joke that I am homeless because I don't really have one home that's "mine" right now, and really haven't for the past 5 years. But the place I feel most at home right now is my parent's home, I lived there for about 4 years after I graduated high school and was certain I'd never want to live around there but we all change right? For the past four months I've lived at this home while I've been laid off and here are a few pictures of what this home is like.

Sunrise and the first snow of 2006

Will and Mom, clearing the path in the woods.

The barn

The chickens in their new home.

The new layers

Tilling up the garden

Blessings

2006-11-06T09:57:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year to consider my blessings a bit more than I do through out the year.Over the past 5 years I almost feel I've been living a charmed life. I have a wonderful job with an amazing family and great benefits-experiencing a different part of the state, travel, meeting neat people, etc.-my job also allows me a good amout of time to spend with my family. Anyone who really knows me knows that my family is the most important thing to me...I adore them and am very blessed that we all get along so well. I belive that because of the blessing of my job I am able to be open to helping others and filling in a gap when needed. Right now I am laid off from my job, since July, and even though money has been tight I have been able to do things that money couldn't buy. I've been a farmer this summer, something I've been serously considering getting into, I've learned alot about what it would take to make it my career and about myself as a person. I have also gotten to spend more time with my lovelies, two boys who I used to nanny for and who are very dear to me. They've gone through a very rough year and God has really been good and made it so I could be with them, and that's not just good for them but also good for my sanity as I worry about them and what they've been through. Being laid off has also allowed me to fill in at my parent's church for the past month or so as the secretary. Their pastor became ill and went into the hospital on the church secretary's last day of work-how amazing that I could be available to fill in like that at a time of great need.Today in Sunday School we talked about our "rights", those things we have available to us or we feel entitled to. It was brought up that I chose to use my time off to serve the church and how God would bless me but I feel like I've already been blessed beyond measure. I don't feel as if I am making any kind of sacrifice or that I've ever done anything to diserve the blessings God has given me. The scripture reference was about Naomi and Ruth and how Ruth gave up her "rights" to stay and take care of her mother-in-law and how God blessed her. Ruth didn't ever seem to feel badly about what she sacrificed, she did it out of love and concern for Naomi...she didn't go expecting something for choosing not to go back to her family and remarry, she simply wanted to be of service to God by caring for an old woman who had no where to go and no way to support herself. While my life isn't near as hard as Ruth's was I do feel my service is similar to hers...given without question and expecting nothing in return. I thank God that He's put me in the position I'm in...yes, it's been hard to live on less money and deal with uncertain times but above it all I know God holds me in His hands and is guiding my footsteps. I feel that my service is the only way to thank Him near enough for all of the blessings He's given me.