Ah yes…David Bowie, my all time favorite musician, summed it up nicely with his classic song. Changes…for my blog that is!
Stuart is helping me do a re-design, and so far, it’s looking great! Being as impatient as I am (I’m a true Aries) I am hoping to have it up, say…now-ish, but realistically, it will probably be ready soon-ish instead. How’s that for exact!?!
Some things I hope to accomplish with my newly designed *me* space, are:
1. Just a prettier look and feel overall
2. Way more “stuff” aka: content
3. More pictures I have taken
4. More crafty ideas and projects and a seperate recipes section
It’s in the works…I’m so excited and can’t wait to reveal the new design…
“Changes are taking the pace I’m going through” - David Bowie
I recently happened upon this book by Margot Potter, and purchased it purely on the merits of it’s title “The Impatient Beader.” I figured this one was definitely worth checking out seeing I was looking for some beading inspiration, and a few how-to’s as well. I figured from the fun title, that it must have been written just for me! I have to tell you, it is not only packed full of creative ideas and inspiration, it is also a hilarious read!
Potter’s creative flair shines through in her unique design concepts presented in this book. She takes inspiration from colours and themes and turns them into beautiful wearable works-of-art! Her designs are vibrant, and stunningly bold, yet most are simple enough for the beginner beader. Coupled with her humorous writing style, the book provides both beautiful project ideas plus entertaining anecdotes.
I loved the first book so much, that I immediately ordered a copy of her second book “The Impatient Beader Gets Inspired” and boy, did I ever! Once again, wonderful designs and non-conventional ideas that get the creative juices flowing! I can’t wait to get my hands on the third book which debuts in June…
I decided today that due to the cold and snowy weather out there, it was the perfect time to make some hot homemade soup. After a huge potato sale at Zehrs the other day, I had 20 pounds of potatoes in my kitchen waiting to be used up. Granted, I didn’t use the entire 20 pounds, but I did manage to make up this recipe for a really yummy potato soup.
Cat’s Potato Soup
1/4 Cup Margarine
6 Medium Size Potatoes, chopped
2 Ribs Celery, chopped
2 Medium Onions, chopped
2 packets Chicken Oxo Soup Broth
Water to cover the veggies in the pot
1 1/2 Cups Milk (I used Homoganized as it is creamier)
Saute the onion, celery and potatoes in the margarine until the onion and celery are slightly soft. Transfer all of the vegetables to a cooking pot, and add enough water to cover the contents of the pot. Add in chicken broth and simmer for a half hour until potatoes are fully cooked and soft. Blend soup with a hand blender until smooth. Add milk, and a dash of fresh ground pepper and heat through for a few minutes until hot. Mmmm!! So good, I actually had thirds!
I am not sure what he was thinking about that was making him so happy, but I do know that in retrospect I won’t win Mother of the Year for allowing my son to eat while lying down! Oops!
Ok…if we can remember to breathe for the next few days, I think we’ll be okay afterall! We just need to get through some paperwork, and a few more house showings on our part, and then we can rest assured.
Believe it or not, it looks as though our house deal, which a mere two days ago was all but over, is going to work out afterall!!! Crazy Real Estate! I am somewhat shocked, and cannot believe that in a couple of months we will be moving to the new home I have dreamed about! I am thrilled to say the least!
The house inspection (of *our* new house) today showed that the house is indeed in good repair with no major problems, which is such a relief. We got to explore it and imagine where our furniture will go. Seeing it again today, just reiterated how much we really love it.
Things sure do seem to be going our way. I have faith now, more than ever that amazing things can and do happen. Someone must be watching out for our family, and that is such a good (or should I say God) feeling!
This is what I have been doing with my “spare time” lately (what is that again?) Anyhow, it sure has proven to be a stressful couple of weeks and beading is providing me with a much needed creative outlet. I hope to either sell some of my beaded creations in the near future or look into teaching beginner beading classes locally. Again, spare time may have something to do with the outcome of these wishes, but you never know!
Preoccupied. That is the word of the week in the Robertson household. In just two days, our house deal will fall apart, and we are all so sad. The home we have been dreaming about, picturing ourselves living every day in and our children playing in the backyard of, is about to fall through.
Our current house was inspected two days ago by the people who we thought would be it’s new owners. First time house buyers and perhaps slightly unusual people at best, a list of small things noted by the house inspector (such as missing light switch covers in the basement rough-in, a few mis-matched tiles in our bath tub, and a few other *very minor* problems ) scared them away and they backed out of the deal. We have until Friday evening before the deal on our new house falls through based on timing.
I have been praying this week more than I have ever prayed in my life. I have been asking God to help us feel at peace, and bring about the best possible outcome. I am trying to feel calm at a time of year in which I struggle during the best of times, and I am finding it so much harder while nothing seems to be going right.
While I do have faith that what is meant to be, will be, it still brings me so much sadness to think about what we stand to lose. Only time will tell I suppose. If we lose our house, surely there will be another, maybe even a better one, although right now, that is hard for me to believe. I know I will still sadly pass by “our house” for some time wondering why things turned out the way they did. Surely, there is a plan for us, even if we don’t know what that is just now.
Here is a great recipe for an easy casserole that literally takes about 5 minutes to prepare, but is very nice looking, and yummy too! A simple one-dish-meal that saves on dishes for busy Moms, and may even be appealing to a fussy toddler!
1 Can of Cream Soup (Chicken, Mushroom or Celery)
1 1/3 Cups Water
3/4 Cup Uncooked Rice (white or brown)
2 Cups Frozen Veggies (any type will do)
1/2 tsp Onion Powder (feel free to also add salt, pepper, parsley flakes..etc.)
4 Skinless and Boneless Chicken Breast Halves (fresh or frozen)
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Combine soup, water, rice, veggies and onion powder in a shallow baking dish. Top with chicken, and season as desired. Cover with foil and bake in a 375 oven for about an hour. Top with shredded cheese and reurn to oven for five minutes.
Yeah - We did it! (unofficially of course, but we have sold our house, and bought a new one!)
The week we listed our house, we had competing offers! We accepted one and bought another house within days of each other! Talk about stress, excitement and fancy footwork getting negotiations and dates sorted out!
We are eagerly awaiting the house inspections on both properties, and are already planning where furniture will go, routes to the closest parks and shopping and getting way too excited about this beautiful house we will soon be able to call our own!!!
Liam is sensibly reminding us “have to wait!” whenever he hears us discussing house details. Funny, coming from a two-year-old who is well aware of the beautiful backyard, play structure and sand box that await him in our new home. I feel like a child waiting for Christmas and counting down the days! Only 70 sleeps to go 
