Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Christmas is in the air!

I love this time of year and even though it has snuck up on me, I couldn't be more thrilled! I've gotten several things done this week. I got my outside lights up and my Christmas tree! I could just go all out!
I was so excited to get outside lights up. They remind me of home. My mom always has icicle light hanging off the porch and the rest of the house it outlined by string lights. Even though I am not going to do my entire house this year, at least I'm getting a start!
Now with most of my decorations out, I need to get busy on getting gifts finished.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Mandie









Monday, November 26, 2012

Hanger Re-furb!

Just a quick little project I finished last week!

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has tons of broken pant hangers. And even though I get new ones from the cleaner ever-so-often, I seem to always have broken ones. So, I remembered a trick my mom used to do. I took out the old, broken cardboard and inserted a dowel rod. Simple and easy! Now if Bobby breaks these, he will be in trouble!

 My broken hangers before!
Pliers, dowel rod {cut to length} and drill.
I cut the part that goes into the cardboard part off and stick into drilled holes in the ends of the dowel rods! Simple as that!
And VIOLA!! A brand new hanger that won't break!


M

Thanksgiving!

It has been so long since I have updated! It has been a crazy whirlwind around here. We have been on the road for the past 3 weeks.
3 weeks ago we made a trip to Bobby's home county to visit his granddad. He was declining fast and we wanted to make one last trip to see him. We went and saw him on Veteran's Day {so fitting since he is a proud Veteran!} and got to say our good byes and pray with him. We came back home on Monday morning and then we got the call Tuesday morning, around 5, that he had passed. We rushed around Tuesday getting things done at work, unpacking and repacking so we could go be with the family. We spent Wednesday through Sunday with family, went to see my family and came home for another short week at work. With out even blinking, Thanksgiving was here. So, we packed back up and headed east again to spend time with our families.

With all the craziness of the past few weeks, I didn't get all my projects made. I was going to have a thankful tree and put the things I am thankful for on my tree! So, since I didn't get to put it in my home this year, I will kinda sorta put one on here!!



I would be so hopeless without My Savior's Love!


Love my husband to death!

It was such an honor to get to know such a great man!
Boy will he be missed! He was the rock of the family.

All my family (even the in-laws and out-laws!!)
2 pups that entertain our life!




Thankful for what we have gotten!

 These are the first things that would have gone on my tree! Maybe I will get around to it next year!

Thanksgiving was so fun. I got to hang out with both sides of the family and see my nieces and nephew. What a wonderful time, but some pretty amazing cooking!
Here are a few pictures from the weekend!

Enjoying her floor mat wear she can kick!
Out!
This is the biggest acorn I've even seen!

Let Bobby wear my glasses while he sawed the tree down!

Jaxson loves to climb trees!
Gracen smiles and coos all the time!
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Now it is time for Christmas.
Let the decorating commence! Pictures to come!

M

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

GOD BLESS AMERICA

You've heard the saying, "If you didn't vote, you can't complain"? It is very popular on my facebook feed. Well I want to change that to, "If you didn't pray you can't complain!"
I have kind of been in shock this morning... not really knowing what to think or say. {I didn't have much of a chance to say anything, though. My husband had plenty to say!} I've tried imagining what life will be like. What will change. What is blown out of proportion....
And even though I really didn't want to get out of my house and face the world, I found myself getting ready and going to work... just like this was any ole regular day. After processing all this stuff over and over, a thought popped into my head. It was what Jesus said on the cross... "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)
People today are not much different then they were 2 thousand years ago. Yes, technology has come a long way, but people have been deceived by the master liar for years. Today is not that different. By no means am I comparing Romney to Jesus, but just how we handle the situation. Just think about what Jesus said. He could have been so mad and frustrated with them and said, "to hell with you all!", but he didn't. He said, "Lord, forgive them. They don't know any better." So, with a Christ like attitude, I am not going to complain.... even though I voted... or moan, or whatever. I am going to continue to pray for our country that was established on  faith and in God we trust



... and if it comes down to it, we'll secede from the nation! :)

GOD BLESS AMERICA and ISRAEL!

M

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Halloween

I know this is a week late an my third post of the day, but I wanted to share my Halloween costume. I work at the courthouse so all my co-workers and I dressed up. It was fun to have an excuse to be nutty, at least for a day!

M

P.S. I'm the Indian!

Ginning Season

 It is that time of year again. The fields are white, the Deere are running through the fields and there are little red ants marching up and down the roads. The buzz is all about the cotton and ginning season.
Starting around the end of September/ beginning of October, the farmers starting harvesting their crops that they've been nurturing all summer long. The crops are sprayed to stop the plant from growing and make the cotton bolls pop. After all the leaves have fallen off, they get busy with the harvest.
Harvest season usually means late nights for Bobby, but due to no rain at the right time, we didn't make a crop. Even though some farmers are like us and just shredding the little cotton down, there are some who have irrigated and are going as fast as they can to turn their crop into cash.

 And so the process goes....
White fields
Deere!

from field to gin
my little red ants marching up and down the roads

waitin' on their turn

the ginning process {I've never been inside, but the do it in that building.}
Cotton seed comes out on this side!


and Cotton bales come out on this side!



Even though I am thankful for having my man home every night, I still feel like we are missing out on the fun. Lord, we pray for rain and a crop next year!

M


Pumpkins

If you haven't been able to tell yet, I like pumpkins! They are fall to me. You can throw out all the Halloween stuff and give me pumpkins.

I have made some fabric pumpkins to set around the house. Once I got the hang of it, they are really simple to do. I made these from a compilation of pins I found. Some are stuffed with plastic bags, some with scraps and some with pillow stuffing.

I cut pieces of fabric in rectangles in ratios of 1x2. For example: 8x16, 6x12, 4x8... You get the picture. Fold in half and sew short ends together with right sides together. Now you have a tube.
On one end of your tube, sew a whip stitch around the whole edge, bunch and sew closed. Turn right side out and stuff.
Now, you can do it a couple of different ways.
1. One of my pumpkins I have a dowel rod in the middle for a stem. {You can use a stick as well.} You will want to bunch the top of the pumpkin around that.
2. For the others, I gathered the fabric at the top and started wrapping it closed. {I have used jute twine and yarn, you can use whatever!} I then started wrapping the twine around the pumpkin, like a present. Once I get it around 6 or 8 times, I incorporate those ends into the stem. I just wrap it tightly, curving it as I go and tie it off at the end.

And viola'! A cute pumpkin for your shelf!

Hope y'all have a great Tuesday. GO AND VOTE!
M