And the winner is....

Thanks to all who visited Vintage Gardens and entered the great giveaway.
Random.Org picked entry #5 as the winner, so congratulations to Amanda Flynn!!!!
Please keep Vintage Gardens in mind for all your jewelry needs!!!

Thanks so much, Rebecca for sharing your shop and giveaway with us!!

A Cry For Help From the Bottom of the Font Barrel

(BTW, Still time to enter the giveaway! Scroll down 2 posts!)

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When it comes to technology I am basically an idiot.

I came to realize this once again a few days ago when it was time to get a new cell phone plan and, thus a new cell phone.

I actually got a little sad about having to get a new phone.

Yes, partly because there were no pink phones available on the new plan, but mostly because I cringe at the thought of having to read an instruction manual to figure out how to operate the thing. I told Josh I would prefer that we all carry around a rotary dial phone....things would be much easier. (And you can bet that I will be asking him to program my new phone for me!)

Computers are even more foreign to me. It took me just shy of forever to figure out how to add a link into this blog and in the end a teenager showed me how to do it! (of course!)

Once again I am asking for help~

So if any of you know how I can use a cute font here I would love the help!

I have found a ton of adorable (and free) fonts online and pretty much know how to download them (kinda....not really)

But I have NO IDEA how to use them here on blogspot.

So if you can help I will be so grateful! Wish I could offer you a reward, but maybe seeing a cute font here for a change will be reward enough.

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Lemon Butter Tilapia

Scroll down to next post for a featured artist and giveaway~

(You don't want to miss this artist, her shop is fantastic!!!)

A few nights ago I made Lemon Butter Tilapia for dinner.

I got the recipe from Simple and Delicious Magazine a while back.

I think it caught my eye because it uses Ritz crackers, which in my opinion, adds deliciousness to any recipe :)

The photograph of it turned out less than appetizing.

So here's a picture of Lucas's tooshie instead.

He's hiding under the pillows as I dry my hair.

Lemon Butter Tilapia~

4 fresh Tilapia fillets

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

3 Tbsp butter, melted

dried parsley flakes

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup crushed Ritz crackers

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Place fish in 9x11 baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover ( I use plastic wrap) and microwave on high 3-4 minutes. Combine butter, parsley and lemon juice and pour over fish. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs. Microwave uncovered 3-4 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. (Cooking times may vary according to your microwave and size of fillets.)

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Feature Friday Time!

Allow me to introduce Rebecca of Vintage Gardens~

I think you will love her shop! Her jewelry is stunning and so unique. And the photographs of each piece are gorgeous!

With so much to choose from I suspect you will find something that catches your eye~

Mother's Day is just around the corner and I bet you could find something for your special mother in Rebecca's shop!

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I asked Rebecca a few questions to help us get to know her better~

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Tell us a little about yourself and your Etsy shop~

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My name is Rebecca Weldon. I live in Jacksonville, FL with my amazing fiance', Gene, and our two silly doggies, Angus the Bulldog and Frodo the Chihuahua. I love coffee, trying new recipes, karaoke, my family, and just about any medium of art. I have had a sort of obsession with art since I was a young girl…in the 3rd grade one of my drawings won an art contest that featured my work in a city-wide school calendar. I remember the sense of pride I felt and have been hooked ever since. I have a lot of creative energy. I get so excited over a new project that I can’t sit still and have to rush to the craft store on my lunch break to buy all the needed supplies, which usually ends up sitting in a bag in my craft room along with all my other great ideas and unfinished projects. O.C.D.? Nahhhh!

My Etsy shop consists of vintage and/or vintage inspired jewelry. I offer a variety of pieces from dainty to bold to try to reach all different kinds of customers. I am very passionate about creating jewelry, and I get so excited to see a new piece come together.

How long have you been selling on Etsy~

At the end of 2006, I started a shop on Etsy, The Artful Garden, where I created pendants made of polymer clay and famous works of art under a clear resin. I was actually doing pretty well with sales, but I got burnt out having to roll, cut and bake the clay before applying the images and decided to close that shop down. It was too difficult to keep up having a full-time job as well. So, at the beginning of last year I started Vintage Gardens and just recently have been dedicating more time and energy into this shop to hopefully make this one a success too. My goal is to eventually be able to quit this full-time job of mine and dedicate more of my time to Vintage Gardens

What are your favorite items to make and your favorite supplies to work with~

Currently, my favorite pieces to create are my silver and Swarovski crystal earrings that feature famous works of art, vintage maps and sheet music, etc. under a clear resin (attached below). They are much like my pieces from my previous shop, minus the time consuming clay. I plan to create lots more of these in the near future…so stay tuned! :)

Rebecca has graciously provided a giveaway for one of you lucky readers!

You could win these beautiful earrings!

Take a look at her shop then come back here and let me know your favorite item. Be sure there is a way to contact you in your post or by clicking on your blogger id. I will announce the winner next Wednesday. Good luck and thanks so much Rebecca!

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Hey~ You're exercising too!

As a continuation of yesterday's exercise post, I looked up a few more activities to see how many calories are burned~

I am buring a hefty 10 calories just by typing this post

And you are buring 7 just by reading it!

Keep reading....keep shedding calories

(Or, if we would both just get up and put away that pile of laundry, we could really be working out!)

And the WInner is~

Thanks to all who checked out our feature shop: MichiganHemp!

Thanks to Theresa for letting us get to know her and for providing a great giveaway!

Congratulations to RocketGirl! You are the winner and I will be contacting you soon!

Stay tuned for another great shop featured this coming Friday.

I started exercising a few months back.

I have been hesitant to share this with you because making it "public" means I have to actually go thru with it, but I set a goal a few months back to loose 25 lbs. And I gave myself the entire year to meet this goal! :)

So far: 10 lbs down and 15 to go.

I alternate jogging with walking a few days a week and occasionally you will find me huffing and puffing around the neighborhood on my Wal~Mart bicycle.

I am not an exercise kind of girl. Not since high school anyway. Let's face it, lumbering down the street, my sports bra-clad-mono-boob bouncing all the way is not really my idea of fun. And it can be rather depressing when your workout attire is your old maternity warm up pants. (Not kidding).

But I am feeling better already. And I am proud of myself for getting out there and doing something to be healthier and get active.

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I found a list of random activities and how many calories each one burns.

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You may be interested to know that a 150 lb person can burn 90 calories by cooking for 30 minutes. So if you are cooking brownies, you could eat about a 1/4 of a brownie and break even.

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15 Minutes of ironing and you'll have lost another 38.

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30 Minutes of talking on the phone~ Wow! 36 burned

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15 Minute shower? 72 down!

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Maybe I am getting more exercise than I thought!!!!

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Can I have a new song, please?

(Scroll down to next post for a great featured artist and a giveaway!!!)

Zachary is really into Madagascar now.

And he LOVES the song featured in the movie, "I like to move it, move it."

It is stuck in his head and now everything is to the tune of this song.

Before lunch:

"I am so hungry, hungry

I am so hungry, hungry

I am so hungry, hungry

I am so... HUNGRY!"

After dinner:

"Can I have some candy, candy

Can I have some candy, candy

Can I have some candy, candy

Can I have some...CANDY!"

Now this precious little song is stuck in my head as well and I can't seem to shake it.

"Lucas stop whining,whining

Lucas stop whining, whining

Lucas stop whining, whining

Lucas stop...WHINING!"

"Wish I was sewing, sewing

Wish I was sewing, sewing

Wish I was sewing, sewing

Wish I was...SEWING!"

Maybe I'll have Zachary watch the Sound of Music or Phantom of the Opera.

I am ready for a new song~

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It's Here!!!!

The 1st of many Feature Fridays!

And to start things off we have a fabulous shop to introduce you to!

Meet Theresa of Michigan Hemp.

I asked Theresa a few questions to help us get to know her and her shop better:

1. Tell us a little about yourself~

Currently, I am 32 years old, a full time online college student through Oregon State University, mom of two boys, stepmom of three boys, and married to the man of my dreams!When I am not attending the boys' sporting events or studying, I am creating stunning, one of a kind hemp jewelry. Some of my favorite things in life include the smell of fresh cut grass, sunshine, and the reflection of a sunset on a lake.

2. How long have you been making jewelry and how long have you sold on Etsy?

My Etsy shop has only been open since Feb, but I started making hemp jewelry almost six years ago. My husband and I were at a local craft fair and one of the hemp necklaces that I found was extremely overpriced. It was then that I knew that I could make better items from better materials and sell them at better prices.

3. What are your favorite items to make and favorite supplies to work with?

Handmade lampwork pendants are my favorite things to create with (and hemp of course). I am constantly cruising around Etsy looking for new pendants to purchase and thinking of ways to make them into a gorgeous piece of jewelry. The pendant itself is usually where I get my inspiration from.

Theresa make such fantastic jewelry and it is all so unique. I am picturing her jewelry accenting a tan on a gorgeous beach.

One of you lucky people will win one of her creations:

Winner will be drawn on "Winner Wednesday", Wednesday April 22.

And this time you are getting 2 chances to win!

For 1 entry, visit her shop and then come back here to tell me your favorite item in the shop as well as a way to contact you.

For a 2nd entry, suggest another name for "Winner Wednesday."

I couldn't come up with a better name and goodness knows I need one...so for a 2nd entry suggest another catchy name and a way to contact you.

Good luck and thanks so much Theresa!!!!

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Look What I Found On Etsy...

Pretty pink~

Beautiful blue~

The city~

The country~

The coast~

Meet Dana Laymon Photography.

Gorgeous Photography and Custom Notecards!

Please visit her shop. Best part: she is offering free shipping to her 1st customer!

Coming Soon~ Feature Fridays!

Starting this week and continuing every Friday:

Feature Fridays

A new shop/artist will be featured every Friday along with a giveaway. The following Wednesday the winners will be announced. Stay tuned for our first featured artist ....coming this Friday!

We had so much fun dying Easter eggs. Of course I made my opening statements before we got started.

"Boys, do you know what the word stain means? The word stain means that mommy is going to be very mad if you spill this colored water on the floor and I have to clean it up...because it won't come up."

Poor Zachary was sick last week and fell asleep on the couch like this.

Lucas is figuring out how to get to the sink by himself.

A Little Easter Egg Inspiration

I love a good "creature" story.

And if actual photographs are included...well, now that's good reading!

So I wanted to share this article that I read a few days ago. I found it in our local community magazine that comes out about 2x a month.

I was just about to pull up Mapquest to find the exact neighborhood where the story took place so I could begin my stakeout, when I realized that this siteing actually took place in the Dallas metroplex, rather than here (Houston).

Let me know what you think!!!

Thanks to the author, Amanda Tackett for sharing her story!

The Sleep Deprived Mom and Other Horror Stories

Last night I awoke to Zachary crying in the middle of the night.

His throat is sore and he has had a cough so I got up and gave him some medicine...and then held him for a good while on the couch.

It was really nice to have a quite time in the middle of the night to be together....just me and him. Now on those rare occasions when one of the boys needs me in the middle of the night, it is almost fun to be awakened.

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Hasn't always been that way.

My memories of the newborn stage are fuzzy at best.

Before he was born, I thought, "Sleep deprivation??? No problem. I am married to a youth pastor. It will be no different than a lock -in."

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Ha!

My little lock-in lasted a good 3 months. As I recall, it was non-stop crying (and Zachary did his share of crying as well) :)

I was exhausted and thought I was loosing my mind (I think I was, in part....but I'll save that for another post)

I can remember sitting in the hospital bed 2 nights after his birth.

"Shhh, It's ok, Caleb. Don't cry little Caleb,Mommie's here."

His name is Zachary.

A few weeks later I would sleep right thru one of his hunger induced cries while dreaming that an aquaintance of mine was nursing him.

Once he got the sleeping thing down, he was actually an excellent sleeper and still is. Let's just say that I don't miss that stage. Not really. Not as long as they still need me in the middle of the night on ocassions.

Rare ocassions.

Very rare ocassions.

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If you love to participate in swaps, check out this fun site!

I have a feeling that many of you already know about this! I am always the last one in the "loop!" :)

There's lots of competition for children's items on Etsy.

So I'm not sure how these will do, but I have just had so much fun making them!

Maybe I'll participate in a craft fair later this spring and summer and try to sell some there as well.

I wish that when the boys were little I had known how to sew so I could have made some things for them!

Yesterday I received a treasure chest in the mail.

It was from a dear woman, Ethel, who happens to be my brother-in-law's mother.

When my mom passed away in 1998, all of my mom's sewing supplies were given to Ethel as she is a professional seamstress and would make good use of them.

I didn't sew then...had little interest in it. And truthfully, I didn't even know where my mom's things had ended up until just a few weeks ago. Ethel found out that I now love to sew and emailed me telling me to expect a box in the mail.

So yesterday I got a huge box full of supplies that were once my mother's.

And my grandmothers.

My grandmother was a fantastic seamstress and when she passed away in 1987, her supplies went to my mother.

I am thrilled to have theses items... many vintage.

Who loves buttons? Apparently my mom and grandma did!

Tomorrow I plan on contacting someone to see about getting a necklace and earring set made from some of the buttons.

I feel so blessed and thankful for this sweet gift. It was so kind of Ethel to think of me in this way!

Rosemary Cheese Bread

We had this along with steaks, wild rice and salad last night for dinner.

I really love this bread. It is very dense so if you prefer the light as air, melt in your mouth type breads, this may not be for you. You can throw this together fairly quickly and tweak the seasonings to your liking.

Rosemary Cheese Bread~

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 Tbsp sugar

3/4 - 1 tsp ground black pepper

1 Tbsp dried rosemary

1 Tbsp dried minced onion

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 eggs (beaten)

1 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup cream (or milk)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom and sides of 8x4x2 loaf pan. Combine 1st 8 ingredients. Make a "well" in the center of mixture. In another bowl combine eggs, yogurt, oil and cream/milk. Add to dry ingredients along with the cheese and mix until just combined. Bake about 40 minutes (use toothpick test). Cool 10 minutes and then turn out to platter.

My oven is misbehaving so I had to bake my bread quite a bit longer. Next time I will cook it even longer to get it nice and brown on top....I just got tired of waiting!

Enjoy!

By the way, do you love the potholder fabric? It's Henry....of course! I am thinking about adding some of these to my shop.