Moss and Clover

Say What? Link Party @ The Ivy Cottage

Still Lovin' the Roses

2011-06-03T09:10:00.001-04:00

I ADORE roses!! I always get a thrill when I see them.

Whether they're in artwork, on dishes, in the garden.....doesn't matter. They make my little heart go pitter patter! LOL! I am most partial to pink and red, and of course English roses, cottage rose bushes, tea roses.....okay, I love them all!

When I first started blogging, I discovered tissue paper roses and I love them! They are so easy and fun and I think they really look cute!

I couldn't resist adding some roses to the room my little girls share. We recently painted the room and we're in the process of finishing the decor. I have been wanting some artwork for the space over their beds, and I decided to make their initials out of crepe paper roses.

After making many, MANY roses, burning myself MULTIPLE times (including a 3rd degree burn to my thumb that forced me to take a week off!!) I am finally finished! I have yet to hang them in place, but I couldn't wait to show you!

So pretty, so girly and so fun!! :o)

Enjoy!!

Linking up:

Wednesday Link Party @ Organize and Decorate Everything

Sunday Showcase @ Under the Table and Dreaming, by Stephanie Lynn

Back in the Saddle Again!!

2011-06-01T09:27:00.000-04:00

Hello there, my dear friends!

I have been crazy busy so I haven't had time to write. It's also been stinkin' HOT! And if I haven't said it before, I don't do HOT very well.

Our AC is unhooked (a long story for a different day!) and the weather has been in the 90's. That means my little old house (that is sorely lacking in insulation) has also been in the 90's!! Thankfully, the AC will be repaired TODAY!

!!!!!!!!!YAY!!!!!!!!!

Some of you may not think the temps. sound all that bad, but when you add in the lack of a breeze and the humidity....well....to me it's MISERABLE! And it's only June. Think I'll make it?? LOL!!

I want to share some good news with you, too, though. Just to prove I'm not all doom and gloom. ;o)

I got a job! I'm so excited! There is a local coffee shop that has just changed ownership and the new owner has some big plans. She's brought in a Soup, Salad and Sandwich menu that is so amazing! Check it out here! We're even offering a picnic basket lunch; how sweet is that???

The cafe is located right along the Erie Canal and it's a beautiful stretch of the waterway. I've shopped at this coffee shop since we moved to the area a little over a year ago, and I always thought it would be fun to work there. I've been wanting to pick up some extra cash but I didn't want to go back to teaching. I'm just not ready to leave my kiddos!! So, I work at the cafe on the weekends, and I'll soon be adding some night shifts too.

I can't tell you how great it feels to get out of the house and talk to grown-ups! LOL! I know that some of you are in a similar position and can understand. I adore my kids, but I know that if I want to be a good mom, I have to have some things that feed the "Terry" side of me! ;o)

The majority of my earnings are going into a travel fund so we can go visit our friends and family. I'm also using it to pay a few bills and the fees for some kid activities they've been wanting to try. Horseback riding lessons seem to make their way to the top of the list every time, so we'll see what we can do! ;o)

If you ever find yourself on the Erie Canal, stop in and say HI!!

It's a Party!!

2011-05-23T09:59:00.001-04:00

What a fun time we had this weekend! It was a lot of work, but so worth it!

Check out that cheeky grin!!

I got to meet some wonderful moms and their beautiful kiddos, too! I loved talking to each of them; they were funny and kind and so complimentary about all the party details. It's always nice to get compliments!! :o)

I'm so grateful to each of them and their kiddos, for making my little one feel like such a princess on her special day. If you're reading this; THANK YOU!!

It rained through most of the party, so all the outdoor activities were unavailable. I was so bummed!!! We had a sandbox, bubble station, dress up area, kid style horseshoes & bean bag toss. I also set up a photo booth under the apple tree.

My darling hubby worked so hard in the yard and it looked amazing! He's still recovering from over 2 years of chronic illness, so things like yard work are still very draining for him.

Thank you, darling, for all your hard work!

Big sister wanted to show the little one how to pose for a photo. What a (cute) ham!!

This was my first "stylized" table, and I think it turned out well!

The things sticking out of the cake are butterflies, attached to the end of green covered floral wire. I frosted the cake with a crumb coat of buttercream frosting, then made rosettes on the sides. It was so humid on Saturday, I had to put the cake in the freezer to set up. I forgot about it until Sunday so as it was defrosting, I kept blotting water off the surface! It turned out wonderfully, however! The frosting held up and the cake was nice and moist. Disaster averted!!

See my cute little ants?

The Mud Cups (and the worms) were the hit of the day! Grownups and kiddos alike really enjoyed them!

The fruit was a hit as well, but honestly, how can you not love rainbow fruit?

The beverage station worked out perfectly, and I loved the mason glass jars. Not one single spill! The straws (you can barely see them behind the tub) were pink and green striped plastic straws from Hobby Lobby. So cute!!!

I am in love with this BH&G decanter from Walmart! It's was only $6!! I'll be getting a lot of use out of it this summer! You can't tell from the photo, but it has a floral "etched" design on it. I love the simplicity of it much more than the sun tea jars I've been seeing this season.

Of course, you can't have a party without a mess!! LOL!

Thanks for stopping by! :o)

Cheers!

Linking to:

Keep it Simple Sunday @ The Tattered Tag

Mangia Mondays @ Shine your Light

Ants at a Picnic

2011-05-21T21:00:00.000-04:00

Man, oh man, am I tired!!

I've been working hard to get all the details finished up for Little Berry Thief's party tomorrow. The theme is a garden party/picnic, and what outdoor meal wouldn't be complete without ants?

I saw some of these this week over at Dandelions & Dustbunnies (CUTE name!! CUTE site!!) and I knew they would be perfect for our party!

They were super easy and fun, though I should have cut the wire for the legs just a bit longer. Also, the wire kept slipping, so I had to keep re-gluing it. Not to mention that while I was painting them, LBT couldn't keep her sand caked hands off of them! LOL! But I think they turned out super cute anyway! :o)

Thanks for the great idea, Becca!!

Here are some shots of what I've been working on.

Rainbow fruit. YUMMY!!

Mason jars, waiting to be filled with sweet-tart strawberry lemonade.

I used some covered floral wire to make card holders; gluing a little flower button to the end, and placing it inside one of the napkin rings. We found out there would be a few more guests at the party and since there are more guests than napkin rings, I am repurposing the napkin rings. ;o)

I filled baggies with some crackers and pretzels and made the little signs for them. It's not fancy, but it's fun.

Check out these cute baskets I picked up from Hobby Lobby (at 50% off)!! I added the ric rac by simply gluing it on. The fruit is on skewers, and will be placed in these, sticking up. Should be cute, and easy for little hands to grab, too.

That's all you get for now! I'll show you more after it's all over; if I survive! LOL!!

Cheers!

Party Time

2011-05-19T10:16:00.003-04:00

It's crunch time at Moss and Clover!!

My Little Berry Thief is turning 4 years old next week, and she's having her first party (that she remembers!) here at home on Sunday afternoon.

We've invited all her little friends from preschool to join us. Many of them are busy and unable to make it, but I'm not worried. I know we'll have a fun time no matter what!! :o)

I've put together a design board at Pinterest, but I was really struggling. I was kind of going for a patriotic/backyard/picnic/BBQ theme, but I couldn't find a balance between the colors and textures. I've dropped some of the red bandana/western elements and we're going for more of a garden party/picnic look. It's softer and much more our style.

www.myromantichome.blogspot.com via pinterest

Of course we've got to have some American Flags, since that's LBT's favorite thing right now. :o)

Another favorite is everything mason jar right now! What an easy and fun way to set up the drinks!

Every garden must have butterflies.

Can't wait to make these, too!

http://familyfun.go.com/magazine/familyfun-magazine-archive/familyfun-may-2011/fluttercups-1006760/

To see more of our ideas, just check out my boards in Pinterest!

One project I put together yesterday was some napkin rings. I wanted something rustic and fun, so I picked up mini grapevine wreaths at Hobby Lobby. I also grabbed some faux mini daisies.

Pull the flowers and leaves off the stems, cut the center plastic off the leaves, and start gluing.

I didn't pull the plastic cup part off this leaf set and you can see how it sticks up much higher. I didn't really like that, so I went back to applying the individual leaves.

Looking good! I love how they turned out! Best part though, LBT worked on them with me; she cut the leaves and picked out the flowers for me to glue!

If ou have some exposed bits, just cover 'em up with more flowers!

I think they'll be perfect for the garden party!

Check back tomorrow to see how I'm going to handle the ants! ;o)

Cheers!

Linking to these fun parties:

Wednesday Link Party @ Organize and Decorate Everything

Lilac Festival

2011-05-16T20:28:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!! Well, my mom is back in Arizona again. We had a great visit and I had fun being "on vacation" too!! My kids had such a great time getting reacquainted with their Grammy, and I know that she cherished every moment she was able to spend with them!

One of the big events in our community is a Lilac Festival that is held every year. The festival grounds host over 1,200 lilac bushes and over 500 varieties. Let me tell you; it is AMAZING! My mom's favorite flowers are lilacs, so I was thrilled that I would be able to take her to the festival while she was here! :o)

The day started off rainy but turned hot and sultry right away.

I couldn't believe the fragrance coming off these bushes! It was so lovely!

I actually have 5 lilac bushes at my house and they are in full bloom right now. It's gorgeous!

Little Berry Thief was totally underwhelmed with the festivities. Every time we stopped, she would plop her shiny hiney onto the grass. Must be tough being nearly 4 years old!

Mom was so happy to see all of her lovely lilacs!!

So what's blooming in your garden??

Cheers!!

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-05-11T09:49:00.002-04:00

Good morning all!!

It's a gorgeous day here in NY! The sun is out, it's WARM and the little baby blackbirds in my gazebo are making a racket! I'm waiting for them to fly the coop before hubby and I clear out their nests. We're enjoying watching the show, but we're not happy with the clean-up! ;o)

If you've been reading my posts for any time at all, you've probably noticed that I am a fan of all things related to Cooks Illustrated, Cook's Country and America's Test Kitchen. Fan is a bit of an understatement, really. CI is my 1st stop for recipes, techniques, information and cooking trends. It's like my cooking Bible!! I know there are a lot of great recipes out there, and trust me, I'd love to try them all! But my first stop is, and always will be, CI!! :o)

Recently, ATK posted a notice that they were inviting one person (and a guest!) to tour the kitchen and view a taping of an ATK episode!! YAY!! It's a tiny set, so it's not open to an audience. The catch? If you're invited, you have to get yourself to Boston.

Oooo, oooo, I can do that!!! I can do that!!

I can DO THAT!!! ;o)

First, to get yourself invited, you have to blog about their Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie. Like that's a challenge! Seriously, I've got this one covered!

You see, I am married to Mr. Chocolate Chip Cookie Junkie. Now, I know lots of people out there love CC cookies, but not like my hubby. So, in order to maintain marital bliss, I have tried to find the perfect recipe. For the past 13 years, I have been using the Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, from CI's The Best Recipes cookbook (I'll post it for you soon!). I have never heard a complaint. They are wonderful cookies!!! Then, one day, CI posted the recipe for

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies.

And they are.

Seriously.

Perfect.

You want:

"chewy, rich, buttery, melt in your mouth and think you've gone to cookie heaven" cookies?

Here ya go.

Now I have seen a lot of recipes lately for browned butter cc cookies, and I'm sure they're good. But good is not perfect. What sets these cookies apart is the technique, and the browned butter. You have to have balance, and let's be honest, they have to be easy, too. And that's why this recipe is perfect.

Try it. I dare you. ;o)

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 16 cookies. Published May 1, 2009. From Cook's Illustrated.

Why this recipe works:

Our perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe had to produce a cookie that would be moist and chewy on the inside and crisp at the edges, with deep notes of toffee and butterscotch to balance its sweetness. Melting the butter gave us the chewiness we were looking for. Cutting back on the flour and eliminating an egg white also improved texture and brought the brown sugar flavor to the fore. To give our chocolate chip cookie recipe the crisp edges and toffee flavor we wanted, we let the sugar dissolve in the batter for 10 minutes, then baked the cookies at a high temperature so the edges darkened while the centers stayed soft.

Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter; the dark color of the nonstick coating makes it difficult to gauge when the butter is browned. Use fresh, moist brown sugar instead of hardened brown sugar, which will make the cookies dry. This recipe works with light brown sugar, but the cookies will be less full-flavored. For our winning brand of chocolate chips, see related tasting.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)

1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)

3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces) (see note)

1 teaspoon table salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (see note)

3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.
Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)
Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Recipe Testing

Creating a New Classic

Here's how we improved on the Toll House classic to create an even better cookie.

TOLL HOUSE RECIPE: Equal Amounts Brown and White Sugar

A 1-1 ratio of brown to white sugar creates a cookie that's neither crisp nor chewy.

OUR RECIPE: More Brown Sugar

Using more brown sugar than white makes for a chewier cookie.

TOLL HOUSE RECIPE: Creamed Solid Butter

Creaming butter creates a cakier texture in cookies.

OUR RECIPE: Browned, Melted Butter

Melting butter contributes to chewiness; browning it enhances flavor.

TOLL HOUSE RECIPE: 2 Whole Eggs

Whole eggs contribute to a drier texture.

OUR RECIPE: 1 Whole Egg, 1 Yolk

Eliminating one egg white also boosts chewiness.

TOLL HOUSE RECIPE: Beat and Bake

Baking the dough immediately after mixing doesn't allow the sugar to dissolve as fully as possible.

OUR RECIPE: Whisk and Wait

Whisking sugar into the liquid ingredients and then waiting 10 minutes allows more of it to dissolve, setting up better flavor and texture.

TOLL HOUSE RECIPE: Less Dough

The smaller the cookie, the more uniform its texture.

OUR RECIPE: More Dough

Three tablespoons of dough per cookie increases its crisp-chewy contrast.

Technique

Measure It Right

Even a tablespoon too much or too little flour can have an impact on cookies. Here's how to measure accurately.

PREFERRED: WEIGH FLOUR

For the greatest accuracy, weigh flour before using it. Put a bowl on a scale, hit the "tare" button to set the scale to zero, and scoop the flour into the bowl.

SECOND-BEST: DIP AND SWEEP

Dip a dry measuring cup into the flour, sweeping away excess flour with a flat edge. This method yields more accurate results than spooning flour into a measuring cup.

Recipe Testing

Don't Bake in Batches

Baking two trays at a time may be convenient, but it leads to uneven cooking. The cookies on the top tray are often browner around the edges than those on the bottom, even when rotated halfway through cooking.

TOP RACK

BOTTOM RACK

Enjoy!!

Linking to these wonderful Parties:

Tuesdays @ Two Maids a Milking

Wednesday Link Party @ Organize and Decorate Everything

Made it on Monday Linky Party @ Lark’s Country Heart

Antiquing with Mom

2011-05-09T23:06:00.000-04:00

To celebrate Mother's Day, I took my mom to a cute little town to check out their antique stores.

We got caught in one and had a blast!

The prices were right on, mostly moved to sell, and she had some really great deals!

Some of my favorites include this sign in German:

and.....

I may have to go back for that one. :o)

We found some glassware that matches some of my pieces, too.

Some day I would love to have a cabin by a lake, and I would love to have these dishes,

stored in this cabinet,

with this on my table!! :D

Vita-meata-vega-min!!

LOL!!

My mom bought me these cuties for my Mother's Day Gift.

Aren't they sweet????

And I snuck this cute linen towel in there too. The "B" is my moms first initial. ;o)

I almost picked this one up...I just adore the lace work on this!

I will be heading back to this shop, often. Did I mention she does layaway??? Oh yeah!!! :o)

Cheers!!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T08:47:00.000-04:00

Wishing you a wonderful, peaceful and lovely,

Culinary & Wine Center

2011-05-06T20:31:00.000-04:00

I hope that you are all having fun planning your Mother's Day weekend activities! I am soooooo thrilled to have my mom with me this year! I decided that I wanted to spend some special time with her, so I signed us up for a cooking demo and wine tasting at the New York Wine & Culinary Center.

This will be my first time at the NYWCC and I am sooooo excited! My dream is to attend culinary school, but I'm afraid this may be as far as I go. Oh well, I'll take whatever I can get! :o)

Our class tomorrow will highlight seasonal NY state ingredients made into a lunch-sized entree, paired with 2 different sparkling NY wines. The web site says it will be;

"Incredibly educational, entertaining, and fun!"

I'm also taking my mom antiquing in a cute town called Canandaigua. It's full of fun little shops and the area abounds with wineries too! I think we'll have a fun day, and I hope to come home with some good finds to share with you!!

Wherever you are, near or far, with family or on your own, I hope that you take joy in celebrating mothers this weekend.

Cheers!!

Cracker Barrel: Who Knew???

2011-05-05T22:41:00.000-04:00

We stopped into Cracker Barrell the other day for breakfast (YUMMMM!!!!) and I walked through the gift shop for the first time. Oh, how fun!!! I've been missing my little boutiques and gift shops lately, and of course I love a great deal! I walked away with these fun finds:

I realized at Easter that I didn't have a salt or pepper shaker, so I needed something cute!! These little birdies fit the bill. :o)

Since I never finished my embellished Easter tea towels, it made sense to pick up these, instead!

I'm a sucker for word inspired art and I've been eyeing lots of different options. I was going to try my hand at making some, but honestly, I don't think I'm patient enough. When I found this I was so happy!!

Best part of it all? Everyting was 40-50% off! SCORE!! ;o)

Cracker Barrell Gift Shop.....who knew???

Cheers!

Best Tea Party Ever

2011-05-04T17:03:00.002-04:00

I have the sweetest little 8 year old girl!

Yesterday, we picked my mom up at the airport.

She's here to visit for about 2 weeks, and to celebrate her arrival, my sweet girl decided to throw a tea party.

"Momma, can we use the pretty dishes?"

"Can I set the table the way I want?

"Will you make your scones for us?"

Why, yes, yes and YES!

I love this age!!

She's starting to see the potential in things,

and she's interested in so many fun things, like Tea Parties!!

The linens didn't match, the china patterns didn't go together, someone forgot the knives so we ended up using spoons...but it didn't matter. I'll always remember this day and this tea party!!

Please, come on in and enjoy yourself!

Tea Parties are not just for girls! Our boys know that good stuff abounds when you sit down for tea. Sweet Peach Iced Tea, hot Spiced Orange Tea and a chocolate on each place setting set the stage.

Candy sticks in all our favorite flavors wait for kids who eat a little healthy food first. ;o)

Momma's scones, warm and fresh from the oven. The smell fills the house!

Cucumber Finger Sandwiches are a big hit with Grandma!

Baby Boy (who normally won't touch tomatoes, cheese or balsamic vinegar) absolutely adores the

Bruschetta Smothered in Shredded Romano Cheese.

This was my plate. YUMMO!!

Look at those layers...DELICIOUS!!

Want some? Here's the recipe:

Terry's Scones

2 c. flour

4 t. baking powder

3/4 t. salt
1/4 c. sugar

6 T. butter

1 egg

3/4 c. cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk dry ingredients together; cut in butter.

Mix egg and cream in separate bowl, add to dry ingredients all at once.

Mix until the dough begins to come together.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead until dough holds shape and is not overly tacky.

Form dough into a rough circle, approx. 1/2 inch thick (I use my hands instead of a rolling pin), transfer to a baking stone or cookie sheet and cut into 8 triangles (or roll and cut out in circles with a biscuit cutter).

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Wonderful with butter, clotted cream and raspberry preserves!

Enjoy!

Linking up to:

Wednesday Link Party @ Organize and Decorate Everything

Made it on Monday Linky Party @ Lark’s Country Heart

Tuesdays @ Two Maids a Milking

Weekend Whirlwind

2011-05-02T00:45:00.001-04:00

I do it every time, and each time I do it, I tell myself that this is the last time. Never again. Then - I do it again. Seems like I just never learn!

I have a habit of starting something new (or 3 or 4 somethings!) days before a house guest arrives, a holiday, a vacation....any momentous occasion. So then I'm scrambling to finish my last minute projects and get ready for whatever's coming up at the same time! ARGH!!!!

It started with a small trip to Home Depot. I just needed one little package of screws. But, since I was there, I thought I'd run past the paint department to see if they had any "ooops!" paints. This store rarely has any, but that day they had 2 perfect colors for Baby Boy's room! I was so happy!!

Fast-forward to 2 days later. I decided to get started painting said boys room, so I ran over to Home Depot again for some new rollers. That's it: rollers. But while I was there, I just HAD to go past the paint section. I was getting rollers after all!! ;o)

Surprise of my day; they had 2 gallons of paint in EXACTLY the color I needed for the girls room! Well, how could I pass that up? These were all the Behr paint & primer in one paints, and I just got 4 gallons for $20! WOO HOO!!

I raced home and started working. Of course, as it always happens, I couldn't just paint. I had to first pick up toys. And clothes. And trash. Honestly....how can they live like that? LOL! And I knew I couldn't put the old furniture back the way it was, so that had to get fixed up too. And I wanted to get most of it done before my hubby came home, because he really hates painting. Really. Since he's tall I make him do the trim. It's a good system.....usually. ;o)

Now before I show you the pictures I just have to post a little disclaimer. My kids rooms...well, they're kids rooms. They're not decorator rooms. They're not staged and set up for photos...this is just how they are.

I have messy kids. Messy kids who like to play, and they play HARD! They had a play room when they were little, but now that they have bigger bedrooms and the group playroom isn't very cool (it's in the unfinished basement....yuck!) they spend more time in their rooms. And I really think that they should have some say in how their rooms are decorated. They can move the furniture, put up posters, pictures or artwork, whatever they want. It's their room. It's how I was raised, and look, I turned out pretty good! LOL!

So here ya go....dig in!! :o)

*****
This is what the tables and chairs looked like before I hit 'em with the sander. (Man, I love that thing!) 6 years of crayons, markers, glue and unidentifiable smears are now history!

Baby boy likes the sports, so what's better than red and blue?? Add the white and it's a classic combo perfect for my little guy! He's so happy with his room, he can now be found "hanging out" on his bed. I love it! :o)

Sorry for the glare!

I picked up 2 of these vintage brass headboards last year for $15 each. I ADORE them! I was hoping they would both fit, but the bed frame is one of the Hollywood style, so only a headboard works. It still looks great, I think!

Sister had to check out her brother's "display items" as he calls them.

I have a plan to replace these horrendous closet doors with white ones, and I even have the doors, but I simply ran out of time so they'll have to wait. The curtains are so cool; they're made out of rip stop material to look like the sails on a boat. Perfect!

While we waited for the paint to cure, we also tackled the yard. The previous owners had a "stockade" along the back of the garage, which they used for storing wood and yard debris. The fence surrounding it was rotting away, so we took it down and now we're cleaning out 30 years of messes. It's not pretty, but I'm thinking that part of the fence (behind hubby) would be cool with some stenciling on it, hanging on the outside wall of the garage....hhmmm.... ;o)

Once I started painting Baby Boy's room, sister wanted some of that action. I made a deal with her that if she got her room ready, I would paint it. What was I thinking???? Wasn't one room and furniture enough?? Evidently not!!

This room is the largest of the kids' rooms. Boy did I feel it when we were done! We painted the walls & trim, installed new window hardware (thanks Honey!!!), painted their table and chair, and hung up all their wall art. The windows are wood framed, double hung and O.L.D. They are also torture to paint. Each window took me about an hour. No lie.

These are just a few pictures; not everything. Gotta save a few things, right??

I adore these flower lights from Ikea!! They add a ton of light to the room, and they are so pretty!

My girls are really tuning in to all the decorating, and ~~want~~ need to have the last word in what goes where. I think it's great!

The little lamps in the next picture were one of my latest freecycle gifts that I received. They were shiny brass, so I primed and painted them a florid green, but I haven't finished the lap shades yet. I'll show you when I do. Promise!

You can just make out the edge of the headboard that they girls have, on the right, in pink. This was another freecycle gift. It's a 4 poster twin bed, but I've split it between the beds, so now they have matching headboards. I have a plan for adding padding & upholstery soon.

The print above the dresser was a gift from a neighbor, and the dresser was....did you guess?? A freecycle gift!! LOL! It's in terrible need of a makeover, but it's going to have to wait. I can only do so much at once. ;o)

Now, I have one last thing to show you. I found this at Home Depot when I was looking for the rollers, and I bought 2. I wish I had invented this. Have you seen this?? It's AWESOME!!!

It's a regular paint tray, with 5 removable liners. You fill it with your paint, use it, then when you're done, you peel away the liner (keeping your extra paint in the middle), then poke the bag and pour the excess paint back into the can. Toss the liner (which is a 50% recycled product!!) and you're all cleaned up. No more washing the paint tray! Brilliant, I tell you.

Simply BRILLIANT!!

Now, before I go, I should tell you that my weekend didn't end there. Oh no. Once those 2 rooms were done and put back into place I had to get ready for a house guest.

Cleaning, laundry, dusting, floors, sorting, putting the last of the Easter decor away....you know how it goes.

You see, my mom is coming to visit. Monday.

TODAY!!!

I haven't seen her in nearly 2 years. I can't believe it! She lives with my dad in sunny Arizona, and she's flying out to spend about 2 weeks with us. YAY!!

She's a mighty creative and crafty lady. I'll probably be posting all kinds of fun stuff that we're doing together, and hopefully I can show you some of her jewelry, artwork & pottery.

Yeah....that sounds good!! ;o)

Cheers!

Linking to:

Organizing Mission Monday @ Organize with Sandy

Mangia Mondays @ Shine your Light

Bedrooom Art

2011-04-29T22:44:00.002-04:00

I have long wanted some fun, colorful artwork over our bed, but my dear, lovely Hubby has a bit of a fear of things falling on him during the night. I think that's what comes from living in an "earthquake zone" your whole life. I finally convinced him that some lightweight paper art wouldn't hurt too much if it fell on us! ;o)

I'm sure that I've mentioned my love of scrapbook papers?!?! I don't scrapbook, but I adore all the beautiful papers and I find myself buying them all the time! I do the same with fat quarters.....I just can't resist all those lovely patterns, colors, textures....ahhh, such joy!! LOL!! ;o)

So, the project started with these frames that I found at Goodwill a few weeks ago. I painted the edges with some grey paint, and moved on to picking out paper.

I choose the rooster for my hubby's board. I think the subtlety is beyond him. ;o) Next, I painted some chipboard letters, papered a smaller square, and added a little gold ampersand.

And here's how it looks in the room. We love it!!

I know the W (hubby's initial) is leaning a bit to the right, but I keep telling him it's off center to match his personality! LOL!

While I've got you here, let me show you just a few things. Now I know that the decorating rule of thumb says that we should fix up our bedrooms first, but I just can't seem to do that. This room is a work in progress for us, but we have some cute things going on.

Bedding is one of my favorite things. I love soft, plush white (always white!) sheets in the winter and crisp, cool sheets in the summer. Our winter sheets and comforter (and our robes!) come from Private Quarters. I love this green color (yes, it really is this bright!!) and the pattern of my comforter cover!!

This bed spread belonged to my grandmother. It's well over 50 years old, yet it still works great! It's a queen size bedspread, so on our king size bed it makes a perfect blanket.

This is one of my favorite pillow case sets. They are vintage, and again from my grandmother. I was just a little girl when she passed away, but I think I must have inheritied her style. I jsut adore all of her beautiful things that have been passed down to me!

I picked up this dresser and it's twin from a neighbor back home. We use them as our bedside tables; cute, aren't they?? I need to pick up some glass drawer pulls but I'm looking for either a.) a good deal on new ones or b.) a better deal on some vintage pulls.

These are my curtains; the lace sheer is from Ikea and the cotton panel is from Target. I had the curtains on rings, but I really like them on the grommets better. My style has evolved in a "modern shabby chic cottage", so the clean lines of the silver grommets with all the white material and the white curtain rods seem more streamlined and fresh.

I love these sheers!!

What else.....oh, my book case, more artwork and pillows, too.

And the best thing in my bedroom-my dear husband!!! :D

Here he is, with his ~~Crackberry~~ Blackberry, in his most favorite position!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers!

Some of the parties that I like to link to:

Friday Flair @ Whipperberry

Air Your Laundry Friday @ Freckled Laundry

I’m lovin’ It! @ Tidy Mom

Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring

Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

Weekend Wrap Party @ Tatertots and Jello

Blog Link Party @ Remodelaholic

Vintage Inspiration Friday @ Common Ground

Friday Favs @ Naptime Crafters

Whatcha Got Weekend @ Lolly Jane

Sunday Showcase @ Under the Table and Dreaming, by Stephanie Lynn

Keep it Simple Sunday @ The Tattered Tag

Amazing Biscuits!

2011-04-27T20:12:00.002-04:00

This Easter, I broke away from my usual Easter Menu and tried all new dishes. Yup. Everything was new. I'm a rebel like that. ;o)

I decided to go with biscuits this year, instead of the usual Hawaiian sweet rolls. My normal biscuit recipe is Fannie Farmer and it's great! But....I was trying all new, so I decided to try the Cream Cheese Biscuits from Cooks Country. They were FANTASTIC!!!

I was really unsure about the effect of the cream cheese, but the result was a tender, moist crumb with a tangy, light flavor. It was also super simple to put together! Perfect for my Easter table! I think it might replace Fannie Farmer's recipe in my kitchen!

Cream Cheese Biscuits
adapted from Cooks Country
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. cake flour
1 T. sugar
1 T. bkg. powder
1 t. salt
3/4 t. bkg. soda
4 oz. cream cheese, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and frozen for 30 minutes
4 T. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and frozen for 30 minutes
1 cup, plus 1 T. buttermilk

Preheat over to 450 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Pulse everything except the buttermilk in food processor until it looks like coarse meal. Pour mixture into large bowl and stir in buttermilk. (It may look dry at this point, but it will come together!)
Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead briefly until dough comes together. Roll or press dough into a rectangle, about 3/4 of an inch thick. Transfer dough onto prepared baking sheet and cut dough into 12 squares. Do not seperate the pieces.
Bake until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
(Note: Unbaked biscuits will hold for 1 day in the fridge. Try that with reg. biscuit dough!!)

Enjoy!!!

Linking:

All things Inspired @ All things Heart and Home

Wednesday Link Party @ Organize and Decorate Everything

Made it on Monday Linky Party @ Lark’s Country Heart

Inspiring Thursday’s @ Delightful Order

Tuesdays @ Two Maids a Milking

Sunday Showcase @ Under the Table and Dreaming, by Stephanie Lynn

2011-04-27T00:02:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!! I thought I would share my guest post over at Honeybear Lane with you today.
Cheers!

(Ed. note: posted April 24, on Honeybear Lane)
Hi everyone! I'm Terry, and I post all kids of crafts, decorating, furniture re-do's, cooking, recipes and lots of other stuff at Moss and Clover. When Heidi asked for volunteers to help her out by guest posting, I couldn't say no! As a mom to 4 kiddos and a pretty active family, I know how life can roll over us sometimes. And that's exactly why I'm here today!

I have an almost 4 year old little girl and 8 year old triplets (2 boys and one girl). The first thing we hear when people find out that we have triplets is:

"You must have your hands full!"

We like to answer back:

"That's just the way we like it!"

Here's my crew:

~~Crazy~~ Cute, aren't they?!?! ;o)

When the kids were a little over 2 years old, we noticed that one of the boys was behaving a little differently than his siblings. We didn't really think too much of it at the time. We thought maybe this was one of those "unique developments" that happened to multiples. And it wasn't anything unusual, really. He played alone quite a bit, didn't really speak much, but with 2 siblings who talked non-stop, how could he get a word in anyway?? He was sweet, kind, smart, funny and a beautiful child.

After the triplets started preschool, things started escalating. His teachers had no idea how to deal with him. He was so B O R E D in class!!!!! There was no challenge in preschool and no rewards for good behaviour. I spent many days with him at home instead of in school. It was frustrating, heartbreaking and honestly, I felt so angry.

Why couldn't they just try harder to help my son?

Why were they so quick to push him away?

Couldn't they see what a wonderful, loving, joyful boy he was?

We decided to have him tested for some speech issues he had, and at that assessment they saw his humor, his brilliant mind, his playfullness and also his need for special services. He was immediately moved to a new preschool with teachers who were able to help him and work with him in a much more caring environment. After one week of preschool classes, my son was talking a LOT!!! He was telling stories and coming to us with questions, information & requests! This was HUGE! It was also the beginning of our journey.

Over the next 2 years, we met with more physicians, went through additional testing, and finally received a diagnosis:

Pervasive Developmental Disorder: Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), and ADHD.

Finally, a diagnosis!

Finally, a road map & a plan!

Finally, yes finally, we had something to address.

I started doing a ton of research and I found that PDD-NOS is on the spectrum for autism. My son...my beautiful boy...has autism spectrum disorder. I was devastated! I didn't want to believe it, but there it was, staring me in the face. As my hubby and I struggled to wrap out brains around what we had learned, our sons behaviour was still amping up. We decided to medicate him for the ADHD.

Oh, how we agonized over that! I don't think I've cried so much in my LIFE! But, looking back, I know we did the right thing. We tell him that the meds "get his body out of the way, so his brain can be in charge". That's exactly what they do. They give me my son back, for about 10 hours a day. We can then deal with the autism, and the characteristics that we deal with are mild, compared to others. With autism, you can share a diagnosis, but the characteristics of this disorder differ from person to person. If you imagine a rainbow (or for you crafty ladies, a color wheel!) where each child has their own color on the rainbow, you begin to see how broad Autism Spectrum Disorders can be.

Sometimes I sit and cry, and I mourn the loss of a "normal" life. I mourn for my son, and for how hard he has to work to do things that come so easily to his siblings. I mourn for his brother and his sisters, and all the things they don't get to do, because it's too hard for their brother to deal with. I mourn for my husband and for me, and for the loss of what we had always dreamed we would have.

I cry and I get angry when his sisters and brother have more friends to play with than they do time to play, but he has no one asking him for a play date.
I cry and I get angry when I hear other children say that he's strange, because he doesn't act like they do.
I cry and I get angry when people give us dirty looks in the store; if only they realized that he's trying so hard to be good!
I cry and I get angry because I feel that time moves too slowly, and when they find a cure, or a treatment, it will be too late for my boy. For my family.

This is what it's like to be a family with Autism. Because Autism doesn't discriminate. It doesn't care who it takes. It is random and fickle and you never know it's coming. And there is NOTHING you can do to stop it. We're working on finding a cure, a treatment, a way to best this beast. But for now, all we can do is try to slip in, past the guards. Helping kids where we can, in whatever way we can.

April is Autism Awareness month; a chance to open up communication about what Autism is, how it effects everyone, and what each of us can do. And it's not just about educating people who are unfamiliar with autism, but it's also about helping families who have recently received an autism diagnosis**.
But, I can't leave you thinking that it's all gloom and doom at our home. Not in a million years. For you see, my baby also has an AMAZING sense of humor, an amazing heart, and he is -plain and simple- a funny, FUNNY kid! I will leave you with one of my favorite stories.
One day, when I was passing out goodnight kisses, my little man started kissing me over and over and over! I was laughing, and asked him what was up with all these amazing kisses? His answer:

"Mom, it's the weekend, we have to KISS WILDLY!!!"

Cheers!

**Autism Speaks is a great place to go to learn more about Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Easter Silhouettes

2011-04-25T09:13:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I showed you these cute silhouettes:

Aren't they sweet?????

I found these over at the Martha Stewart site. Now, I haven't mentioned this yet, but I am not a MS fan. Sorry....it's just the way it is. BUT, I know that she has some amazingly creative people working for her, so I do pop in occassionally to see what's up. ;o)

Start by getting the templates, found here. The instructions on the site were more complicated than I wanted to deal with; fabric, double stick sheets, exacto knives, etc. I wanted this to be simple and fast. I decided to print the templates on cardstock and cut them out.

I chose some papers I loved, first.

Then I printed the templates and started cutting!

Some of the papers I chose were regular weight, not cardstock. For the little characters, like the chick, I folded the paper over. For the rooster, I actually used 2 papers, taped together. Just be careful if you hold the paper as you cut, as it will shift on you.

I love how they all turned out and I love having some new decorations, too!!

Cheers!

Linking to these fab-o parties!

Keep it Simple Sunday @ The Tattered Tag

Organizing Mission Monday @ Organize with Sandy

Easter Table

2011-04-24T21:50:00.001-04:00

Happy Easter, everyone!!

I hope you had a wonderful, restful Easter Sunday. We were blessed to have some amazing friends over for dinner. It was our first time hosting a meal with friends since we moved to NY last year. I can't believe it! We normally host several dinners, parties and get-togethers each year, but with my darling Hubby being so sick, moving into a new place, and making new friends, it's been tough. I was ready to put the entertaining hat back on!

Here are some photos of my tables (one for the kids and one for the adults). I wanna warn ya now; there are a lot of pictures!! LOL!!

I found these polka dot napkins at Kohl's in their Valentine's clearance section: 4 for 99 cents!! They were perfect for my Easter table!!

This is one of my favorite bowls! It's depression glass, in the cherry blossom pattern.

Cute little bowls from the Target dollar section.

I made these little guys as egg rings. You can get the template here.

Cute little bunnies!!

This set always reminds me of Peter Rabbit!

I love this dogwood butter dish, too.

Oh!!! I adore these bowls!! They are very old, and I have two; one covered & one open.

I also have these sweet little cream and sugar bowls in the same pattern.

Okay....are you bored yet??? LOL! Here's some more.....

This was the kids' table, complete with a smile!

These little "flowers" were used to hold cupcakes and jelly beans!

Lovin' my Easter Tree!!

Check out the cute little silhouettes! I'll show you those later this week. :o)

This was my centerpiece for my Easter table. How cool is that??? We all loved it, especially the kids!!

So that's it! We're back in the saddle and ready for more entertaining, so if you're in the area, come on over!! ;o)

Cheers!!

Guest Post

2011-04-22T18:58:00.000-04:00

Hey, guess what? I'm guest posting over at Honeybear Lane today! Check it out!!

The Story of a Berry Thief

2011-04-22T10:55:00.000-04:00

My sweet Hubby reminded me last night that I haven't shared the story of my Little Berry Thief with you yet! Sorry.... :o)

The story starts with a trip to the grocery. The store was offering a free pint of blackberries if you purchased 2 pounds of strawberries. No problem! I was planning on making my Strawberry Cream Cake, so I needed the strawberries anyway. Blackberries are the Hubster's favorites, so I knew they would be well received.

When we got home I hid all the berries in the back of my produce drawer. My kiddos L.O.V.E. berries of all kinds, and they rarely last long, so hiding them is my best option. ;o)

Several days later, while I was cleaning up, I found this behind the couch:

Hmmm.......look like I didn't hide things very well.

I called to my little one, and asked if she knew what had happened to the berries.

Evidently my plan to keep her out of the 'fridge didn't work!

But according to her, they were very, VERY good!!

Cheers!

Winding Down

2011-04-21T17:51:00.000-04:00

What a week! Since the kids are on Spring Break this week, I've been trying to keep them entertained and out of the boxing ring and it hasn't been easy. My kids have been fighting like cRazy lately! It's been getting to be just about more than I can handle and by Monday night I was wondering how I was ever going to make it through the week!
I was taking a break, working through all the blogs that I read (ahem...those would be YOUR blogs, by the way ;o)) when I read this post over at Misty's Mornings. It really spoke to me, and reminded me that I need to be humble, to acknowledge my anger, then to get it under control. I want my kids to see positive examples of self management, and I also really want to be a child of faith. That's not going to happen if I'm snapping everyones head off!! LOL!

So I spent some time in prayer, and thought, and you know what? The rest of the week has been great! No one has changed their behaviour except me, but I'm okay with that! They're little kiddos yet, and they have a long way to go. But I might be reading Misty's post over and over again through the years!!

To fill the time this week, we've been going to Splash Week at our local YMCA. It's been fun, and has gotten us up and out and moving every morning. That is important around here, because with 6 homebodies living here, we can get land locked really fast!

I wanted to take pictures of my awesome kiddos and share with you, but I couldn't figure out how to do it without including the other billion kids in the pool! And I didn't really want to go running after all the parents to get permission to use their kids' images, and then explain my blog, and so on and so on.....whew!! So....no pictures. Sorry!

During our time at the pool, my older kids started asking questions about Easter. While my Little Berry Thief took her turn in the pool, the rest of us huddled up and talked. We talked about the cross, about Jesus, the tomb and what it all means. We talked about the guards, the disciples, the ladies who visited Jesus after his death. We talked about every little detail. Then we talked about it again. And again. And the next day....guess what they wanted to hear? Yup!

I was waiting for the ultimate question to come up, and sure enough, one of my kiddos finally asked it:

"Mom, why did Jesus have to die?"

Oh, baby...chokes me up every time. When I hear those words I'm reduced to a pile of emotion. Every time. They see it, because it's raw, and honest and I just can't hide it. But what do I say? I struggle to find the balance and the words. If I say too much they may shut down and stop listening. If I say too little, it becomes insubstantial and they won't realize how important this is.

I don't remember the words I used, or how I said it, but I guess it was good enough, because I didn't loose them. In fact, they wanted more.

"Mom, how can we show Jesus that we love him?"

Okay....tears flowing again! My kiddos can do it to me at the drop of a hat! But honestly....isn't that the question that runs through all believers? Shouldn't that be the question that guides us? At the heart of the Christian faith, isn't that what it's all about?

I am continually amazed and humbled by my kids, and I am always reminded of the scripture from Matthew 19:14b: "God's kingdom is made up of people like these."

So this Easter, I will let my children lead me into a renewed appreciation for the miracle that surrounds this day. And I will humble myself as a mom, as a believer, and welcome the gift of life that is mine today.

Cheers!

2011-04-18T13:59:00.002-04:00

It's spring break for us this week. Pretty much not looking like spring around here, and I'm not happy with that! I had big plans for this week. Plans that involved spending lots of time in the yard, at the park, walking the canal, riding bikes, weeding, planting, basically everything you can do outside. But as I look out my kitchen window, I see rain, sleet, snow flurries.....

SNOW FLURRIES?!?!?!

Umm.....Dear Lord, I love you, man, but really?

REALLY??!!??

This is the weather for our SPRING BREAK??

**sigh**

Fine....I get it....this is a chance for me to practice patience.

Okay, no problem, God, but I don't have to like it!! ;o)

Here, maybe this will help:

Strawberry Pretzel Squares

(Recipe adapted from Kraft Recipes.)

2 cups finely crushed pretzels

1/2 cup sugar, divided

2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

1-1/2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

2/3 cup heavy cream (or 1 c. thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping)

2 T. powdered sugar

2 cups boiling water

1 pkg. (6 oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin

1 cup cold water

4 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

Make It

HEAT oven to 350°F.
MIX pretzel crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Bake 10 min. Cool.
BEAT cream cheese, remaining 1/4 c. sugar and milk until blended. Add heavy cream and powdered sugar, beat on low until combined. Increase speed and whip until light and fluffly. (If using Cool Whip, beat cream cheese with 2 T milk, then fold in Cool Whip.) Spread mixture over crust and refrigerate.
ADD boiling water to gelatin mix in large bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water. Refrigerate 1-1/2 hours or until thickened (spoon drawn through leaves definite impression).
STIR berries into gelatin; spoon over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.

Options:

Prepare as directed with PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, fat-free milk and COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping.
Prepare using 2 pkg. (3 oz. each) JELL-O Strawberry Gelatin, or Sugar-Free gelatin.
Substitute 1 pkg. (20 oz.) frozen whole strawberries, sliced, for the fresh strawberries. Stir into gelatin mix along with the cold water. Refrigerate 10 to 15 min. or until thickened; spoon over cream cheese layer. Continue as directed.

Linking to:

Wednesday Link Party @ Organize and Decorate Everything

Made it on Monday Linky Party @ Lark’s Country Heart

Friday Flair @ Whipperberry

Great White!!

2011-04-16T10:46:00.016-04:00

Cue the trumpets, tympanies and horns!!!

Ta-Da!! Ta-Da!! Ta-Da!!

LOL!

**Note: I am having AMAZINGLY HUGE issues with Blogger right now, so if you are seeing this multiple times in your reader or email, I apologize most profusely!!! If, hower it looks just fine: YAY!!! ;o)

(Please ignore the toilet paper patterned wall paper, and instead, imagine board and batten!) ;o)

I distressed the edges and corners of the table, but I didn't do much more. I know that it will develop it's own marks and wear, so I'm waiting to see what the natural pattern will be before I add more.

Look at those gorgeous legs!!

I still have to attach the seat cushions to the chairs- I didn't have long enough screws! ;o)

But, that hasn't stopped us from enjoying our new table and chairs!

Looks like this chair needs a touch-up!

This is what they looked like when I got them. Big difference!!

I love the drop cloth seat cushions. They turned out so nice, and the color is perfect!!

The table has some really interesting textures.

Divots, dips, whorls.....they really lend character to the table top!

Thanks for being patient with my obsession!! LOL!!

To read about how I came to find this table and chairs, and the story of their transformation, click here.
I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Linking:

I’m lovin’ It! @ Tidy Mom

Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring

Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

Weekend Wrap Party @ Tatertots and Jello

Sunday Showcase @ Under the Table and Dreaming, by Stephanie Lynn