Lavender, Lace and Thyme

Fall

2009-09-24T07:43:00.005-05:00

I have missed you so much! I've thought about you and prayed for you all summer long....

It's hard to believe how fast the summer has gone by, the only evidence of fall I see here in Minnesota is a few falling leaves outside my window...the temperatures have been well above normal but that is about to change...so the weather man is telling me :)

So what have I been doing you may be wondering....digital scrapping! The picture above is my proof :)

I look forward to catching up with you!

Hugs,
Kathi :)

Mrs. Always Right

2009-08-06T18:54:00.009-05:00

Sister Kristi AKA Mrs. Always Right!

Recently, I was visiting Pennsylvania with some family members. This is one of my favorite pictures from our trip!

I am keeping very busy with work and visits this summer. I am thinking of you and keeping you close to my heart and prayers.

Hugs,

Kathi :)

Chocolate Eclair Cake

2009-07-20T19:40:00.008-05:00

This is my George's favorite dessert his Mother makes. It's very simple and delicious!

I have been so busy this summer! I find my days slipping by me so quickly. I think about each one of you and keep you close in my heart and prayers. It's been difficult deciding if I should blog or get things done :). I do try to stop by for visits when I can. Please know how much I care about each one of you!

Enjoy!
Kathi :)

Chocolate Éclair Cake

1- 1 lb box graham crackers

2 small packages french vanilla pudding

3 cups milk

8 oz carton cool whip

1 can chocolate frosting

On the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch pan line with whole graham crackers. Mix the pudding and milk with an electric mixer, beat at medium speed for about 2 minutes. Fold in the whipped topping. Pour half the pudding mixture over the bottom layer of graham crackers. Place another layer of graham crackers on top of the pudding mixture. Pour the remaining half of pudding mixture on top of the layer of graham crackers, then cover with a final layer of graham crackers. Frost the top with the can of chocolate frosting. Refrigerate for 24 hours and serve :)

Smore S'mores Please!

2009-07-08T08:35:00.023-05:00

Hershey's S'mores Sandwich Bar Cookies

I grew up camping and making s'mores. This morning I thought I'd peruse google to see what kind of pictures I could find. My Mother-In-Law makes wonderful brownie s'mores but I'd have to make them to show you, I will share at another time :)

Hershey had the above wonderful looking recipe, you can click on the link above to get the recipe.

Then I found these num-a-nums!

A young woman named Jaime at her blog Sophistimom
made these wonderful looking bars.

The following is from Jaime's blog!

These are the classic magic bars my mom used to make with a recipe she got from a can of condensed milk (I think it was Borden’s brand). With the graham crackers and chocolate, it always seemed obvious to vary the recipe to be like s’mores by replacing the coconut with mini marshmallows. But I’ll warn you — they’re very sweet. I usually make half the pan with 1 cup of marshmallows (which the kids prefer), and the other half of the pan with 1 cup of coconut (for the grown-ups).

magic s’mores bars

10 ounces (300g) graham crackers (18 whole crackers, or two cellophane wrapped stacks)
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 pinch of kosher salt
1 14 ounce can (400g) sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups (250g) semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups (I have no idea how much they weigh—just throw a couple of handfuls on!) mini marshmallows

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees Celsius). In a large resealable bag (or in a food processor), smash graham crackers until finely ground. Stir in melted butter and salt. Press into a 13×9″ pan. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven.
2. Sprinkle on chocolate chips. Drizzle can of condensed milk over graham crackers; follow with marshmallows.
3. Bake for 20 minutes more, until marshmallows are lightly browned. Let cool completely. I usually put mine in the freezer to make it go faster.

share and enjoy

Thanks Jaime for sharing you loved family recipe!

But wait...there's smore!

A college gal named Kim from Lovin From The Oven
made these nummies!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.
Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Makes 16 cookie bars.
Thank you Kim!

I hope you find time to visit each one of the above blogs, they have so much more to share!

Now that I've spent all my bloggie time gazing and sharing recipes I must get ready for work. I have missed each one of you and look forward to catching up with you!

Hugs,
Kathi :)

Independence Day

2009-07-02T09:45:00.011-05:00

In 1777, thirteen gunshots were fired, once at morning and again as evening fell, on July 4 in Bristo, Rhode Island. Philadelphia celebrated the first anniversary in a manner a modern American would find quite familiar: an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks.

wikipedia.org

From the American Revolution to 2009, Independence Day represents our countries struggles and accomplishments.

A special thank you to the men and women who have served our country to help make it what it is today.

How proud and Blessesd I am to be an American!
Kathi :)

Laughs

2009-06-16T07:38:00.001-05:00

Hoping your day is filled with fun and laughter!

Kathi :)

Patience

2009-06-14T07:38:00.014-05:00

When everything is going our way, patience is easily achieved....

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. Colossians 1:9-12

May your week be filled with patience

Blessings,
Kathi :)

Click on the picture for more Spiritual Sundays

Summer & Salads

2009-06-10T08:18:00.010-05:00

Doesn't this look like summer?

As I age, things tend to take longer to complete :)

Broccoli Salad
3 heads of broccoli, trimmed and divided into bite-size pieces
1 small red onion, small dice
6 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
1/2 cup cashews, pecans or sunflower seeds- roughly chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsps sugar
4 tbsps vinegar

I hope you are having a wonderful summer filled with much fun!
I think of you all the time and miss you terribly!
I hope to get back in the swing of things soon!

Kathi :)

Thinking

2009-05-26T06:17:00.002-05:00

Thinking of you!
Kathi :)

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T07:13:00.013-05:00

I am blessed to be able to celebrate my Mother.

Mother's Day and Carnations have had an association for a very long time because according to a Christian legend, this is the plant that sprung up when Jesus Christ's mother Mary shed tears of distress seeing her son enduring sufferings on the cross.

Anna Jarvis, in 1907, chose a carnation as the emblem of Mother's Day. Anna Jarvis distributed carnations in St. Andrew's Methodist Episcopal church in West Virginia. The white carnation is thought to be ideal for Mother's Day because according to Jarvis, whiteness stood for qualities like purity, faithfulness, fragrance, and love.

White carnations are associated with the sad feeling of mother being absent, either due to death or due to the distance that separates the mother and the child. Pink carnations symbolize the feelings of affection for a mother who is alive.

Happy Mother's Day!
Kathi

National Day Of Prayer

2009-05-07T09:33:00.004-05:00

President George Washington

National Day Of Prayer
58th Annual Observance
Thursday, May 7, 2009

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Praying you take time to pray today!
Blessings,
Kathi :)

Garage Sales

2009-05-06T07:27:00.015-05:00

Work, spring and garage sales are getting in the way!

I had to take a break from it all to attend several garage sales :)....I'm trying to be selective in what I purchase this year, this beautiful bench with storage is my big find! The young man at the sale told me it was his grandfathers, he kept it in his front foyer he shared with me. As the young man carried it to my car he shared how he had thought about taking it home, he seemed a little sad to be parting with it. I assured him it would be well taken care of at my home. My little bench is waiting for the perfect spot!

I'm thinking of you today!
Kathi :)

Flipping & Staging

2009-04-29T06:43:00.012-05:00

A while back I called sister Kelli to chat, I asked her what she was doing...."I'm watching flipper" she replied. "What? they brought flipper back? I watched that as a kid" I heard laughing "No, I'm watching HGTV".

I've always enjoyed an occasional show on HGTV, especially when it comes to the gardening shows. They rarely have those on any more, HGTV is dedicated to home shows.

Sister Kelli is a part-time flipper and stager, she's wonderful at it! I think she should just start a business herself some day.

What does this have to do with anything you may be wondering?

Just a little update on my kitchen.....my full time job is getting in the way of my progress not to mention the warmer weather. I struggle between what to get done during my extra hours.

Advice: never, ever hang wallpaper unless you want it there forever! I said goodbye to my cherished border after much labor.

I miss each one of you and plan to drop by for a visit!

A Wonderful Day!
Kathi :)

Coach Purses & Miter Saws

2009-04-23T06:07:00.001-05:00

Just in time for spring...

the new line of coach purses!!Coach
This is a steal at $358....
yeah! stealing someone's money!!
LOL!

Several days ago two women had gone shopping at a coach outlet store and came back to work with a new coach purse....they were so excited they had found such a wonderful deal! The coach purses were on sale for $118!!!! If only I could show my facial expressions here.....

I said wow! that's awesome....I just bought a new miter saw for $126!

I've been busy working in my kitchen! There's much work to be done, I'd forgotten how much time it takes to paint, cut molding and next there will be a new laminate floor!

Flowers you ask....sigh, that has to get done as well!

Have An Awesome Day!
Kathi :)

2009-04-13T18:52:00.006-05:00

Hello! I'm dropping in to catch up and let you know I am doing much better, thank you for your prayers, kind thoughts and words :).

I don't know about you but my days seem to be flying by so fast....spring is arriving and there's so much to be done!

Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.
Lillian Dickson

Make it a great day!
Kathi :)

Blessings........

2009-04-03T19:06:00.006-05:00

Greetings and blessings to all! My sister has taken a brief hiatus due to illness and other projects. I know she is thinking of all of you and will be surprised to see this post here! These are not the only reasons for this post! I drove by the flea market on my way home today to check the depth of snow, etc., where I have a small seasonal shop. We are set to open in just over a month so wanted to get a birdseye view on things. Although temperatures were only hovering around 30 degrees and we just received 12 plus inches of snow this week, I am trying to get myself motived.

Needless to say on the trip home on the winding backroads, there is much to see in the past several months since last fall. There are many small country churches, etc. and I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me when I came upon this Lutheran Church's message for the week. This happens to be one of my sister's favorite bible versus so I opted to turn around and take a couple pictures against the beautiful, crisp, "spring" sky! I think you'll agree it will warm many a heart, especially given the Easter Season.

Psalm 46:10:10 "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

My blessings to all of you this Easter Season.

Your Sister in Christ

~Sister Kelli~

UPDATE:
What a beautiful surprise sister Kelli! All week long I've been thinking what to write, how perfect this is. Yes, I need to Be Still for a while in my life. There is much to attend to these days. Each day I am getting better but it's has been a wakeup call to all the things I need to accomplish in life right now. I will post from time to time and most of all, I'd like to spend my extra time visiting you, my friends I've made on this wonderful adventure of blogging. I am always here so drop me a line if you want.

See you soon!
Hugs,
Kathi :)

Back In The Saddle Again!

2009-03-20T07:59:00.026-05:00

Fantastic time in Florida!

Can you imagine the joy I felt when I stepped off the plane from Minn-A-Snow-Ta to a perfect sunny day!

I settled in quickly and comfortably into cousin Jill's beautiful B&B :)

I marveled at the fresh fruit growing on trees everywhere I looked!

My heart sank when I had to pass up this beauty at a garage sale...
the asking price?
$10

I enjoyed a step back in time at a wonderful Amish Village!

Earth Box

I was like a little girl when we pulled up here :)

How can I fit one of these boxes in my suitcase?
Oh, you ship them :)

I met amazing new friends who can bake an authentic Latin flan.
Yes, I did get the recipe, I'll let you know how it turns out :)

Happy Friday!
Kathi :)

An Adventure

2009-03-04T08:01:00.006-06:00

Last weekend I took my granddaughter on an adventure...she doesn't care where we go as long as we go somewhere :).

Today I'll be heading out on my adventure to Florida!

My suitcase is packed! I hope it makes it through security :)

I hope I don't run into one of these :)

Until Next Week...
Have A Wonderful Day!
Kathi :)

Thank Goodness!

2009-02-26T06:38:00.008-06:00

Thank Goodness It's My Friday!

Thank you for dropping by to send me well wishes, it's amazing what some antibiotics can do! :) I appreciate you very much!!! Today is my Friday, I am driving n0rth to see my family but.....

A SNOW STORM is coming!

I'm looking forward to throwing some snowballs :) I'll be by to catch up with you!

Have A Fantastic Day! Hugs,
Kathi :)

Sick As A Dog

2009-02-23T09:17:00.021-06:00

I could hardly believe it! I was recovering nicely from my bout of stomach flu when suddenly this past Saturday I stated feeling a little.......

Tickle in my throat!

Then......

I started barking like a seal!!!!

So I started drinking....

mass quantities of orange juice....

and Jello

This morning I was going to see....

the doctor.....

Because next week I'm going to.....

Have A Wonderful Day!

Kathi :)

Green Thumb

2009-02-19T09:22:00.021-06:00

I'm getting out my green thumb and starting some seeds this year....I'm not sure if my green thumb is up to the task but it's worth a try.

I've spent a little time on google searching for idea's

I'm going to make some newspaper pots!

I found a video with instructions on E-How click here to watch the video :)

Next I'm going to search for my seeds :). Each year I buy seeds thinking I will plant them...I think it'll be a good test to use last years seeds in my little paper pots. Perhaps some of my basil and dill seeds then a few flowers, I'm thinking these little paper pots would be great for bulbs. Oh my, the mind....it can be a scary place :)

Each year I spend a lot of money on annuals, thankfully I save a lot of the pots they come in so I can recycle them. I'll still end up supporting my local plant shops so they can stay in business but I'd like to give this a try.

Have you ever tried paper pots?
I'd love to hear if you have :)

Have A Warm & Fuzzy Day!
Kathi :)

Spring!

2009-02-17T05:33:00.013-06:00

I've been thinking about spring....
no, not this kind of spring!

This Kind! :)

The beautiful smell of my lilacs....

Minnesota Lady Slippers.....

Precious Fox Gloves.....

Finally, My Roses....

31 days until it's officially spring!

I'd love to know what excites you about spring!

Have A Wonderful Day!
Kathi :)

Ten Commandments

2009-02-15T10:17:00.025-06:00

As a young girl I had to memorize the Ten Commandments, at the time I thought it was a horrible task to accomplish. As I've grown and matured I wonder why more young men and women aren't required to memorize them.

This past week on February 12th we celebrated Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday. Lincoln's mother was a godly woman who sat Lincoln upon her knees day after day reading scriptures to him, she encouraged Lincoln to remember them. Particularly, she encouraged him to memorize the Ten Commandments.

The ten commandments had a profound effect on Lincoln's life. He said whenever he was tempted to do something wrong, he could still hear his mother's voice saying, "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage . . . Thou shalt have no other gods before me . . . Thou shalt not steal . . . Thou shalt not kill . . . Thou shalt not bear false witness . . . " Abraham Lincoln became known as the most honest lawyer east of China.

Today there's a movement to remove all evidence of the Ten Commandments in America, I am thankful no one can ever remove them from my mind. Are you a parent or grandparent? I hope you take time to teach your children the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:1-18

Have A Blessed Day!
Kathi :)

Click on the picture for more Spiritual Sundays

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T07:15:00.014-06:00

The postman always rings twice when a package arrives at my door. I thought I'd share my Valentine gift that arrived from Mother Carol. She made the above Valentine, just like the old days! This year more than ever I was brought back in time when I went in search of Valentine cards to give. Ohh, they had cute scooby doo, sponge bob square pants but nothing cute like the times of past. There must be a real need to teach Mother's and children how to make Valentine's cards.

I couldn't help but smile as I looked at Mother Carol's packaging! I thought of the mail carrier who put the label on this bottle, and how many smiles it must have gotten by the time it arrived, yes this is how my gift arrived. It's a little dented but everything inside was perfect. I can't believe the post office actually allowed Mother to send this!!! Inside were cookies, chocolates and the cute Valentine you see!

Not everyone has a Valentine, perhaps you've lost your special Valentine. Today I am thinking of each one of you, wishing your day be filled with love and surprises!

Happy Valentine's Day
From My Heart To Yours!
Kathi :)

Mother Carol

2009-02-11T08:56:00.011-06:00

Mother Carol made it big yesterday! in her heart and mind anyway :)...she loves reading blogs, especially My Romantic Home. My Mother sent Cindy this beautiful lamp and made her wonderful blog yesterday! If you haven't stopped by to visit Cindy I hope you take time today...click here and you can read about Mother Carol and Cindy :).

Isn't this cute?!! Guess what it is, go ahead you'll never guess! :)

Mother Carol made this awesome t-shirt into a bag! She took two t-shirts, sewed them together, sewed the bottom and there you have it! Sounds easy doesn't it :)...my Mother is one of the most creative women I know. I am truly blessed to have her as my Mother!

Have A Wonderful Day!

Kathi :)