Picture Frames

I love decorating picture frames! It adds a little extra flare to some otherwise dull frames. I ALWAYS get them cheap, whether on a Goodwill Hunting adventure, a yard sale, or hand-me-downs. 

Here is just ONE simple idea to easily transform a plain frame. 

For this make-over, I used some decorative stones (usually used to fill a vase or fish bowl type thing) 

some handy dandy tacky craft glue

some times I glue in a pattern...sometimes I just randomly put em on there...

your design...your rules

add some shells if thats your thing...

Be sure to let the glue dry before setting up right...

OTHER IDEAS...

NEXT FRAME PROJECT: Lace and other pretty little things :)

Goodwill Hunting 1.26.13

uuggghhhh...I have an addiction. An addiction to Goodwill. Why does it have to be right next to the grocery store?? And why does there have to be TWO within a 10 minute driving distance? aaaahhhh...

At least I can say I spent more on the kids today...

All paper back books are $1.50...hard covers are $2.50

My kids are just as big pirate freaks as i am...

Pirate piggy bank... $1.99

Another cool picture frame for $1.99 (which I decorated in my next blog)

aaaaand of course, some new books for my library

Goodwill Hunting 1.25.13

Today was a mental f**k sort of day, so logically, I needed some retail therapy. What is my favorite place for retail therapy? That's right...Goodwill!

I think my favorite find for the day was this awesome picture frame. It is perfect for a future craft project. 

Kinda bummed that I only found one book to add to my library today, but at least its interesting...(kinda thought it would be punny to add the 'fish' bottle opener I found to this pic)

and of course...my redneck hooker tank...

The Babe came with me this time and found me a reading light for when we are in bed! LOVE

and this really cool mug, which I am totally jealous of...

You never know what you will find at a Goodwill...people get rid of the most random things (and we of course buy them!)

Wake Up! Enlightenment is Happening!

I believe you will never be truly happy unless you know and accept who you are and then find your place in this universe. Life is not about materialistic bullshit. (Are YOU keeping up with the Kardashians?) I believe our true purpose in life is to embrace and utilize whatever creativity we have, to better the universe.

2013 is the year. I believe that we entered into the Age of Aquarius as of the end of the Mayan Calendar. They charted the stars thru to the end of an age. The Age of Enlightenment. Halleluiah!! I am officially over all the bs of the UN-enlightened. And seriously, my "DING, lights are on!" moment encompassed a great many things. I truly hope that more people come to their own 'enlightenment' soon. Like really wake up. UNfortunately, people will not 'wake up' until they are ready to receive new open-minded information.

Want to know more? 

Here are three things that have been life changers for me:

A. Depression levels are so high throughout the world. Why? Because the voices in our head are LOUD, we dont always know how to turn them off, and psychology without astrology sucks. This is how I put my depression in check:

• 1st. I read my Natal Chart. Did you know that there is more to your 'sign' than just your sun sign? (In my case, Capricorn.) Each planet in our solar system has a different affect on your personality, from your heart, to thought process, and even how you might be in the sack. The following link will take you to a place where you can enter your birth info, and get an astrological breakdown on the basics of you. Click Here.
• 2nd. I just discovered the 12 Houses in astrology...that's nerd speak for the voices in your head. This is a little more complicated to figure out. But you can Click Here to see a description of the Sun sign thru the 12 Houses. There will also be links in the right hand column to see how the other planets affect you in each of the houses. Want to know more?  Come back later for a blog post dedicated to the houses!

 Reading those things about myself, awakened something in the compass of my brain.

B. Next on my path to enlightenment would have to be watching the Zeitgeist movement documentaries. Out of the 3, I believe the Zeitgeist Addendum is the most important.  Use a movie night, if you have to, to watch this 2+ hour documentary that should blow your mind.


C. Last on my path, for today's blog anyway, I realized that the universe is all energy. We are all energy. All forms of energy affect other forms of energy.  Learn to tap into the energies of the universe correctly, and any thing is possible.

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chicken

Mmmmm....drooooooooool.....

This is a simple recipe and takes about 30 minutes of prep work followed by 30-45 minutes of cook time.

Ingredients:
1 3lb bag of thawed chicken breasts.
1/2 bag of frozen broccoli florets, chopped into 1/4" sized pieces.
Shredded cheese ( I like cheddar for this one)
2lbs of bacon
Honey
Deli mustard
toothpicks

Makes 6ish. 

Step 1: Preheat oven to 425. (Ive tried 400 in the past, but the chicken gets done before the bacon browns. No bueno).

Step 2: Beat the hell out of the chicken breasts to make them thin. (This is an excellent source of aggression release). Typically, I put the chicken breasts in a ziplock bag, one at a time, and then whack it with my rolling pin until the chicken is 1/4"ish thick.)

sorry...I didnt think about taking pictures of these next few steps. Maybe next time :)

Step 3: Take chicken out of the bag and lay flat on you work surface (NON wood...e-coli is nasty stuff). Grab a 1/4 handful of broccoli and a 1/4 handful of cheese. Place in center of flattened chicken.

Step 4: Now this is the tricky part. You kinda have to roll/fold/hold chicken together, and then wrap one piece of bacon around it at a time. After each rotation of the bacon around the chicken, stab concoction with a toothpick to hold it in place. ( In the picture I used wood skewers cut in half because I was out of toothpicks). Continue wrapping your chicken with bacon until its covered. About 3 pieces...or 4. mmmm. bacon. Repeat process for the rest of the chicken breasts. (you should have a few pieces of bacon left over for breakfast the next day)

Step 5: Place wrapped chicken in ungreased 10x13 baking dish.(You'll probably need 2)

Step 6: In small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of deli mustard and 1/4 to a 1/3 cup honey. ( I like it when its more clear than mustardy looking...and I always eyeball it.) Use a bbq brush, or sauce brush, to lather on your yummy little glaze concoction. I like the whole thing to be covered.

Step 7: Stick that dish in the oven and bake it till the bacon turns that yummy color of cooked bacon. Usually 20-25 minutes.

Step 8: Take dish out of oven, remove toothpicks, flip the chicken, and coat bottom side with the rest of that honey mustard glaze. If you ran out during Step 6, make MORE!

Step 9: Repeat Step 7.

Step 10: Take it out of the oven and eat!

DroooOOoooOooOl!

This recipe can be used with other things like, stuffing it with mozzarella and basil then coating with bread crumbs and marinara. Or, as a friend suggested, use feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, and spinach, then wrap in bacon. Be creative. Possibilities are endless :)

The Adventures of Captain Save-A-Ho!

The thought occurred to me recently that some things in life are just plain ol' satisfying...towing people when they are stuck is one of them. Then upon further reflection, I realized I flat out like to help people. Considering the fact that I am more than adept at the basic needs of motor function and I have a basic need to be of service...why not set out to intentionally do just that?

And thus... Captain Save-A-Ho was born. I have decided that, at minimum, once a month I will drive around and search for people with car trouble. Change their tire...give em a gallon of gas...some water in their over-heated radiator...tow them out of the mud...whatever. Last night, I bought me a tool bag and gathered some basics I already had to fill it. No business cards...no handing out numbers...just random acts of kindness. The only thing I ask in return is that you pay it forward...

To be or not to be...a parent.

I figure that if the children are alive when I get home, I've done my job. ~ Roseanne Barr

 

Reflecting on my experience as a mom arouses so many deep rooted emotions that are sometimes hard to swallow or even acknowledge. I was definitely not ready to be a mom at 19... I didnt have much direction from my parents on how to be a responsible adult, let alone be a mom. I can still remember the sheer look of disappointment on their faces when I told them the news and how I felt marked with that scarlet letter of shame. Not much changed out in public while a baby was toting around a baby...grocery stores, doctors visits...friends.

The day I had my oldest,  I put on a big smile and happy face for all the visitors that came and went, but I remember not wanting to hold him and not having any emotional connection to him at all. This made me feel guilty because instinctively I knew that this thing was supposed to be the love of my life. He was a part of me...the fruit of my loins, but I somehow resented the very fact that he was there. That night, after everyone was gone and it was just me and him, I forced myself to hold him...to inspect him...to soak in the miracle before me. Tears began to stream down my face as the warmth of love I felt for this tiny little creature filled my heart.

It is a very weird emotional dilemma to have unconditional love for a child and have the desires to dick around like the rest of your friends. On the outside, you portray enthusiasm to be the best mom ever and prove every one wrong on the baby raising babies theory, but on the inside, you are tormented on the life lost and the adventures not taken with your premature responsibility endeavor. (The funny part is...I never realized that this was how I was feeling until years down the road.)

I didnt just stop there. Nooooo! I did it again and was knocked up on my 21st birthday. While all my friends were out getting legally shit-faced on their birthdays, I was at home, sitting on the couch stuffing my face with junk food cravings. Oddly enough tho, I was in love with being pregnant with my daughter. There was some sort of extra estrogenized hormone therapy going on inside that gave me delight. After she was born tho...depression was starting to sink back in. Maybe not depression...maybe just resentment that kept me from fully engulfing them with love. I didnt neglect them, mind you...they had food, baths, diapers changed, affection and other essentials...my mind was just always on me. How MY needs werent being met yet these little shits got all of theirs... LOL. maaaaan...so selfish! 

I had my third at 24. Having a baby, at this point, was kind of routine. I didnt have to learn how to change a diaper or make a bottle or support the neck...because now it was all so engrained. But ooooh holy shit...having 3 kids is insane ( i cant imagine having more). They ALL need your attention ALL of the time. While I did love each of them and tried to be good by them, I still felt so detached. I hadnt quite figured out how to juggle parenthood and find my place in society. I neglected myself and my needs. Hell...I didnt even know who myself was nor what the hell I needed! I was completely lost. 

Then...life drastically changed. Enough was enough with my love life (an entirely different chapter in my book)  and I became a single mom of 3 in '08. It was like I suddenly woke up and saw outside the box for a change. Finding the compass I so desperately needed soon followed...