Thankful Thursdays

The five things I'm most grateful for today are (drumroll, please!!!)...

5. An apartment!  We resigned our lease today...lucky for us, this place is not really in demand, so they hadn't filled the apartment yet.  Hey, whatever works.  While it's not my favorite choice, it's the choice we've made, and I'm feeling good about it...and now we don't have to worry about packing up and moving, or the costs involved, which means I can go on Paul's trip to Norfolk with him for a while without having to worry about moving in the middle of all of it!

4. Friends' blogs.  As hard as things are sometimes, and as lonely as I feel, you just never know when a friend is going to post something that is really more an answer to your prayers than anything else in the world!  Yesterday, TWO friends posted thoughts that just sort of helped me refocus a little and put a few things into perspective while still validating my feelings.  One of them shared a story about her little boy who wanted a "do over" of the day because he left his teddy bear at home and it just sort of put everything out of whack.  She and her hubby had a talk with him about how time moves FORWARD and so must we.  Wow, did I need to hear that, or what?  I've been living with regrets from the past a LOT and I just need to chalk it up to a bad day, learn from it, and move on.  The second friend posted about forgivenes--of herself and others--and about her trust issues of the Lord.  She said that she knows Heavenly Father is always right, and He's working in her life, but she doesn't really trust Him to take the reigns because she is afraid of getting hurt.  I SO RELATE TO THIS!  It really helped me put words to some of the things I've been feeling lately, and talking it all over with Paul helped even more.  So, long story short, I'm grateful for you people who post your experiences and thoughts about your own lives because it always helps me learn a thing or two, too.  And feel way more connected.

3. Speaking of human connections!  I'm SO GRATEFUL today that--while I still do spend a lot of time online in blogs and facebook--I'm not living vicariously through those mediums.  I DO have a life and a mind of my own.  We just watched the movie Surrogates last night, and MAN ALIVE did it spark some deep thoughts in me about what technologies I--and our whole society--hide behind.  It made me want to unplug everything for a while and just talk to Paul.  :)

2. I'm SO grateful for those naturally cheerful people in the world who do things like THIS BLOGGER/PHOTOGRAPHER does all. the. time.  I really do love to laugh (who doesn't?) and the video at that link just made me giggle all day long yesterday! 

1. I'm especially grateful that (knock on wood) Voodoo is finally starting to show some signs of learning to be housebroken.  At least, she now knows that it is bad to go in the house (that doesn't always stop her!) and we're down to one accident a day, if that.  I was super stressed out having to clean up after her all day long and not knowing what I was doing wrong--I was following everyone's advice online and NOTHING was working for weeks and weeks.  If she can get completely housetrained before Cerene takes her back, then there would have been a point to her being here!  Also, I'm thankful that she's learning some cool tricks--she's pretty solid on the whole sit and beg thing, and mostly on "down"...I can get her to crawl and roll over about 75% of the time, too, as long as she's not TOO hungry--then she just lunges for the food in my hand!  We've also started on "come" and "stay," which she's really bad about.  But there's progress!  And not too shabby for only having her a few weeks, really.  So I'm grateful...grateful to have her around, and grateful to be able to serve a little in such a fun way!

Why I Believe Wednesday: The Comforter

I've been kind of an emotional wreck all week.  I seriously have been crying several times a day and I just feel really, really confused and disappointed and frustrated and regretful and angry all at once about my life.  Paul and I have been in the process of planning to move to Chicago at the end of next month.  It was going to be glorious--getting OUT of this place and ON with our lives, all that jazz.  Long story short, some things have transpired (and some things HAVEN'T transpired) that have caused us to rethink our life plan for the next year, and it looks like we may be staying here, after all.  Of course, with less than a month's notice, finding a place is difficult, anyway, and especially so with our over-25-pound dog (seriously? What does it matter if they're a larger dog or smaller one?  What REALLY matters is if they're chewers or not, if they're a "dangerous breed," and if they're housetrained...our 55-pound puppy is waaaaay less destructive and mean than many 15-pound dogs.  But that's a debate for another day.)

I really wanted to go to Chicago this summer.  I don't even like Chicago that much, but I just wanted a fresh start, like we all need once in a while, and doing it in a big city with the comfort of family close by just felt kinda great.  I have been feeling trapped, invisible, and all around unhappy living in my hometown, and I thought that moving meant moving on.  And I still do think that.  And even though we'll only be staying here one more year and THEN going to Chicago (we haven't lost the dream, just changed the timeline of it), when I think about how LONG and HARD this last year was for me, I pretty much break down at thinking about having to go through it all again.  I love our ward, but it's SO HARD to find real friends when you don't have kids or a husband who's in grad school.  And not working hasn't helped my self-esteem or my sanity or our money problems at all.  Now, I'm sure I'll find a substitute teaching job or something for next year, but it's not quite the vision of me teaching and Paul working full-time so we can be saving money for Paul's return to schooling that we had hoped.  And this morning, we realized that in all the hustle and bustle of trying to scrounge up an apartment in a month (which I'd have to pack up, sign a lease to it, and move on my own because of Paul's upcoming business trip so he can get the promotion that has us in such a whirl), it really just made economic sense to stay in this very apartment--the apartment I loathe, not because of space but because of the management and maintenance people--which just made me bawl all over again.

This comes a day after hard fasting for both of us.

The strange thing, and the really great thing, is that even in the midst of my utter despair and confusion and worry and heartbreak and frustration, I also feel this really out-of-place sense of peace.  I know that no matter what we decide, and no matter what roadblocks are in our way, and no matter what we or other people think or say or feel about it, we will be okay.  Maybe it's not what I want, but since when is that new?  And, whatever happens, we will just have to face it, together, and make the best out of it.  As long as we're honestly trying our best to do the right thing, and to be wise stewards over what we have, the Lord won't let us fail.  We WILL go to Chicago next summer.  And we've figured a few things out this time around--mostly through our own mistakes, and also just because--that will make moving in a year that much easier for us, so I can just chalk this all up to a learning experience and move on. 

Maybe it won't be what I wanted.  But maybe it'll be even better.  Or maybe it won't, but it'll still be okay.  You never know.  As long as there is life, there is hope.  That is very comforting, and comforting is just ONE of the many roles of the Spirit.  I know I'm only keeping it together because of that Spirit.  And that is why I believe.

10 Things Tuesday: Cereal Boxes

I'm a fan of recycling, but while recycling is great for conserving limited materials, and cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions, there is some debate as to the financial or energy benefits of it.  Not to mention that many things are not as recyclable as they appear--especially plastics.  We learned in my EAS class at Purdue that chances are good that, even if your recycling center accepts plastics above 1 or 2, they still throw out 3 and above because they either aren't recyclable at all or the recycling costs are too great.  Of course no matter the energy or monetary costs, recycling is better for the environment than just throwing it in a landfill.  So recycle what you can...but reducing and reusing are much more important!  The three Rs are a hierarchy!  Reducing is preventative, and best, and fairly self-explanatory.  But reusing is where the creative part of my mind starts to play...

So, I've decided to have a weekly post where I can celebrate "reusing" by posting fun ideas for reusing your trash, kind of like my 10 Things to Do with Wooden Cubes post, but with common trash.  Some will be silly, some will be pretty, and some will be kid-oriented.  Some I'll have found online, and others will come straight from my brain.  I'm not saying you have to go and do every single thing, but enjoy my lists, and maybe you'll get inspired and have something fun to share/add to the brainstorming...and we'll all make Mother Earth a little happier in the process!

10 Things to do with: Cereal Boxes

(in no particular order)

10. Use it as a gift box!  We just used all our cereal/pasta/food boxes as rectangular gift boxes at Christmas...the larger cereal boxes are just as good as the garment boxes you can buy!  If you want to get REALLY fancy, you can cut and paint and design them to be prettier, like the patterns found HERE.

9. Make magazine racks/holders, or baskets!  For magazine holders, just cut off the top, then cut the sides down at a slant, and paint/cover with fabric/use fancy duct tape around it!  For baskets for your shelves, lay it on its side and cut off the wide top, then decorate with whatever materials are on hand...or, get REALLY fancy and cut into strips and weave them together into a real basket!

8. Make cereal box journals...or, cover it with fabric or pretty scrapbooking paper if you don't want the cereal box to show through.  Our ward did this at craft night with those small pads of paper...just make a folded rectangle long enough to go behind, on top, and over the pad of paper, and decorate with craft items!

7. Make stencils!  While freezer paper or Silhouette stencils are everywhere in the craft-blogging world, you can make fun stencils for the kiddos (especially the younger ones) by freehanding or tracing a few fun shapes and cutting them out with an exacto knife.  For really young kids, stick with the basic geometric shapes, but you can also do trains, or silly faces, or sports themed ones...whatever your kids like!

6. Of course, who hasn't made a cereal box city or house or garage or SOMETHING when they were younger?  This classic, FREE craft/toy was fun for me until I was like 13.  Seriously.  Between cereal boxes and miniature things from The Sugar Plum Shop, we had a whole dollhouse for our Thumbellina and Polly Pocket dolls for YEARS.

5. Get educational!  Use those cereal boxes for dioramas, or for a fun book report project!  I loved doing stuff like this with my students, and it really reinforces a lot of the things they'll learn in school...and there's no age limit to this!

4. If you get kids' cereals, where they have mazes, games, etc. on the back, then cut them out and keep them in a manilla folder for a rainy day!  But don't waste those fronts--cut out smallish rectangles and use them as postcards, or, if you want to go smaller, mosaic tiles!  Or, make a fun puzzle tailored to your kids' ages, and put the pieces in an envelope or baggie tucked away for a fun day!

3. Make a pretty purse/handbag/church bag for your darling daughter--complete instructions HERE!

2. Make Cereal Box Sandals!  (I'm not sure I'd wear them outside, if at all, but they'd be adorable as decorations or party invitations!)

1. At Halloween (one of my favorite holidays, especially for decor), make some cereal box gravestones, or some awesome Halloween heads like the ones below!  If it's NOT Halloween, use the sturdy cardboard as a base for fancy doorknob hangers...they can be decorated for anyone, any time of the year!

Hope these pictures and ideas *spark* your creativity!  Let's not throw away a single cereal box anymore--there is ALWAYS something you can do with it!  Linking up HERE!

Mmm...Monday: No Recipe Donuts!

I got this great "recipe," if you can even call it that, from Moms of All Trades.  I don't even like donuts, or using my deep fryer, but these looked soooooo good and easy I just had to give them a try! 

All you do is take a can of refrigerator biscuit dough, any brand, and cut the biscuits--either cut out the middle and make donuts, or cut it into pieces for donut holes (I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter for the insides of my big donuts, and then I just used the top of an empty medicine bottle to cut small holes--in the original, she used the top of a water bottle!).  Then, deep fry until golden brown--about 2-4 minutes.  Sprinkle with some cinnamon and sugar, or roll them in some powdered sugar, and that's it!  It's THAT easy.  And, I have to tell you...I could eat those every morning.  But I won't.  But I could.  :)

Puppies are Playing!

This is kinda a big deal, because Obsidian (the big one) hasn't really liked Voodoo until recently...and even then, today is the first day they've SHARED anything!  And as soon as she realized she had a new playmate who would play with the rope anytime (unlike us), Obi has been very gentle--she could just trample Voodoo and take it away if she really wanted.  :)  I'm one happy "mama" this evening!

Now that they've got this figured out, they haven't really stopped playing this all night...at least, not for long.  :)  Happy Sabbath, friends!

Sunday Thoughts

Today in primary Paul taught a lesson about the unmerciful servant and the importance of forgiving others completely and wholly.  I have to admit, I'm the kind of girl that can hold a grudge.  I don't really worry about anything you say or do until we're really close, but once we are, once you have my trust, boy, you'd better not betray that or we will have some issues!  I've been feeling really strongly lately that some of my anger/frustration/depression issues are related to this fact, and I've been working really hard on forgiving a handful of people who have hurt me deeply in the past...starting with the easier ones, of course, and working my way up to the harder ones.

Then, in sharing time, we talked about the Holy Ghost, or the Spirit of God, and what it does for us.  Something I've always loved about the Spirit is that it does pretty much every good thing--it has many, MANY roles.  Sometimes it comforts us, and sometimes it chastens us.  Sometimes it helps us learn something new, and sometimes it helps us remember what we've already learned.  Sometimes it lets us know what the Lord wants, and sometimes it just works us through what we want and helps us discern the options available.  Sometimes it is a warm, fuzzy feeling, and sometimes it is an inspired thought, and sometimes it is excitement.  Sometimes it warns us, and sometimes it cleanses us.  Sometimes it is a whisper, and sometimes it's a 2x4--so clear and powerful it's practically a voice.  All our spiritual gifts come by the Spirit.  Really, everything in this life comes down to the Spirit. 

I remember one time for a BYD our bishop had a bunch of words written on index cards--some said things like candy, money, or entertainment, some had basic needs like food and shelter.  Most had gospel-related words, like prophets, scriptures, testimony, etc....and one had the spirit.  One by one we had to eliminate a card until we had the single most important thing...and, you guessed it, after much difficult deliberation and debate, we finally picked the Spirit.  It turns out we were right--just read 3 Nephi 19:9, or Mosiah 4:2-3.  It's THAT important.  :)

When we were asked to share personal experiences with the Spirit, though, I sort of drew a blank.  It's not that I haven't had them!  I just couldn't remember.  So I need to record those things and think about them often--and especially work towards having more RECENT promptings.  Most of my stories come from 6 or more years ago!

Focus and Days of the Week

This is not a craft blog, or a recipe blog, or a family blog, but a CELESTE blog.  It is all the parts of me rolled up into one.  Sometimes I feel like I should apologize for that, but, why?  Yes, you get an ecclectic compilation of foods, crafts, spiritual impressions, and family pictures, but we ALL have many interests, and that's okay.

But sometimes I worry that I'm focusing too much on one part or another...or that in putting up what I DO almost every day, I'm still not putting enough out there of who I AM.  And since the purpose of this blog is a journal of sorts, what future generations will want to know about is ME, every bit.

So, to add a little focus and a little balance (and to save you from days and days of endless craft and recipe ideas), I'm dividing up the days of the week.  My new posts will be:

Spiritual Sundays (impressions, spiritual recollections, peaceful thoughts and quotes and inspiration)
Mmmm...Mondays (recipes)
10 Things Tuesdays (mostly recycled craft ideas, but maybe once in a while I'll just throw in ten random things instead!)
Why I Believe Wednesdays (for that mid-week spiritual recharge)
Thankful Thursdays (posts of things I'm grateful for, especially that week, however small or great...because gratitude is something I need to work on)
Family Fridays (summaries of FHE, family gatherings, date nights, pictures of family events, etc.)
Show Off Saturdays (where I get to show off pictures, crafts I've done, things I've written, accomplishments of the week I'm most proud of, or whatever else I may need to feel good about myself again after a long, hard week.)

Hopefully this will help me put a little more of ME into these ramblings, and still provide a creative outlet and motivation for all my free time. 

Fruit Pops!

I have been in a popsicle mood all summer long so far...probably because it's been so stinkin' hot! But as we've been making our way through the ice pops FROM OUR WEDDING, I wasn't feeling too hot about basically drinking kool-aid all day...if I'm going to be consuming large quantities of white sugar, there had better be chocolate involved!  When we were little, we used to make orange juice and grape juice pops.  That was a step in the right direction.  But when my friend told me you could use the whole fruit, well, I've been hooked ever since...and I get to put our popsicle molds to use, guilt-free!  (Not to mention, desserting on fruit is sooooo nice, and gets our diet a little healthier!)

Our strawberry banana pops...sorry, the color is so weird!

All you need for these little wonders are fresh or frozen fruit (thawed), peeled.  You CAN use canned fruit, but (a) make sure you really drain the liquids from it first or you'll have a weird separation in your popsicle, and (b) you'll sacrifice a bit of flavor.  Mash/puree them in a blender or food processor until it's like a babyfood texture.  Then pour them in your popsicle molds and freeze for a few hours, and enjoy!  I've found that the easiest way to get them out of the molds is to turn the molds upside down and run hot water all over the bottom for about 20-30 seconds--then just gently pull the stick down and it should pop right out!

I have to admit, with the berries I add a spoonful of sugar, because they are super tart.  Otherwise, though, these are plenty sweet on their own.  We've tried a few of our favorite fruits so far--strawberries, strawberry-banana, mango, mango-banana, peach, and watermelon...I'm hoping to make a kiwi blend sometime soon, and blueberry pommegranate, as well as figure something magical out for plums.  The bananas really stick out and make the whole thing more...smoothie-textured, so just add a few slices (I had one banana for two large mangoes).  AND, if you want to make more of a smoothie FLAVOR, you can add vanilla yogurt to the blender before freezing...I'm thinking a natural orange creamsicle flavor would be DELISH. 

Mango Banana pops!

YUMMY, healthy, and cheap dessert that will keep you cool all summer long!  I think it's our new summer tradition!

Linking up HERE!

Mint Melon Salad

I'm not a huge fan of melons (except a nice, big watermelon on the Fourth of July!), but on a hot summer day there is nothing I want more than this salad!  The cool, sweet melons, the refreshing mint, and the honey-citrus-sweet onion vinaigrette really quench your thirst and make you salivate at the same time.  Since we'll probably only have a few family dinners left (assuming we move), I just HAD to make this for dinner tonight!  It's super easy, but balling a melon is more time-consuming than I thought, and then you have to cool it in the fridge for a while, so make it a few hours early!  But I LOVE my tiny (less-than-$3) melon baller, because it's got a wedge blade that makes the watermelon rind look fancy.  :)

Mint Melon Salad

Ingredients:
1 seedless watermelon (average size...about twice that of the other melons)
1 honeydew melon
1 cantaloupe
***
1/4 c. lemon juice (or lime juice)
1/4 c. honey
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. Vidalia onion, chopped finely
2 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped finely

Directions:
1. Cut in cubes or ball with a melon baller half of the watermelon and the whole honeydew and cantaloupe.  (I like to put the watermelon in a bowl, then scrape out the extra fruit so I can use the melon as a bowl...put half in the melon and half of the other melons in the bowl, and the other halves in the melon rind...this will make mixing easier later.)
2. Whisk together lemon/lime juice, honey, and olive oil until the honey dissolves.
3. Add it the chopped sweet onion and fresh mint, stirring well.
4. Pour lemon-honey vinaigrette over the melons and stir well.
5. Refrigerate a few hours before serving.

You can save the other half of the watermelon for eating, or make some fresh fruit pops or another mint melon salad in a few days!  Enjoy!

Linking up HERE!

Crocheted Basketweave Placemat

Check out that texture!

Note: for this post, you will need to know how to do a basic basketweave stitch, or at least front and back post double crochets. 

These were made using a size H hook, with 4-ply acrylic yarn (makes them extra sturdy).
ch: chain
st: stitch
sc: single crochet
dc: double crochet
hdc: half double crochet
fpdc/bpdc: front post/back post double crochets


Chain 60.
Row 1: In third ch from hook, dc across.  (58)  Chain 2, turn.
Row 2-4: *4 fpdc, 4bpdc* Repeat across. (56) At the end of the row, do a half double crochet into the end post.  Chain 2, turn.
Rows 5-7: *4 bpdc, 4 fpdc* Repeat across. (56)  At the end of the row, do a half double crochet itno the end post.  Chain 2, turn.

Continue on this way, with 3 rows of one (what I call a block) and then 3 rows of the alternate, until it's as high as you want (mine were 8 blocks high, through row 25).

Final Row: SC across (58).  Finish off and weave in ends.

That's it!  Make as many as you need, in whatever colors you choose...and don't forget to make matching napkin rings with your leftover yarn!  :)  Enjoy!

Simple Crocheted Button-Up Napkin Rings

Coming up with a simple button-up napkin ring pattern was easy, and I love it most of all because I can adapt it to any color scheme and any theme with fun buttons!  Also, if you need it to be longer or wider, you can do that easily...here are a few pictures to get you excited!

Simple Napkin Rings

Chain 16, turn.
Row 1: In second ch from hook, sc across row.  (15)  Chain three, turn.
Row 2: Depending on the size of your buttons, double, triple, or quadruple crochet (etc.) across.  I did triple crochets.  (15)  Chain 1, turn.
Row 3: Single crochet across.  (15)  Fasten off and weave in ends.

Sew a button on the second post in (in row 2) from one end, on the right side.  You can then button it in between any two posts from row 2 to secure. 

Et voila!  I told you it was easy!

Father's Day

We're not really parents, but sometimes our dog(s) feel like kids!  And since I firmly believe that parenthood is a doctrine, and that all women are mothers of children, it only makes sense that Paul is a father of children.  So while I didn't really go all out, there were a few little surprises for him.  :)

A small, surprise message:

A card:

Getting their pawprints was NOT easy!

And a special treat:

Homemade mango-banana pops!  (His two favorite fruits!)

When we're really parents, I'll get him a gift, too.  :)

Charissa, Paul, and our friend Dan and I got to make a few cookies and bring them over to Dad's and chat with the family for a while.  When we got back, I made a late dinner--Black Bean Salsa Pasta, one of our new favorite recipes.  It was a nice, laid back Sunday!

Pay It Forward Gift #4 and Final!

I finished my final pay it forward gifts last night!  Here's the complete table set for Lindsey...I just need to go buy a few white daisies to put in the vase, and voila!  Instant springtime any day of the year!  I'm kinda proud, so I'll just let the pictures and the beautiful, bright colors do all the talking, and post the patterns for the napkin rings and placemats in a different post.  :)  (They're HERE!  I now have the napkin ring pattern and the placemat pattern up for you to use, free of charge!)  Enjoy this feast for the eyes!

My daisy-buttoned napkin rings!

A close-up of one of them.

The small hurricane vase and vase cozy that will soon hold white daisies and tie everything in together!

The basketweave placemats, with her favorite color ever on top!

Pile of napkin rings and vase cozy.

The whole set, minus the daisies that will be in there TONIGHT!

Another view

Another view

Another view, with MY daisies (that were my inspiration, colorwise) in the background!

Add the daisies, and voila!  Finished!

I sure do love Lindsey, and I hope she feels the love every time she sits down to eat.  :)  Linking up HERE!

Things we'll miss about Lafayette--Triple XXX!

I know Chicago has more than its fair share of diners, drive-ins, and dives, and anything else we may leave behind, but Paul and I are going to miss some things--like Triple XXX!  It was featured on the Food Network show I just linked to...it's THAT awesome.  Although, we have yet to taste the Triple XXX brand rootbeer after which the diner was named...but, Paul always gets the Duane Purvis, a burger with the works and a large glob of melty peanut butter!  I tend to stick with a BLT or something like it.  And, of course, the ultra thick milkshakes made right in a kitchen blender like mom used to make.  (Still does. :)

(These are pictures I did NOT take.)

Old School Triple XXX---used to just be a root beer stand back in the 20s.

How it looks today...pretty easy to distinguish, even in the dark of night.  :)

Anyway, a 24-hour diner with barstools snaking around the entirety of a small room, kitchen right in the middle, that accepts cash only...we've had many Triple XXX runs in the middle of the night in our marriage when we've stayed up just a little too late talking and needed a midnight (or 1:00, or 2:30) snack.  Until we find the equivalent in Chicago, I'm going to miss this place--Indiana's first drive-in, still the finest!  :)  Here are some (phone) pictures of last night's final jaunt to Triple XXX:

Looking down the counter we sat...

The easy-to-recognize menus.

Me and one of my favorite things...milkshakes!  Good thing I live so far away from Triple XXX and Steak n Shake...

Hubba hubba!  My cute, cute husband drinking a milkshake (after downing a magic pill, of course!).