Goodbye Yellow Brick Road...

 I recently started leasing a space at the new consignment store downtown.  I've been collecting Wizard of Oz stuff since I was "knee high to a grasshopper" (I Love that saying!!).  I have been fascinated and in love with the Wizard of Oz since age 3.  It was the first movie I remember watching, the first book I remember reading, and the first play I was ever cast in (as a Munchkin, Ozian and a Crow... The stage version has crows in the scene with the scarecrow), really W of Oz was my first love.  People have given me W of Oz stuff for birthdays, holidays, Tuesdays, all my life.  Auntie Gail joined the Hallmark Ornament Club so that she could get the "exclusive club member" ornaments for me every year (she's an amazing person).  Anyway, after much thought, I decided that it was time to get rid of my Oz Collection.  I've decorated with it in our last 2 houses, displayed it.. Even decorated our Christmas tree with it one Christmas while my parents were out, but now that I'm married, and married to a Marine, I don't see us using W of Oz stuff to decorate our home, nor do I see the point in packing it up every few years, carting it across the country, or worse, having it get broken by military movers.  I researched and found that some of my collection is actually worth quite a lot of money.  So it is all for sale now at Ken & Amelia's (located in Downtown Asheboro, across from the Sunset Theater). Check me out!!

Quite the Collection, if I do say so myself..

 After I set everything up I decided that it needed a little something special... I had a perfectly BRILLIANT idea. I bought this plain boring rug at habitat for humanity for $2.00...

Shampooed and Vacuumed it...

Taped it all off, and spray painted it..

Voila!!!

I created a Yellow Brick Road!! Feel free to lavish your praise on me!! I don't really want to sell the rug, but Everything is for sale!!

Madeline Dawn Finn

I'll teach you to take pictures of yourself with my camera!!

Love you Maddie!! You're the best "little sister" I've ever had!!

Cute as a Button

I absolutely ADORE this color!! It's super fun for summer and looks great on fingers, ANND toes!! Run on out and get yourself some!!!

Hard Boiled Eggs

Hate when this happens?

 I am kind of a master at hard boiling eggs.  I mean it, I get perfect hard boils every time.  The secret.. or a few secrets.. are in the eggs.

1. Use old eggs.  I mean it, They peel easier.  If you like hard boiled eggs a lot (excellent source of protein), and you buy eggs at the store reserve 3 or 4 and store them separately.  Eggs that are 2-3 weeks old are perfect!! Personally, I date my eggs before I put them in cartons.

2. Salty water takes longer to boil.  If you like to boil your eggs with salty water, add the salt when the water is at a rolling boil. Same goes for pasta.. Add the salt after the water is boiling.

3. Bring the water to a boil first, then add the eggs!!

After I bring water to a boil, and add my eggs, I then turn the heat off.  I leave the pot on the eye and set a timer for 15 minutes.  When I'm ready, I pour the hot water out and add cold water to the pot. I crack the shells and peel them off (I save my eggshells for my girls, they will FIGHT over eggshells..)

Voila!! Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs, Every time!!

Hawks, Racoons, and Opossums. Oh My!

 As I mentioned yesterday, I have a Opossum problem. Or at least, I thought it was just a opossum problem. As it turns out, it is actually a Hawk, Raccoon, and Opossum problem.  I set a trap last night {Havahart humane traps} baiting it with catfood and apples.  Around 11pm, My dad and I were about to go to bed, we looked out and saw a raccoon in the chicken yard. I donned my Chicken boots, and my garden hoe (though what I planned to do with it is still unknown) and the raccoon in the yard scampered off, but lo and behold!! there was a raccoon in the trap!!!  Seeing 2 that close together, I realized we have a family of raccons, and probably a family of opossums as well!!! Dad and I loaded the trap in the back of the jeep, and made a drive down to Montgomery County and dropped the little guy off.  I came home and reset the trap with a peanut butter and honey sandwich, when I woke up this morning.. the sandwich was gone, but the trap was empty.

I do not like being made a fool of by some stupid rodents.. even if raccoons are kind of cute.

Shoe Addicts Anonymous

I recently went on a Books-A-Million excursion and I was super proud of myself for my purchases.  For Maddie's birthday, I got her a BAM gift card. She likes to watch MTV and "hates to read".  She read the Twilight series, but  lets face it.. Who didn't?! I, a complete book nut, in an effort to get her to read more, drag her to BAM on a weekly basis hoping she'll find a book she likes (usually I find like 28 books that I like).  Anyway.. I picked up 4 books (3 of them from the Bargain section).  This book caught my eye (1 guess as to why).

I simply devoured it!!! It was absolutely adorable.  I'm trying not to label books as "quick reads" because, a quick read for me (1-2 days, mostly because I usually only read at night for an hour or two) would take my dear mom, 3 weeks. She tends to forget she's reading a book, where as I think about the books I'm reading off and on throughout the day!!

Anyway, Shoe Addicts Anonymous, is a charming story of 4 women with secrets, who come together in a bond of sisterhood... Designer Shoes!! Lorna, a 30 something waitress with a mountain of debt. Helene, the unfortunate victim of a controlling husband. Sandra, an overweight phone sex operator with agoraphobia. Finally, Jocelyn, a young nanny forced to work for an over-zealous boss with secrets of her own. The result is Adorable. A perfect pick for a summer read, or a  girly book club!!

Pospect Park West

My Dear friend Jerrica {View her Blog here} convinced me to pick this book up, and I was super glad that I did!!!  It was a really fun, quick read, full of lesbian longing, affairs, drug use, and Babies!!! Ha ha.. It sounds odd I know, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!!

A delightful summer read, though not suitable for the kiddos!!