Sewing Machine Dilemma....

I need your help I am overwhelmed in my search for a sewing machine. I really want a sewing/embroidery machine but it is hard to find on a budget! I need to keep it less than $500, according to the hubby a lot less. I am drawn to the Brother brand but really and truly I am at a complete loss! I am open to any advice!

Please HELP me!!!!

Nap Time...

Izzy is adorable she does the cutest things. When she is tired she always tries to find the nearest blanket to cuddle up and sleep. Well the other night when we were cooking dinner Izzy decided she would take a nap but her blanket was not on the floor so she improvised. She pulled part of the blanket out of the blanket basket and took her nap.

This is what we saw:

She is the cutest. The past two days were crazy at work! Happily, I was off today but go back to work tomorrow. I am excited that I have 5 days off in a row starting Friday which means more time with Mr. Wonderful and Izzy!

Ode to Laundry...

Ugh does is it just me or does anyone else dread laundry day! Oh laundry; I wash it and wear it, then pile it up not in one basket but two or three (which always overflows) then I wash it for what seems like forever in endless loads and WHY!!! So I can start the horrible cycle all over again!?!? And the worst part is the socks, where do they disappear to? Socks are Izzy's favorite thing to find around the house so Bob suggested I place her in the dryer to find all the lost ones (I don't think that would be very nice)! Oh Laundry, please just go away!

I love this poem I found it online and knew it was perfect for this post:

Ode to Laundry

Oh you pile of filth

I see you mocking me

Taunting me as you grow

Didn’t I just wash you?

Your collection of grime and slime

It’s repulsive to my nose

You boast of freshness

Only to waft odorous tendrils after a day of wear

I must brave the stench

Touching each aromatic article

Unfolding arms and legs

Removing loose prizes I claim for my own

I stuff you in the washer

Pour that perfumed liquid over your rumpled mess

Praying that the ketchup will be coaxed out

Along with the sticky goo-

Oh dear, is that a melted gummy bear?

Sigh

Oh, you chore that haunts me

Beckons to me

Shouts your displeasure of being ignored

You long to be worn again

Ready for a new day,

A new adventure, a new stain

I will conquer this beast

Perform this menial duty

Wash and dry you

Obligingly fold you

Put you in your various places and

Pretend this chore is over

------------------------------------------------------------------

I guess I should go do my laundry now.

A Pioneer Woman Weekend

So this weekend has been so relaxing it was nice to be off work and have my husband off work and at home for most of it too, which is RARE!! I love us time!!!

Isn't he handsome!

This weekend I started my cooking through Pioneer Woman's (PW'S) cookbook in a year challenge. Yesterday I headed to Harris Teeter in search for the ingredients for the the past two night meals. Last night, before dinner we made PW's pico de gallo with chips. Then we had Bob's special steak,which was divine, with PW's potato skins, garlic bread and homemade brownies. Tonight we had PW's chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and carrots! If you do not have PW's cookbook it is a must have!!! I am so excited about cooking through it this year, it is not to late to jump on the bandwagon y'all!! Look for recipes and my experiences on my cooking blog (you can already find posts about pico de gallo, and potato skins). Well y'all as much as I love to cook and blog I am going to go get back to snuggling on the couch with my hubby! I hope everyone has had a fabulous weekend so far.

You CAN Help Hati...

The events in Hati break my heart. Thousands of people are suffering, in a country that already suffers so much. Most of us do not know anyone in Hati but I think all of us have felt the loss. Though we want to most of us can’t go to Hati, however we can pray and we can give.

Please visit the Compassion International's Website and donate to the Hati Earthquake Relief, the smallest amount can help.

My heart is broken for the orphans, and the homeless, I beseech you to pray for the people of Hati for they are in desperate need of our prayers and help.

Relaxing Wednesday!

Today has been a fantastic day. My hubby and I both happened to be off work today which was wonderful, it was so nice to spend the day with him! My sweet hubby let me sleep in late (since I didn't get home from work till 3:45 am). He got up early to play with Izzy and take her to the groomer. Then tonight he took me to dinner at Olive Garden! He is fabulous! Izzy got a puppy trim today and came home with the cutest bows in her hair I am so surprised they are still in her hair! The Lord has been so good to us and we are very blessed. I love relaxing days like today! Hope you had a fabulous Wednesday! Here a few pictures of sweet Izzy!

A new toy for being a great girl at the groomer

She is such a sweetheart

Look at those cute bows

My sweetheart, I love my sweet Izzy!

Pulling a Julie and Julia...

Hey Y'all! I am so excited I can hardly contain myself as I write this post. Have you heard of Pioneer Woman? I discovered her blog a few months ago through Bakerella and have been following her ever since! Former city girl Ree Drummond, aka Pioneer Woman, blogs all about her life on the ranch with her family, showcases her beautiful photography, and amazing recipes. What, you have not heard of her. Well then please take a moment to check her out here. Pioneer Woman recently published a cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks. It is full amazing step by step recipes, tales from the ranch, and gorgeous pictures(which she took). I bought that cookbook today and I am so excited about what I am about to share with you. I am going to be cooking through The Pioneer Woman's cookbook in 2010! I am so excited kinda like Julie and Julia! There are about 65 or so recipes and I will be trying to post every other week on my cooking blog about this exciting journey and recipes I tried! Do you want to join me and other bloggers? Then simply pick up a copy of her cookbook and head over to this blog to get your fun little tag ( as seen below) for your blog and info on how to get involved with other bloggers who have joined in this quest. Don't have blog, then now is a great time to start one, it is not hard! Come on Y'all this will be fun!

Hope to have you join me in cooking through The Pioneer Woman's cookbook in 2010!

Meet Izzy...

I decided it was time for you met the newest member of our family.As you may remember about a month ago my 15 year old poodle Precious passed away. It was so hard it was the 1st time I really had a to deal with the loss of a pet. My wonderful husband then totally blew me away by saying we could get a puppy and so the search began. I began looking at all the shelters and adoption agencies in the area and could not find the perfect dog for us. So on a Sunday night I began looking in the paper and saw the ad for the perfect puppy. I tried not to get to excited but as soon as my hubby said yes I called and found there was one puppy left and I knew she was ours. I drove an hour and half away to pick her up and she was a doll absolutely perfect. She was very shy the first day trying to figure it all out and then she came out of her shell and there has been no stopping her since. So meet our puppy she is a sweet 12 week old toy poodle named Isabella Precious Adams or Izzy for short. Izzy is a bundle of energy and personality. She is so fun to watch and play with and a great snuggle bug. Izzy has brought so much joy to our lives and we are so happy to have another member of our little family!

So without further ado here is our sweet Izzy:

Free 8x10 Canvas

One of the blogs I follow had a link to this special offer and I thought I would share it with you. It is a link for a free 8x10 photo canvas from Canvas People. Just upload your picture and pay shipping in handling! I can not wait to get mine in the mail! Click HERE for the link!

Enjoy!

Ringing in the New Year

So what were you up to on the last night of 2009? Did you ring the new year in with family and friends? Our 1st new years was not quite what how I expected but isn't that life? My poor wonderful husband came down with a nasty cold/sinus infection. He actually made history on New Year's eve by taking his first ever sick day. If you knew my husband you would know what a big deal this is he does not miss work for anything he was feeling terrible with a sore throat and fever. I felt so bad for him and so did Izzy apparently cause wherever he was she was snuggled right next to him. So on New Year's Eve at about 11:3o I woke Bob up from his nap in the recliner and we watched Dick Clark's New Year's Eve program, toasted to the New Year and went to bed. That makes me feel old as I write that. Sadly the first day of 2010 was not much better, he still had a fever and felt a little worse. Slowly as the day progressed his fever began to break and he began to feel better. However last night I began to get a sore throat and woke up with the same junk he had minus the fever. Not the best way to ring in the new year, but I am going to try and look at as going ahead and getting the sickness over early in the year (aleast I hope so). I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend, I however will be a work hoping I feel better soon!

Happy New Year Y'all!