Budget Friendly Decorating Ideas

These are some ideas that are sylish, friendly to your budget, and won't take a lot of time to create.  I love the heart headboard.  You can make a gate or a little fence with this.  You can pick up these old metal bed frames at craft malls, garage sales, junk stores.

  I find shutters all the time at garage sales.  To make this a little more unique you can paint an accent color to go with your decor and write a small quote on it regarding garden or something positive about life.  English Ivy would look lovely twinging around a shutter.

This window treatment would be very easy to create.  Those are ski poles that are holding up the fabric.  You could also use oars from a boat if you wanted a nautical theme.  You could actually use the snow ski to hold the fabric if you didn't have ski poles.  Sometimes you can find sheets in a design that would work to drape around a window.  I though the cut off jeans made a cute half curtain. 

Ideas for Children's Parties

For me, this is fun decorating.  Little children get so excited seeing little surprises like this created just for them.  I have a vivid memory of staying up almost all night coloring Easter eggs and cutting out special little clothes to make little Easter egg people. It turned out cute but I was whipped the next day.  But it's worth all the work when you see the expressions on their little faces. They get so excited!

I thought the train would be a cute center piece for a birthday party. You could make as many sections as you have children, then they could take it home as a party favor.  You could use your imagination and come up with different candy to make the train sections and instead of a winter theme make a summer theme and use little rocks and have part of the candy section going over the rock with little shrubs in the background.

The airplanes I thought were adorable.  I can see little boys loving this. This would be a fun surprise for the little guy in your life just sitting by his plate at dinner time or for breakfast.

The candy cane hearts would be sweet on a little girls breakfast or dinner plate.  Just a little something special to let your little person know how special they are to you.

Touches of Spring

The Healing Code

I read this book about a month ago and before I recommended it I wanted to see if it would really work.  It really works!

About 8 years ago, I heard Dr. Loyd and Dr. Johnson speak at a meeting in Edmond, Oklahoma.  It was a wonderful presentation.  They were talking about quantum physics and energy that is in our bodies.  This was all new to me.  I had just started to hear about the energy in our bodies and didn't have any understanding of how all that works.  I know some people become a little apprehensive when talking about chalka points, meridian lines and acupuncture.  It sounds a little like eastern religion.  Do your research and you will find out that our bodies are made up of energy and we do have meridian lines and chalka points.  These are routes and places in our bodies where energy travels. At that time, they didn't have a book and the program they were selling was expensive....for my budget anyway.

There is a wonderful forward in the book by Dr. Jordan Rubin where he explains his concern about the codes being in opposition to his belief as a Christian.  But after talking to Dr. Loyd and doing some research of his own he felt comfortable doing the codes.

Ok. fast forward 8 years, I'm on Amazon looking at books and I came upon the healing codes.  I was very excited to see they had written a book. The book is a very quick read and it is very easy to understand.  Dr. Loyd and Dr. Johnson lay a very good foundation and build upon it step by step.

I have had several remarkable healings. On Tuesday of this week, I woke up with a scratchy throat. By Wednesday, it had started to become a sore throat and despite all of my home remedies nothing was knocking it. Thursday, I didn't feel like doing anything and as the day wore own I started running a fever, head was throbbing, sinuses all stopped up, very congested.  I really felt horrible and told my husband I think I'm really getting the flu. It finally dawned on me to do the healing codes.  I did and when I finished I could tell my head was hardly hurting and I felt better. To be truthful, I was surprised.  I could tell it made a difference so I did another round of the codes and this time my fever broke, my sinuses opened up and my headache was totally gone.  They recommend doing the codes at least 3 times a day. My nose was running yesterday when I got up and after several codes that dried up.  I have a little bit of a sniffle but nothing major. 

Dr. Johnson was healed of Lou Gehrig's disease and Dr. Loyd's wife was healed of depression that she had suffered with for 12 years. 

I hope you will get this book and read it.  I think you will be very glad that you did.

Gotta Have Chocolate on Valentine's Day!

These are the best brownies I have ever eaten.  I have made the Barefoot Contessa's brownies several times and really loved them but these are the best.  If you don't have a little surprise planned for your special someone, try these.  It doesn't take long to make them and they are truly wonderful.

These are super fudgy and you can freeze these.  They will keep in the freezer up to two months.

1 (8oz.) package unsweetened chocolate baking squares, chopped
1 1/2 cups butter, cut up
4 cups of sugar
2 cups of flour
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon puls 1/8 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 cup coarsley chopped walnuts (optional) recipe doesn't call for walnuts but I love walnuts in brownies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan.

Bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in bottom of a double boiler. Place chocolate and butter in top of a double boiler.  Cook, stirring occasionally until butter and chocolate melts.  Cool 5-7 minutes, then transfer to a larger bowl and add sugar.  Mix well and then add the flour and mix well.  Then add the next 3 ingredients and blend well. If you want walnuts, add them at this time and mix in well.

Pour into your prepared pan and bake for 32 to 35 minutes and if you would prefer cake like brownies add another 5 to 7 minutes.  Cool in pan 30 minutes before cutting.

Garnish with a couple of large strawberries.     

CHOCOLATE HEAVEN!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

The greatest gift is a portion of thyself.     Ralph Waldo Emerson

LOVE AND BE LOVED EVERYDAY!

Rich and Creamy Mushroom Soup

This is a wonderful recipe from a lady who is a wonderful cook.  It's rich, creamy and oh so delicious.

1 garlic clove, pressed
1 small onion, diced
1-2 pounds fresh mushrooms, sliced
8 tablespoons butter
8 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup of chicken broth
6 cups half and half
2 cups milk
dash of thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Saute first three ingredients in butter in a soup pot.  After onions and mushrooms are tender, mix in flour a little at a time adding chicken broth after each addition until all the flour and chicken broth are gone.  Add thyme.  Slowly add milk, stirring as you go.  The add all of the half and half.  Heat on medium heat until thoroughly heated stirring frequently.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
Approximatley 9 to 10 cups.

YUM!