Dinner, Discuss, Dessert

Hello ladies. Welcome to the mansion. It's time for another Dinner, Discuss, Dessert.

Dinner:

Fried Chicken

Loaded mashed pots (recipe to follow)

Country gravy

Black Eyed Peas

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

5 potatoes peeled and cubed

1/2 stick of butter

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup milk

crumbled bacon

salt and pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain. Add all other ingredients and beat on medium until well blended. Yum Yum....

Discuss: Are you jumpin for Jesus popcorn or are you "chex" mix?

Yesterday, my friend Jen sent me a crazy piece of video. It was titled Popcorn. It showed some folks sitting around a table. They had 5 or 6 kernels of unpopped popcorn sitting in the middle of the table and they had placed their cell phones near the popcorn facing the center of the table as well. They each dialed their phone and the phones started ringing. Only a few seconds later, the popcorn started exploding and popping all over the place. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJlv9HHJyAo Here is the link if you have not yet seen the video.

It was amazing. All I could think was..."my kid is never getting a cell phone." Whatever was making the corn pop would also make their brains to weird stuff.

Well....for some reason I thought of the video during church today. I remembered the kernels bursting and jumping like crazy. I questioned myself with, "Am I bursting and jumping for Jesus?" What does it take for me to burst and jump for Him? Must someone else apply pressure for me to jump? Must God turn up the "heat" for me to jump? Do I jump at appropiate and convenient times only? Hmmmmm? Let's see....

I go to church...check

I read my bible...check

I pray...check

I volunteer at church...check

I try to guide my children in God's ways...check

Awanas...check

PWOC...check

bible studies galore...check

It occured to me that I sound more like "chex" mix than jumping for Jesus popcorn. I don't know that I "burst" and "jump" in any of the activities mentioned above. What is this saying about me? Hmmmm...

Are you "chex" mix too? Or...are you jumping for Jesus popcorn?

Dessert:

Strawberry shortcakes...yummm.

Have a great Sunday evening. Laura

Lavender Lift

Hello Ladies. Good evening. Welcome to the mansion. On the way to dinner last night, my eyes kept being drawn to the side of the highway. It was beautiful. The wild wisteria was every where. The color was perfect....like bunches of pretty grapes hanging all over the place. If you live in the South, you may know what I mean right now. If you are up North, maybe you will get it in a couple of months.

About.com has this to say about LAVENDER...

Lavender has long been a favorite flower and color of genteel ladies. This shade of purple suggests refinement along with grace, elegance, and something special.

Wow...who knew a color could mean so much. Thought I would share a little lavender inspiration with you all...

Any toile is great, but lavender toile is super great.

So simple yet so pretty.

God and lavender....fabulous

This is a great dresser idea in any color.

The lavender with the black behind is fab.

I feel more "genteel" already.

Last but not least, the lavender wreath. This could greet other "genteel" ladies at the door. Hospitality at it's best.

I hope that something in this lavender post has inspired you to grab a little lavender for yourself or for someone you care about. Have a great evening and a blessed Sunday. Love, Laura

What Is It, and Do I Want One?

OK. There are many things that I ponder about the blog world. One of which was, "What are those glass upside down vase things that everyone has on their site?" Why does everyone have them? Where do they come from? Do I need one? I feel like a fairly savvy decor kinda gal, but this one had me feeling like I had been living under a rock. Oh..wait..I have...a zero-scaped rock known as El Paso. Ha. Anyways.....So, I did some digging, and here is what I now know....these jar, bell, glass, cover, upside down, things are called...

Glass Cloche Bell Jar!!!! Definition please?????????????

The French developed the glass cloche, or bell jar, formed of a solid piece of glass shaped like a dome. The purpose was to protect an early garden plant from bleak cold and frost. This would hasten their crops to maturity. The Dutch and English expanded the idea with handlights, lantern style, faceted pyramidal covers made from glass panes and frames of cast iron.

Now, we know what the thing is. Why the big fuss??????????????? Let me show you......

This photo by Tara Frey says it all. Isn't that just the prettiest thing ever? I do believe so my friends. Let's see some more...

Ohhhhh....love the pumpkins in several cloches.

Sewing notions under glass...be still my heart!

Someone get me a towel. I feel like a dip in the ocean....ha.

Twigs...we all have twigs...right?

Now, cloches are not cheap. A nice size cloche seems to run around 35.00. A bit steep for my tight self. So...the photo above shows other glass options to use instead of the cloche to get the same look. I have the little vase on the front row in the middle. It was 1.50 at Wal Mart.

Most blogs seem to have these displays in an entryway or on a dining table or buffet. I love the entryway idea. After payday, I am going "junking" to see if I can't find me a cloche. Come fall, I too will have a plethora of pumpkins under glass in my military mansion. How about you?

Everything Old Is New Again!

Hello Ladies. While browsing over at RealSimple, the website, I found some great ideas for using old items as new things. Take a gander....

All of these photos and their stories can be found at http://www.realsimple.com

For those of you with little girls...this is just too cute. They used an old stool and added a tutu. Walaaaa:bedside table.

Here is a cute table made out of a step ladder. I like.
This one is a covered cake pan that is used as a writing caddy. Could be great for the kiddies too.

And last but by no means least....wine glasses are used here as little candle holders. Just stick the candles in some sand or pebbles. Tada...

Hope you can find something old in your mansion to make new again.

Laura

Don't Forget To Look Up!

Hello Ladies. Welcome to the mansion.

For the past 10 months the Teagues have lived in a rent mansion. Very frustrating for a person who aches to paint every wall a different color. (that would be me) So, off I went to try to add some color without altering the house at all. My solution in two rooms was to "look up." Some fishing line and thumb tacks allow you to hang a plethora of items from the ceiling, giving the room a less flat look.

Here in the playroom, we hung blow up globes with curling ribbon and thumb tacks. This repeated the theme of the room. (you can see the globes in the background) The globes also added color and shape to the area. The globes were purchased for almost nothing at oriental trading.

In Chelsea's room we hung large paper lanterns in colors that matched her curtains and bedspread.

Here are some other hangable ideas from the web....

Pretty paper stars.............. How about draping some fabric???????????????

And here are few other ideas to add to your ceiling..... So fabulous ceiling medallion. Did something like this in El Paso. Adds a rich look to the light and the room. In your own home, you can paint the entire ceiling into the theme of the room. Shawna Walker did this at Polk in much the same manner as above. Here is a ceiling stencil. This is a picture of tin ceiling tiles. This might be a weighty job, but the same type of look can be accomplished with a wallpaper product made to look like tiles. You can even paint them.

So....there ya go. Some ceiling ideas to think over before the next move, or right now. When everything is moved in and all the furniture is in place, Don't Forget to Look Up!

Laura

Hello ladies. I was just informed that Nathan's Shriner Hospital Coordinator has passed away. Mr. Buddy Hartin was key in getting us to and from Chicago without trouble. Please take a moment to pray for peace within his family at this time.

I can't say enough about the Shrine organization. We have been blessed over and over again by their generosity and care. As I plan yet another trip to Chicago next Tuesday, I continue to be thankful for every member of the club from the Coordinators to the Clowns.

If you ever hear of a child needing special surgical treatment involving clefts, orthodics, or burns, please send them in my direction. I would love to share more about the wonderful things being done for children by the Shrine.

Love, Laura

Hello ladies and welcome to the "mansion" this evening.

Dinner

The Teagues will be having Nachos for dinner tonight. Here is the recipe...

Yummy Nachos:

Corn Tostado Chips. (These are round like tortillas)

1 can of refried beans

shredded colby and monterrey jack cheese

Place 6 tostadas on a baking sheet. Spread a thin layer of refried beans on each tostada. Put 1/3 cup of shredded cheese on each tostada. Place the pan under the broiler for enough time to melt the cheese. Keep a close watch on this. Cut each tostada into four quarters. Garnish with sour cream, picante, jalapenos, tomatos, etc. Delicious. You can also add grilled chicken or steak. Yum.

Discuss

Well. Let me see. Our church is going through some 'turmoil.' Our preacher announced last Sunday that he had been having an affair and that he would be resigning after the service. The Teagues were not in the service to witness this. However, we did hear of it right away. News travels fast. Bad news that is....Why is that? Why do we thrill in hearing of terrible things that are happening to others? Does it somehow make us feel better about ourselves? Does it pump us up? Why? Do we feel that these things will NEVER happen to us?

Matthew 7:3 as stated in the New American Standard Bible..."Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but not notice the log that is in your own eye?" Are we so free of sin, any sin, that we don't have any logs in our eyes? I surely am not. There is a log cabin floating around in there for sure. This is not to say that we should ignore a transgression or a sin. We can certainly acknowledge the presence of sin. The question is....what do we do then? In this case, the sin was stated aloud. Forgivness was sought. Is that where it should end? Should we continue to dredge in the muck of it?

Our sins, when confessed to God are washed away right then. They are cleansed and forgotton. Wouldn't it be nice if we, humans, could display a bit more of this? Just something to think about.

Dessert

Yummy Chocolate Fondue with strawberries and pound cake.

Have a great Sunday evening.

Much love, Laura

April 1st Giveaway!!!!!!!

Hello Ladies. Here is a picture of April's Giveaway. It is a handmade decorative bunny tassel. These things are all the rage on etsy. To win this tassel you need to sign up as a follower on My Military Mansion (if you can) and leave a comment below this post that answers this question...

What is your fondest Easter memory?

I will select a winner (based on the comment) on April 1st and send the tassel out asap. Good Luck. Love, Laura

Ms. Frugal Got Herself Some Coupons

Hello ladies. Welcome to the mansion this evening. With economic stress and strife sucking the life out of us these days, there is less and less "fun" money to keep the mansion in tip top decorated shape. Don't you agree? The Teagues have had to take a few steps to help alleviate financial woes. Let's take a look see...shall we?

#1: Fired the Butler....As if......Ha.

#2. Restricted "paper" usage. Not a square to spare....Ha again.

#3. Hired Tinkerbell out as a doggie double. Ha....yet again.

So...what did we do? Well here ya go.....

#1. The Teagues go out to eat 4-5 times per month. Every Friday. We each take turns selecting a restaurant. We don't eat fast food during the week. We don't grab lunch. This time last year we were eating out 3-4 times per week. Huge savings....and better for the waist line.

#2. We have taken to selling items at the thrift store. This month we have dropped off three loads of stuff. If everything sells, we will receive 160.00. (Hobby Lobby, here I come.) This is a high number because we are prepping to move, but there are always things to go. I have started keeping a walmart bag hanging on the boys' door knob. I throw their clothes in it as they grow out of them and take the bag to the thrift store when it is full.

#3. Ebay. We sell and buy off of ebay. We have purchased everything from diamonds to cars to toys. We have sold pottery, purses, toys, stamping supplies, and much more. There is always someone wanting to buy our "junk."

#4. And, last but not least....I just found http://www.mycouponhunter.com. What a fabulous thing. You go to the website and scroll through the grocery coupons. You click on the ones that you need for your shopping list. Submit your order. ( you are paying the lady to clip and ship the coupons) And, several days later you get an envelope in the mail with all those coupons. This last week I ordered coupons that will save us 22.00. I paid 3.40 for the service. So, 18.00 saved. That is without any double coupon stuff. I don't know about you, but that is almost two piano lessons for us. If I do this twice a month, that is four piano lessons...wow. I love that. HINT: Make your shopping list before you go to the site. That way you don't buy things that aren't on your list.

That about does it for us. If you have any super duper saving deals to share please comment with them. I will make sure that everyone gets in on the savings. Have a great evening. Laura

Easter Gift Idea.....So Fabulous.

Hello ladies. I just found this over at www.creativeholidaygiftideas.blogspot.com I had to share it. You can make this same gift for all holidays that offer a Peep candy. So....cute. I noticed that the creative holiday gift idea blog had not posted a new blog for some time. I hope she posts again soon. There are some great ideas over there. Check it out...now...:)

INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:

1. Reduce 1 sleeve graham crackers to crumbs.

2. Layer 2/3 of the crumbs in a 1 quart jar.

3. Place 8 marshmallow bunny peeps standing up, facing out around the inside of the jar.

4. Press them up against the glass, but don't squash them.

5. Carefully spoon remaining crumbs in the center of the jar to support the bunnies, pressing down to keep it snug.

6. On top of this pour 1-1/4 cup Easter M&M's.7. Spoon 1/3 cup brown sugar into center of M&M's, gently pressing with a spoon.

My changes: I did M&M's first, then Peeps, then put combined brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs in baggie. I didn't like how the crumbs made a mess in the jar.

Attach a gift tag giving the following instructions:

1. Empty the jar contents into a bowl. Snip the bunnies into bits with kitchen sheers or cut up with a knife. Return the bunny bits to the mixture. Mix well.

2. Melt 1/2 cup butter; add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour this over the dry ingredients, mixing well. Pat into a greased 9" square pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.(Makes 9 to 12 bars.)*Option - leave bunnies whole; combine remaining ingredients and place the bunnies on top; then bake as directed.

*This gift jar may be created to suit any holiday for which marshmallow candies are available.

Submitted by Hilary Shirley

Isn't that the cutest thing ever???? With penny pinching days upon us, this is a great low cost gift for teacher, neighbors, and friends. Love, Laura

Dinner, Discuss, Dessert

Hello ladies. Welcome to the "mansion." It is Sunday, so it is time for Dinner, Discuss, Dessert.

Dinner:
The Teagues had Chicken-n-Dumplings. Here is the recipe...

Easy Chicken-n-Dumplings

3 Chicken breasts
4 cups of water
2 cans of cream of celery soup
1 chicken bouillon cube
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
2 cans of cheap biscuits

Bring the water, bouillon, salt and pepper to a boil. Add the chicken breasts and boil until done. Remove the chicken and cut into small pieces. Add the chicken back into the water in your pot. Whisk in the two cans of cream of celery soup until there are no more lumps. Heat until a low boil. Open the canned biscuits. Flatten the biscuits out very thin and cut each one into six pieces. Drop the pieces slowly into the boiling pot. Continue on a low boil for 10 minutes. TaDa. Done. Enjoy.

Discuss:
I must confess. I did not go to church today. After Casey's stomach virus and a day of upholstery, I was in no shape to get up early. So, no talking points from the preacher. However, I did have a thought. While I was trying my best to cover my denim club chair, I kept thinking...."this is so...not my gift." I though that over and over. But, I didn't stop sewing. I kept on going until it was done.

God says through 1 Corinthians 12 that to each one of us (Christians) the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. This is done as follows..."To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues."

I have taken a "gift" test several times before. This test determined my "gifting." I am supposed to be gifted with hospitality and discernment. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Knowing this, I am set....right? I am expected to be hospitable. I am expected to be able to discern between what is of God and what is not. Everything else is hands off for me...right? I have heard folks say (out loud) "I can't do that, it is not my gift." I have even heard someone say, "I don't feel sorry for her, compassion just isn't my gift." So...are our "gifts" a way out of doing things that we don't feel comfortable doing? Are they a pass on showing care and compassion? Hummmmmmmm... The last verse of chapter 12 says...Love "And now I will show you the most excellent way." The most excellent way and greatest gift is Love. Without love, and the pouring out of it, we are for not. Without showing love, our gifts don't count for anything. So...I am going to go ahead and say that NO, our gifts are not a get out of jail free card for doing things that we don't want to do. NO, they are not a pass on showing compassion and empathy. They are ways that we express our love for others. They are ways that we build one another up. They are ways that we move folks to Christ.

I didn't quit sewing that silly slipcover because I didn't have the gift of sewing. I just gritted my teeth and ripped those seems out. I worked on it until the job was done. We should do the same with each other. Don't bow out because something isn't your gift. Don't be less than gentle with someone because gentleness isn't your gift. Because above all those gifts is the gift of Love. The most excellent way to do, the most excellent way to speak, the most excellent way to act, the most excellent way to react. And that is all.

DESSERT:
Ice cream sundaes on Sunday. Yum

Have a blessed week ladies. Show your gifts and your non gifts through love. Laura

Let Me Share My Chair....

Hello ladies. Welcome to the mansion. Let me share my chair.... Ever have a chair that you would like to use, but the color is just not right? Well...as I prepping to move to the new "mansion" in two months, I found myself in this same quandary. The denim rocking chair that now sits in the playroom is going to be put into the craft room in the new mansion. The craft room, in my mind, is taupe, black, and white. Denim would just never do. So....off I go to Hancocks for fabulous fabric to match the craft room. I found the fabric you see on the chair above. Love it.... Then, I had to cover the chair. These are the things I used for the project... First, I made a pattern by putting paper on the sections of the chair and drawing each piece. Then, I cut the pieces out. Waaalaaaa: Pattern. Next, I started to cut the pieces out of the fabric. As each piece was cut, I laid them on the chair where they would be. OK. When all the pieces were cut out, I started sewing them together. After each sewing, I would set the fabric back on the chair to make sure that everything was going well. I saved the back of the chair for last. I decided to make the back into two pieces with a velcro closure. This would allow for easy on and off. And there ya go. This "camo" project took one day. The total cost of the recover was 80.00. Not bad compared to the cost of paying someone to reupholster the chair or buying a new chair. I love my new chair. I can't wait to see it in the craft room. Here are some pics of other revamped chairs from flicker....

Thank you for letting me "share my chair." Have a great day. Laura