Thanksgiving, Shopping, Eating, Trees....(what else is there?)

Hope your Thanksgiving was nice. We had a good time with Dave's family. Loved Mom M's Thanksgiving table.


Thanksgiving Day- 4:30pm
The weather was beautiful.


Thanksgiving Day- 11:30pm
Dave and I participated in our very first late night Black Friday sale. We got to Old Navy at 9pm on Thanksgiving and waited for 3 hours until they opened the store at midnight. We were the 12th and 13th in line (of about 400) and each got a free kodak digital camera!! We are so happy- the boys each have wanted a camera for some time- so win-win for us...get to shop the deals and get 2 cameras to boot. (don't tell the boys...Granna, that includes you :) The store was packed, but we came out unscathed. Did you shop Black Friday? Tell me what happened for you. I have always said (when people ask me if I shop black Friday) that I would if there was something worth it for me- and this year it was worth it. (Oh, and Dave talked me into it and fed me mint m&ms)


Then, then! We stopped for a surprise Ikea visit on the way home. I was just dozing off to sleep when the car veered off the highway and onto...Ikea Boulevard! Ikea is about the halfway point from Dave's parent's house to ours- so it was the perfect time to stop and eat some Swedish meatballs and roam around. I wish I could have stuck this adorable little couch in my pocket and brought it home!


Now for a veer off topic.....raw oatmeal! Did you know you can pour yourself a bowl of old fashioned oats, add toppings (bananas, honey + walnuts, or apples + cinnamon), pour on the milk, and have a delicious cereal? I read about this somewhere. I like it as long as there are topping- but when you run out of toppings it gets a little tedious.


Another plus from the purple camera- panorama shots!




We put the tree(s) up before we left for Thanksgiving and I am soooo glad we did. It was perfect to come home late on Friday night and see the trees waiting for us.

So, I have 2 questions for you:
1. Did you shop black Friday
2. Is your tree up yet?

thankful

I am so thankful! We had a Thanksgiving praise service at church tonight and it was the hugest blessing to hear how God is working in our lives. (I love my church :) To hear my little kiddies stand up and say they were thankful for mommy and daddy- awww, I was thankful for that too.

Lamb of God tree ornament by our 10 yr old.


I am sooooo thankful for this man. Dave Mincy, you are the best.

This was taken on a date nite a few weeks back. We went to Carrabbas. All I can say is get the Chicken Bryan: ((Topped with goat cheese, sundried tomatoes and a basil lemon butter sauce)) Mmmmm (I think I've decided I'm not a vegetarian...this month...)


We were at the children's museum a few weeks back and I happened to snap this picture of the colored pencils. I want to enlarge it and put it on the wall. It's the colors of my house! My world!


And may I present the Mayflower.

If I don't talk to you before then....have a wonderful Thanksgiving! We have SOOO MUcH to be tHanKfuL for!!! :)

it's the little things

I need a new blog category entitled, Goodwill Has Been Good to Me. I am ecstatic about these mittens. Here in the South it is hard to find cute mittens at thrift stores. I love mittens- especially this striped pair.


This bench has come in handy as my little photo shoot spot! Are you getting sick of seeing it as a background yet?


Another blog category: pancakes! I luv pancakes too :) We have made valentine pancakes, pumpkin pancakes, watermelon waffles, and polka dot pancakes.

Last night we had PB&J pancakes. I read in a magazine that you can add a half cup of peanut butter to pancake batter. They were pretty good, but what made them better was the raspberry jam that I heated up til runny.

Another thrift store find: a retro mug holder.


Nice to have the mugs close at hand as the weather gets colder.


I re-patchworked my back splash. I had taped the paper up before and covered with contact paper. I had thought the paper would be very temporary, but I love it- and want it to be more permanent and durable (the edges were starting to come up). So I got some new paper at Archiver's and put mod podge just on the back, then when dried, I covered it all with clear contact paper. I am soooo happy with this paper- see the tiny bicycles? Small things make me happy; mittens, pancakes, and paper :)

....................................
Hope you have a great Friday night. Dave told me he is going to make a fire in the fireplace - and I could not be happier...I may just put on the mittens and make hot chocolate for one of my mugs (it's 49*!)

sugar + spice

My kids' creativity makes me happy. Here is a pillow stitched by our 10 year old.

The back...


....and the front. I know he is planning to give it away for Christmas- I just hope it is to me!! :)



Poor Sadie couldn't see.


So she got a haircut.


Our kitchen smells good right now! For art class today we drew shapes on paper, outlined them with sharpies, painted with glue, then sprinkled on spices.


I saw the idea here.


By the end of the project the kids were passing each other spices and identifying them by smell- nice...we can count that lesson as science and cooking classes too :) Mmmm, and my house still smells cinnamon-curry-pepper-nutmeg-paprika-ish (kinda a weird combination..)

sprinkles on top

This year I spared some of the mess and made the dough and baked the cookies myself. Then I let them loose with the icing and sprinkles....


The kids have not been that hyper since...I think, Oct 31! They were allowed to sample a few cookies...but who knows how much icing they secretly licked?!





Last year we made these pilgrim hat cookies- but these are tastier- and easier! We got the new chocolate covered oreos with mint flavor (similar to thin mints, made with just one bottom cookie). The kids squirted on a circle of yellow icing and put a rolo on top of that- then we added a little square buckle with icing.


God's gorgeous artistry.


yum...pretty...colored sugar...bright...fun..


sticky...messy...totally worth it and fun to photograph :)

hi

The black hole that is the inside of my fireplace is bothersome to me. I have been looking for a fireplace screen for a few years and found nothing.

Finally! I found something that fit-- a foam board, the size of a poster board (the kind kids use for school projects)


I decoupaged some paper on there and it sits just perfectly! Yay! I am so happy. It can be easily moved when we want to have a fire.


My purple camera came in the mail! I am happy about that too :)

All in all- a happy day! Thank You, Lord, for your blessings to us- and Your LOVE! I can put all my trust in You- You are my rock and my salvation!

it's that time of year.............

time to sit by the fire and sew felt! (my red bird inspired by the blue birdie in this photo)

****my camera has not arrived in the mail yet!!!! Just waiting, waiting and hoping and hoping :)

before you throw something at me...I promise it is a Thanksgiving..........

....tree!

Yes, (Steph :) I found this tree at Goodwill - already assembled. I brought it home and didn't know where to put it until Dec. And could not bear to take it apart- so......


We decorated it with burlap, acorns, pumpkins, gourds, mustard and coral ribbon, and basically anything orange or brown we could find.


When December comes, we will take off the fall decor and put on the Christmas!


I'm thinking I should just leave it up year round.....



Can't you see it in February with pink lights, red hearts, and white doilies?!?!

pumpkin eating pirate

I am ecstatic! Dave ordered me a new camera for my birthday! (yes, my birthday was in June, it's a long story :) - A purple camera, no less! I am so thankful for my camera phone. It has gotten us through these camera-less weeks...but it gives me fuzzy photos.

I was a pirate. We also had a spiderman in the family and 2 cow...people

One of the cow-people.

It rained on Halloween! But it sorta worked in their favor- they braved the drizzle and people gave them more for their efforts.

Mmmm- they are getting more savvy with age and know when we steal from them. Oops. yes, as a matter of a fact I did take the butterfinger.


Goodwill has been extremely good to me lately- first of all: we had a new Goodwill open up...............drumroll...................3 minutes from my house!!!!!!!!!!!! You can bet we were there for the grand opening!!! It was packed out- that day I got this beautiful globe! YAY.....

You will not believe what I got at Goodwill yesterday--all assembled--already up in my living room- at a dirt cheap price. You'll have to wait til I get pictures of it.....


We made penguins :)

And in other fallish news: we made pumpkin granola. Every single person in our house loved it. The house smelled so good while it was baking. I am definitely making it again and maybe other granola flavors?

We also made Pioneer Woman's pumpkin muffins- they were gobbled up too :) We didn't make the frosting. They are just as good without.

sadie, pillow, food, race, and a coat

Sadie's favorite little spot :)


Oh my goodness! A sweet reader sent me this pillow- isn't it the cutest thing ever?!?!?!


OK- since you asked- we are eating {a lot of} vegetarian meals :) :) You knew I couldn't quit meat cold turkey, right?! I love eating vegetarian- I love eating super healthy and tons of fruit and veggies- but then real life sets in and I end up doing that about half of the time- and the other half- there are hotdogs and mac n' cheese...and Chinese take-out...baby steps, I say!


Dave ran a half marathon!!! 13.1 miles! I am SO proud of him. We made signs and cheered- it was a great experience. If you are ever bored and want a little excitement and want to be a huge encouragement to someone, look up a local race and go find a spot on the route with few other spectators- then when each runner comes by, cheer specifically for them, "you can do it! You are doing an awesome job!"

Dave said this is what got him through to the finish line. And it was thrilling to see people struggling at mile 10, who brighten up and push a little harder when you cheer them on.


Little miss and I are having fun with her fall wardrobe. My mom found this little trench coat at Frenchy's (best thrift store ever...only in Canada..pity)

Oh my goodness....I have so much to show and tell! The pumpkin patch! Our Halloween costumes! I have missed you :) Was it only a week? Felt like longer.