It Is A Big One!

The calendar keeps rolling along and today is a big day!

Happy Birthday, Bonnie!

Kitchen Project How-I-Did-It

A couple or three months ago I shared a Kitchen Project where Mike got one of his wishes.  This is an off-shoot of that post.

Mike wanted a TV in the kitchen since I joined him in this house.  I must admit, I've grown to like it and it is a nice convenience.  After the much-larger-than-I-anticipated wonderfully sized TV was mounted between the window and the china cabinet, I thought there needed to be some sort of artistry to balance out the look.  I scoured the local consignment/antique/thrift stores and found nothing that I thought would be just the thing.  Then, I remembered that I once had an old flour sack that might work hanging there.  So, I dashed home and began digging to look for Martha White. 

I acquired the flour sack years and years and years ago when I was about nineteen.  Some crazy fellow was serving in a leadership role in the state Holstein Association (my Daddy) and thought a friend and I were qualified to head-up the planning and executing of the junior part of the convention.  I'm not so sure I was qualified at the time but I did learn a great deal from the experience!  One of the treasures I took away was the flour sack. 

I had lots of dealings with the kitchen/banquet/chef at the Opryland Hotel where the convention was held.  There were many behind the door meetings with the food crew, the table set-up crew, and the chef.  At the end of the convention, the chef I worked with most presented me with this flour sack and a few other locally produced goodies which were representative of Opryland (which was a theme park at the time).  I've held on to the flour sack for years and now it has found a wonderful home.

Here is how I created art work out of the old flour sack:

• Step 1 - Dig around in the sewing/craft room and find the flour sack.  (This was no small fete.  You cannot imagine the depth of junk, half-finished projects, future project supplies, and sundries in that room.  It is such a mess that I wouldn't even consider sharing a photo of it at this point!)
• Step 2 - Ponder how I am going to hang the sack after I found it.  Should I simply tack it to the wall as I had when I lived in another part of this county?  Should I take it and have it matted and framed professionally?  Should I attach it to a canvas stretcher? 
• Step 3 - Trip over a large frame that I had stumbled upon at Hobby Lobby as A DEAL one day when my friend Angela and I were shopping for something else.  This was divine intervention, I'm sure!  I wouldn't have sought this out for anything.  I saw this in the bargain clearance area one day and picked it up because of the price tag:

This was amazing for a frame that size.  Especially when I looked to see what the original price marked happened to be:



Amazing, huh?

• Step 4 - Admit to divine intervention and try it out for size.  It was perfect!
• Step 5 - Stretch the flour sack over the backer board of the frame and notice that it was going to need some sort of anchoring to hold it in place.  So, I contemplated just how I should do that.  Should I get some spray adhesive and mount it to the board?  Should I mount it to some sort of cardboard?  Should I give in and cut it up to make it work?
• Step 6 - In the end I decided to run a series of stitches to make it stay in place.  So, the back of it looks like this:

See all the little criss-crossed threads?  It was rather time-consuming.  It was necessary on the sides because the flour sack just barely covered the board when stretched from side-to-side.  Plus, the excess at the top and bottom wanted to bunch-up and not lay flat or to droop when I hung it.

• Step 7 - All-in-all it turned out to be a pretty simple project with a rewarding return for little investment. 

Plus, it has turned into quite a conversation piece. 

I am wondering if I should get a piece of glass to put over the front to help keep it clean. 

What do you think?  Glass or leave it as is?  I'm not really certain.  It is washable but I don't want to wash it unless it is a have-to case because I don't want the printing to wear off.  Here it is in it's finished state:

I love how it carries the primary colors that I use in my kitchen decor.  Here is a shot of the entire wall.

Tried a New Recipe

I tried out a new recipe and it proved to be simple, tasty, and delicious.  It also has fewer calories than the traditional version because instead of frying it is baked.  Yum! 

Baked Chimichangas

Of course, I could think of loads of ways to change it up...like add a side of Mexican or Spanish rice or smother it with a cheese sauce.  Then, there goes the calories I would save in baking instead of frying... 

It was a delicious meal with a side of chopped lettuce topped with some pico and an ear of corn just like it came out.  Look HERE if you want to try the recipe!

Lost!

The other afternoon, I had a stressful, hectic, busy day at work. After leaving my last school for the day, I swung by Publix to pick up a few necessities.  When I got home and toted in a handful of bags, I let Toby out to take care of business.  I toted in another handful of bags.  Then, I went back to get my school bag and purse.  With hands full, I walked round and shut the truck door with my hip, and immediately started calling and looking for Toby.  No show for my black pooch.  So, I started walking and calling - went up to the Mother-in-Law's, to both our barns, and started up the hill to Stephen's.  Mike had gotten in on the search and drove all over the front half of the farm looking and had circled up by Stephen and Bonnie's house, out to the highway, and back down to Jim's barn.  Thinking I would check the back pastures and drive out to the highway to check again, I opened the door of my truck and there he lay in the driver's seat!  I think I have lost my ever-loving mind!

Recent Visitor

Lately I have had a frequent visitor.  I've noticed him several times just wandering round the back yard and checking things out.  One day he brought along a buddy and another day I noticed a lady friend.  When the lady friend was here there was lots of strutting and puffing out to impress her.  Imagine that!

I looked out the other afternoon and there he was...

... just moseying along and checking things out.  He has a similar path each time he visits and just seems to be a bit nosey before wandering on to check out other parts of the world.

Mother's Day Leftovers

No, I'm not cleaning out the fridge...although I probably ought to be. 

I was given a special gift by my daughter-in-law, Bonnie, last year.  It is a framed paper that says I am thankful for... and a dry-erase marker.  It gives folks the opportunity to write something that we are thankful for and is easily changed and updated by simply erasing what is written on the glass with the marker and writing something new. 

Here is what has been on the thankful for... frame since Mother's Day:

It is always wonderful that others are grateful to have us in their lives.  I think...

Luncheon

Before school wrapped up for the year, I had a visitor come and bring me a gourmet lunch from Sonic to share with her.  She had her own personal chauffeur and accountant (her mother). 

The lunch was delicious.  The company was even more so.  There was a little bit of artwork left behind for the girls in the office and me to enjoy as well.