Words for a friend...

Today I am thinking of a friend of whom I love with my entire heart!!  She my person...the one who knows me for all of my faults and still loves me anyway...she is an AMAZING mother/grandmother...she is married to her very best friend...she is forgiving, thoughtful and gracious!! 

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

Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is not think...not worry...not wonder...not imagine...not obsess...just breathe...relax...enjoy...and have faith that everything will work out the way God has planned.

Sweet friendship-

Planning a party-sneak peak

Party Planning is in full swing at my house!  Every evening I have been trying to work on a project (or two) and check it off of my "to do" list.  To me it is the small details that make a party extra special.  Now, I'm not going to give away all of the details of each project (like what I am doing with them) but I really wanted to give you a little sneak peak into what it is that I have been up to. 

These picks started out as stickers and toothpicks...a little scotch tape to be sure they are secure and now I have theme oriented picks for the party...

I love making things personal!!  So I made a couple of banners.  They were so simple!!  I just cut the burlap, used a sharpie marker for the letters and hot glued the pieces to a length of jute...a few ribbons and they are ready...

This is one of my favorite projects.  Fishing poles...made with wooden skewers, twine and Swedish fish.  I just took a needle and threaded the twine through it...pulled the twine through the fish with the needle and tied a knot...on the the pole (skewer) end I wrapped the twine around a few times and tied it up.  They fit the theme perfect...I can't wait to show you how they will be incorporated!!

Party time is approaching fast...I am so excited to do this for my Lo and her sweet baby Noam!!  It is going to be a great weekend!!!  Sweet planning-

Planning a party-The details

Once the invitation has been sent then the rest of the planning can begin to happen.  You now have a theme, time and date for the event.  In the case of Laura's shower we are going to have an open house between the hours of 11 & 1.  Everyone who is invited can come and go as they please...it is a more laid back and simple kind of shower.  Guests can stay the entire time or just pop in for a minute to meet the new baby.

The simplest way to serve food at a party that people will be arriving at different times...is a buffet.  As someone arrives they can grab a plate and mingle with guests.  The only issue with a buffet is being sure to serve food that can sit out and be edible for a 2 hour time period.  That is where it can get a little tricky.

I also like to take my theme into consideration when preparing the food.  I instantly knew that a smore of some kind would have to make the menu!!  After all you can't go camping without one.  When I begin planning an event I just take a piece of paper and start writing down ideas...brainstorming things that I think might work for the event and in this case I looked on Pinterest.  It is such a great way to get awesome ideas.

For the food I decided that because sandwiches might get soggy I would go with a tortilla wrap.  I can make two different varieties and cut them into single servings.  I want to keep all of my food easy to handle...so I think that I will serve fruit salad and veggies with dip in individual cups to make grabbing them soooo simple. 

For dessert (my favorite part!!!!!) I like to have a variety of options.  Different flavors and texture combinations to please everyone invited.  In this case I am going to put my own spin on the smore, make a citrus bar and a cupcake.  All taste buds should be satisfied by something...I also have ideas for making them EXTRA special (I can't wait to share!!!)!!

Decorating is another part of planning a party.  I think simple is best!!  A fun food table and few other simple items can set the scene well without going overboard (although I am known to do this).  I am going to use some of my old items with pine cones, lanterns and other items you might find on a camp out or hiking trip. 

For favors I had thought about decorating a sugar cookie for each guest but there is NO time!!  Instead I am going to mix up a custom Trail Mix for everyone to take home with them.  I will package them up in a cute way and display them.  

I think that I had better get busy...Sunday is fast approaching!!  I look forward to sharing the party and every detail with you next week.  Sweet planning-

Weekly Thoughts-Week 39

Week 39-The quickest way for a mom to get her children's attention is to sit down and look comfortable or to make a phone call.

Is this true or what???!!!  As my kids get older it doesn't seem to be the case quite as much but when they were younger...now that's a different story.  The minute you sit down or take a phone call is the moment they need something urgently!!  Fights erupt...someone gets hurt...they might die of dehydration...they need help in the bathroom...they have something pressing to tell you...whatever it is that your child does...you fill in the blank.  I'm sure most parents can relate to this one!!  "No rest for the wicked," is what my mom always says...but I say, "no rest for poor mommy"!!  Sweet attention-

Our newest addition...

If you have been reading my blog for a while then you know that early in the summer my kids and I lost our bestest friend and sweetest little man...Jack...

It has been a long summer without him and I have really been wondering when/if there would be a good time to add a new member to our family.  Seriously...the heartache of loosing Jack completely rocked our world!!  The void that he has left in our house could only be replaced by a VERY special puppy.

Well...I'm happy to announce that we have found her...

Her name is Sage (after MUCH deliberation) and she (next to Jack) has the cutest little face I may have ever set my eyes on.  We picked her up in Central Point over the weekend and were instantly in love!  The permanent smiles on the kids faces says it all...

Welcome to the family precious baby girl....Sweet Sage-

Thursday Thoughts-Week 38

Week 38-Today is a new day!!

Today marks the day in which I take back my maiden name of Albertson. 

Today I am officially June Anne Albertson...AGAIN!! 

I have to say that I have really went back and forth on changing it.  My children have their father's last name (as they should) and so I worried that changing my name back would disconnect me from them.  When I was first divorced I thought that I would always keep my married name unless I was lucky enough to find someone to marry again...but time passes and feelings change.  Lately I have had a need and want to move on from the marriage that has drug me face first through the mud!! 

 I have also realized that my last name does not define my relationship with my sweet babies...they know who their MAMA is!! 

For some strange reason changing my name back to Albertson gives me a chance to be myself again and not be weighed down by the residue of a failed marriage.  It was something I needed to do for me and lets face it...as a mom we don't get a lot of opportunity to do that.  After talking to my children and taking time to explain my reasoning in doing this, we (my kids and I) decided that it was the right thing to do. 

I am happy today...I am at peace today...I am glad that today is a new day and that I have my new/old last name. 

Sweet Albertson-

Planning a party-The invitation

In a couple of weeks I will be hosting a baby shower (open house) for my sweet cousin Laura and her new and precious baby Noam.  When planning a party of any kind I always like to start with a theme or general direction of the event.  I do this by taking into consideration the person that I am planning the party for and take it from there. 

Laura is a registered nurse who is married to her first love and man of her dreams...Chase.  They live in the country on a beautiful family farm (where they were married).  They love everything outdoors...camping...hiking...nature in general.  So it was easy for me to take that and make it the theme. 

For me the first impression of any party is the invitation.  It sets the tone and gives people a glimpse into what they can expect.  It is good to give as much information as possible on the invitation so that those invited have clear knowledge of the details. 

Here is the invitation I chose for Laura's Open House...

It covers all of the bases...

1. It is cute

2. The theme is set

3. It is Simple

4. All details are given.

  So the first step of planning is finished.  On to decorations and food...those posts are to come. 

 Sweet details-

Peanut Butter and Fudge Bars

Last week I showed you photos of the Hog Feed that I hosted for the high school football teams.  One of the desserts that I made were Peanut Butter and Fudge Bars...drool!!  Most kids love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate so I knew this would be a good choice and although I usually like to try a recipe out before I serve it to a crowd...there was NO time!!!  Luckily they turned out perfect and were SO stinkin simple to put together.

To make the Peanut Butter layers all you need is a yellow cake mix, 1/2 cup of melted butter or margarine, 2 eggs and 1 cup of peanut butter...

Mix the four ingredients together and press it into a greased 9x13 pan, being sure to reserve 1 1/2 cups for the topping...

For the fudge layer you will need 1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, 2 Tablespoons of butter or margarine and 2 teaspoons of vanilla...

Combine the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and margarine in a saucepan over medium heat until melted.  Once the mixture is melted then remove from heat and add 2 teaspoons of vanilla and combine.

Pour this over the the peanut butter crust and crumble the remaining peanut butter mix over the chocolate layer...

Bake in a preheated 325° oven for 25 minutes (do not over bake).  Cool and cut into desired portions.

I have to admit that the boys didn't eat a whole lot of dessert...they were more into the meat and potatoes (crazy I know).  I may have ate a 1/2 the pan few myself, so take by word when I say this to you...THEY WERE AMAZING.  So delicious and because they the base for the recipe is a cake mix they came together in no time.  A definite "Make Again" recipe.  Sweet fudge-

Kids Bathroom Project...

At the beginning of the summer one of my sweetest friends (Tonette) brought me a gallon of green (Water can-True Value, to be exact) paint that she had leftover from painting her home.  It has literally been sitting my the front door since the evening that she brought it over.  I have looked at it, moved it to sweep and contemplated getting to it for the ENTIRE summer!!  The fact is that I am not a great painter...I have to be in the mood to paint...I love the end result but hate the process!!  Well, for some strange and crazy reason I was in the mood to get it done yesterday.  I had a thousand other things that needed to be taken care of but if I was in the mood to paint then I had better just get at it!!  So I did...

Here is the kids bathroom in its before state.  Can you say white??

It is small to say the least but I love the moulding around the top of ceiling.  It is a great architectural element...

This is the opposite wall.  Two hooks and a blank canvas...

Three hours later and I love the end result...

The lighting is a bit terrible in this room but the wall really is painted green.  I added an old  frame and wreath to finish the wall and give the illusion of a window...

For a little added storage and an antique look I hung an old wooden crate above the toilet area.  A few accessories and it was complete...

Because there really isn't much storage in this bathroom I decided to use a wooden box to hold some of the kids neccesities...

It feels good to have another room checked off of my "to do" list.  That makes a three out of 9...I really need to get busy and win the lottery (too bad I don't play).  Sweet improvements-

Hog Feed...

Last night my family and I hosted the first "Hog Feed" of the football season for 50 + hungry football players and the all important staff!!  I am a mom who likes to volunteer and be involved with my sweet babies and their activities.  When they were younger I committed myself to EVERYTHING and lets face it...when you are a mom who is running a household, working and trying to keep it together...over-commitment can mean burnout, loss of sleep and a crabby mommy.  For this reason I now try to choose my volunteering wisely.  I commend the parents out there that seem to do it ALL...I have learned my limits.

I started the planning by compiling the menu.  What do you feed ravenous boys who just came from a two-hour practice??  Meat and potatoes...of course!!  Luckily my dad is a barbecue extraordinaire...I knew the tri-tip would be perfect!  To make it easier on my mom & I we preassembled 3 large pans of cheesy potatoes the night before the big game.

The day of the dinner my sweet sista Amus and I set up the hall on our lunch.  We put up 7 tables in a circle (so that the team could feel together) and covered every table with either a blue or gold plastic table cover (from the Dollar Store).  A few additional decorations and the tables were ready... 

Later in the afternoon it was just a matter of the final setup, food prep and serving the grub. 

The food table-

Tri-Tip, Cheesy scalloped potatoes, green salad and rolls...

The dessert table-

Chocolate sheet cake (thank you Susan), Peanut butter and fudge bars (recipe next week), Rice Krispie Treats and football shaped Oreos...

The drink table-

We served Iced tea, Lemonade, Milk and Ice water.  I decorated the table with the tray that I made into chalkboard and a photo from 07' (I think) with a handful of the boys at a camp...

It was a total success and I enjoyed the evening so very much.  What an awesome group of boys!!  Here are a few of my favorite shots...

All I had to say was it was ready and the line formed in about 1.1 seconds...

Tater and his Papa B...

Dinner Time...

 

A little game of football...

Good Luck tonight Honkers!!  Sweet victory-

Cappuccino Brownies

For my Tale's birthday she REALLY wanted me to make her Cappuccino Brownies and it just didn't happen.  So because I am a mom and an Albertson (guilt is born in us) I have been feeling a little guilty about it and I decided to make them for her this last week. 

The very first time I ever made them was for my friend Jenn's birthday and they were an instant hit.  I love using Jenn's birthday as an excuse to try a new and delicious recipe.  Her birthday is next month and I am already brainstorming...let me know if you have any ideas & welcome to my crazy mind!

I just have to say that personally I believe that BROWNIES ARE THE BOMB!!!  A. They are chocolate  B. They are soft and chewy  C. They can be dolled up with amazing ingredients  D. They are handheld  E.  Almost everyone I know loves them!!!  Add a little cappuccino frosting and some chocolate covered coffee beans and I don't even have the words to describe the heavenliness these puppies will provide!!

To make them I just used a basic fudge brownie mix.  I always use an additional box because I like them to be thick.  Bake them according to instructions but don't over bake!!  I truly believe that the key to an amazing brownie is chewiness!!

For the frosting I first added 1 teaspoon of instant coffee granules to 1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream.  Be sure to stir until the granules are dissolved.  In a mixer combine 1 cup of powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of margarine/butter until combined and then add the coffee/cream mixture and stir until you have an amazing frosting.

This is what my jar of coffee granules looks like...

Spread frosting over cooled brownies and then begin the chocolate gauche.  In a small sauce pan combine 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips with 1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream and stir on med/low heat until completely melted.  Pour and spread over the coffee frosting layer.  Let it cool for just a few minutes and then top with coffee beans if desired.

Remember to let them cool completely and to cut with a plastic knife.  These brownies are perfectly delicious...I definitely recommend you run home and make them today!!!  Sweet cappuccino-

Wednesday Thoughts-Week 37

Ok, ok...I know that last week I might have taken out a ton little aggression when I posted my weekly thought.  I tried to keep it subtle and tasteful while still getting my point across to a few individuals...the truth is that it is what it is and that is that (ya that what she said)...moving on!!

Week 37- You are confined only by the walls you build yourself.

I find myself holding myself back a lot (do you?).  I have built walls for myself that sometimes limit where my life goes.  For instance:  A few weeks ago I ran a 5K...I realize that is only 3.1 miles but to me it was something huge!!  I have always told myself that I was not a runner and so the wall was up and for years it kept me from going for it.  The last few years have taught me a lot of life lessons and one of them is that I am strong enough to do anything that I put my mind to.  So when I made my list of things I wanted to accomplish at the beginning of the year, running a 5K was on the top of list.  I broke down the wall that I had built and hit the asphalt.  After a summer of training a few days a week I achieved my goal, learned that I do like to run and realized that confining myself was not an option anymore!!  Sweet limits-

Flying the Blue and Gold...

This Friday night is Tater's first high school HOME football game.  I am prepping for it this week in a couple of ways.  First of all my Mom and I are hosting the "HOG FEED" on Thursday night (with the help of some other sweet mamas).  It is a dinner that parents do the night before home games to get the players together, feed them some great grub and get them pumped up!!  More details of the night will follow soon.  Then I decided that I needed to do a little something at home.  So to get in the spirit I decided to spruce up the front entry of my house. 

I started by making over the wreath outside.  Now it is covered in blue, gold and football ribbon along with a pendant I made that says "HONKERS"...

Then I purchased a yellow mum (from my favorite place-Bloomers) and nested it in a galvanized bucket that I found at an estate sale a few months back for almost nothing.  It not only screams fall but it also matches the color scheme perfectly...

To the plant that I already had on my garden chair I added another pendant with the #77.  I attached it to two wooden skewers and stuck it into the plant.  A little more ribbon and the addition of one of Tater's footballs completes the look...

We are officially ready for the big game.  Watch out Burns!!!  Sweet football-

What a weekend...

My weekend was FULL to say the least.  In fact you know that you have had a good one when you need to go back to work to relax! 

It began Friday nights with Tater's first High School football game. 

Tater's and coach...

Making the block...

Then it was on to soccer on Saturday morning.

Lanie is in the middle getting ready to kick the ball...

Tuff Trucks in Tulelake were next on the agenda.

Darby and his first jump...

Amus and GeGe enjoying the show...

Sunday was an 11th birthday celebration for sweet Harley.

Making a wish...

1/2 Duck colors and 1/2 Beavers colors...

I love spending time with family and friends...it really made the weekend a special one.

Sweet weekend-

Teenage Room Make-over Part 2

In my world making over a room is a process...sometimes a longer process than I had hoped for.  I still have a little sewing to do, a headboard to make and a painting project but the good news it that she is moved in.  Once all of the painting was finished I put her room back together...the poor girl needs somewhere to rest her extra tired head!

I hung a curtain rod that I already had above the window and the shower curtains that we purchased at Target were hung with shower curtain rings that match the rod...

It ended up being such a great idea...for $30.00 Tales has an amazing set of curtains that frame the window and match the paint perfectly.

Then I started moving furniture in.  I flanked the bed with two white cubbies that she already had in her room before.  The new bedding really pulls the look together...

To each of the side tables I added the yellow place mats and lamps (which were also purchased at Target).  I think they really balance the wall and give it such a grown up look...

To update the mirror that she already had I added some coordinating ribbon...

Tales is already loving her chalkboard closet doors.  They are so fun and so easy to change...

So far the room is really coming together!  I'm excited to get it finished and move on to my next project!!  Sweet process-

Thursday Thoughts-Week 36

Alright...so I think that I may have already posted something similar to this earlier in the year but after this weekend I just really need to say it again...

Week 36- Everyone comes into your life for a reason...
                 Some to make you happy, improve your life and make you better person...
                 Others to teach you a lesson, question your trust and to remind you that
                 nobody can take your self respect and values from you.

First of all I just want to say that I am so very thankful for the AMAZING peeps that I have in my life right now!!  I am truly blessed beyond words!!  To the others (and you know who you are)...lesson learned...karma will be visiting you someday very soon!  Sweet Karma-

Birthday & Back to School-

Summer 2012 has officially been put to rest and school has started.  My sweet babies headed off to the 7th and 9th grades this year (tears).  With the closing of the Daly Middle School that means that both are headed to the High School (more tears).  As I think about them growing up I need to stop for a moment to remember how much they have grown...

Taters...

Tales...

Today is also a huge day at my home because this little guy...

Is now 15 years old and not so little anymore...

Soon he will be taking his permit test and driving me around...YIKES!!  I will be sure to let all of you know when to be on the lookout!!  Sweet 15-