Antiques and the "B" Word

I love to go antique shopping.  I should rephrase that, I love going antique shopping sans my children.  When I go antiquing with my kids, I will find myself saying something like..."Hey, get off of that 100 year old rocking chair!!!"  Or, "No you may not have jewelry from the 50's.  I'm sorry, I know you like it, but the answer is no."  Yes, I am a mean mom, but you gotta draw the line somewhere. 

There is this other problem that I have when I go antique shopping.  I have to go shopping with a "B".  Yes, you know the one...a budget.  (Insert dramatic music)  I do love looking at all the wonderful antiques and have even picked up and carried around a certain piece but ultimately go put it back.  It's not that my husband hasn't given me the go ahead to buy something.  It is that I always try to rationalize the purchase and well, when it comes to an antique ultimately I decide there are other things that I could spend the money on. 

I have to get over this predicament because I have let go of some really wonderful old things.  Here are a few of the things that I have picked up before talking myself out of it.

 

I love old gameboards.  I know that this one isn't too old, but I love it.  I love the red and the green and the net pockets on it.  Eventually, I would love to have a whole wall filled with gameboards.  I know that is a weird dream, but you know, weird dreams for a weird girl.

Isn't this old rolling pin the coolest?  It has so much character.  Can you imagine how much pie crust this puppy has rolled out?  Or how many loaves of bread it has seen?  

Crocks!  Man, I do love crocks.  I saw this one at a consignment store.  There wasn't a price tag on it, so I had to call the store clerk over.  I looked it over, one side and down the other.  It is certainly not perfect, but I knew that I was going to get it.  Then I continued walking around the store and again talked myself out of it.  My grandparents (Meme and Papa) were with us on that day.  Papa saw me eyeing it, and as we were getting ready to leave I told him I decided against it.  He decided that I needed it and got it for me.  This crock has a sweet story to go with it!  I would love to have crocks in every room of my house, but alas I will just have to dream.     

Thanks for stopping by,
Carrie

Pet Peeves

We all got 'em.  Something that completely throws us off of our game.  Something that drives us crazy.  Something that could send us over the edge.  I have a few.  I don't go off on a huge rant, but these silly little quirks can make me bonkers.  I usually just smile and fix whatever it is that is wrong and try to go on about my day.  Here are a few of mine...


1.  Messy toothpaste tube
Sadly, I am probably the biggest offender of this pet peeve.  It irks me to no end when I, I mean someone else, leaves toothpaste coming out of the tube and then caps it thus making the cap all gross.  Geez, the nerve of some people.


2.  Toothpaste leftovers in the sink
After you brush your pearly whites, please go ahead and rinse the rest of your toothpaste down the sink. Please.


3.  Shaved whiskers left in the sink
So gross.  I can't stand it when someone leaves stubble in the sink.  Rinse it on down, make it go completely away.  I don't want to look at it when I am brushing my teeth.

Huh, I must have issues with toothpaste and sink hygiene.  I learn something new about myself everyday. 


4.  Putting a wet towel back in the drawer
A certain someone does this in our house.  After he washes his hands at the kitchen sink, he pulls out a clean hand towel, dries his hands, and then shoves it back into the drawer.  ACK!!!! 
I called him out on it and now he does it just to spite me.  In fact, he smiles and makes sure he has my attention when he shoves it back into the drawer.


5.  Sour towels
Ugh!!  I hate drying off after a shower only to realize that the towel is sour and musty.  Is it just me or does it leave a smell of yuck all over your body?  It is one of those smells that clings to my nose, and I just can't get rid of it.  I absolutely detest sour towels and sour clothes.

Those are a few of my pet peeves.  Do you have any?  Is there something that makes you want to throw your hands up in the air and yell, I QUIT?  Or is there an annoying habit that someone does that makes you want to pull all your eyelashes out?

That is it.  I'm done.  I'm climbing off of my soapbox now.
Carrie

Sorry, time flies...

Good grief!!!  Where has the time gone?  It is the end of April.  How did that happen?  When did that happen?  How does time get lost so easily?  I really haven't had that much going on either.  Just keeping up with my daughter's schoolwork, chasing after a 2 1/2 year old ornery little boy, cleaning up after everyone, and cooking has kept me busy.

We made a quick trip to our family's homes for Easter.  It is so nice that both sides of the family are so close together.  The kids get to see both sets of grandparents in one trip.  I am so thankful that we don't have to pick and choose who gets to see who and at what time.  On our quick trip the kids were able to ride horses, throw rocks into the water, and get spoiled like no other.  Seriously, it is ridiculous, the way their grandparent's spoil them...I guess I wouldn't have it any other way though.  That is what grandparents are for, right?  It is their reward for not killing their own children.

When I was driving down through the hills about an hour away from our family's homes, I saw a beautiful canola field bursting with yellow flowers.  I got so excited because I knew that I would see more the closer I got to Oklahoma.  Sure enough, I did.  We passed by this field on our way to go eat, and I told my mother-in-law that we HAD to take pictures here.  It just spoke to me.

Then, I made my youngest get out there so I could try to take his picture.  He usually doesn't sit or stand still for that matter.  My mother-in-law had the idea of making him stand on a bucket.  Maybe he would stand still long enough to get a good shot, maybe.  It worked, we got a few before he became restless.

I tried several shots with my daughter, but ultimately my mother-in-law got the best one of her.  My daughter seems to be going through a self-conscious stage.  I couldn't get her to give me a genuine smile.  They all seemed too forced.  This one seems to capture her completely.

Then I tried to get a pic of them together.  That always seems almost impossible.  If he is looking towards me, she is not.  If she is smiling, he has got his finger up his nose.  You can see how this proved to be a difficult task.  This is the best that we got.  I think it is a pretty good one though. 

Finally, I was really mean and made my daughter walk out in the canola that was up to her chest to get this shot.  To be fair, I lead the way so she didn't do it alone. 

Interesting side note...

Did you know that walking in blooming canola can get you really gross and dirty?  Our clothes had this yellowish-green tint to them.  I think it was worth it though.

Thanks for stoppin' by,

Carrie

One of my most embarrassing moments...

It was back in my junior high years.  Those years where you are trying to figure out who you really are.  Your day was made if a high schooler said hi to you.

Storm season had set in.  We lived on the farm and the closest town (population 20, 30 if you include pets) was at most 2 miles away.  We had a large basement and since not everybody had a hidey-hole for bad weather, our door was always open.  On this particular night, there were several lines of storms.  Our preacher and his family had already been out to our house waiting out the storm.  The storm had passed and night had set in. 

I was in my room getting ready for bed.  I had my jammies on, which was just a t-shirt   I had the radio on and was sprawled across my bed listening to it.  I am certain I was flipping through the latest teen magazine.  They were interrupting almost every song to give an update on where the storm was and where it was heading.  Turns out, it was heading straight for us.  I was certain that it was my job to save my family from the impending storm.  I hopped off my bed and yelled for dad.  I rounded the hall and darted into the living room, yelling the entire time that the storm was coming.  Then I looked up and saw my dad.  He had just let the preacher, his wife, and two high school aged boys in the front door.  I turned every color imaginable and ran the other direction.  I ran back to my room and decided that I wasn't going to come out ever.  The storm could take me away with my flushed cheeks.  I contemplated changing religions and decided from there on out it was flannel jammies for me. 

Luckily for me, the storm ended up turning at the last moment and we didn't have to go to the basement with the preacher and his family. 

Over and out,
Carrie

Spring Surprises

I have found one fun thing about moving in the middle of winter.  I am certain that there is only one because moving in the dead of winter is just the pits.  It is cold.  Moving boxes and furniture into your house with your husband is always soooo much fun (insert eye roll).  Add ice and snow on the ground and you have a whole new fun dynamic to work with.  


On the positive side, you get spring surprises in your flower bed.  I just love these spring surprises.

Then, I got real up close and personal.  Please excuse me while the flowers and I have a little together time.

Sorry, I know not what I do.  They are just real beauts!!!

On the other side of our front porch, these Hens and Chicks came out to play. 

They are just so cute. 

I want badly to be a gardener.  I try every year, but unfortunately I just wind up killing whatever I planted (or potted for that matter).  I got the curse of the black thumb.  Maybe because these were planted by someone else they will survive and thrive, maybe, please?!?!?!?!

There are other plants greening up in my flower bed, but they haven't bloomed yet.  I can't wait to see what comes to be.

The black thumbed momma,
Carrie 

The Machine Shed

Mother's Day Weekend '10

When we moved to Illinois, we were completely and totally new to the area.  Being new, we wanted to see what all was around us.  We wanted to experience it completely.  We are BIG foodies and to experience the area it is necessary to try out all the food options.  It was one Saturday, I am certain it was raining...it seemed that it was always raining there.  We decided to head to the Quad Cities and mess around.  Of course this meant trying out a new food spot.  We decided to head to The Machine Shed.  We walked in and I knew that we were in for a treat.  It smelled wonderful and the decor, oh the decor, it was so wonderfully homey.  I felt back at home on the farm.  There were old signs, old farmers hats, aprons, overalls...I was just a puddle of warm goo. 

Our first meal at The Machine Shed was lunch.  They served us family style...family size bowl of cottage cheese and applesauce to pass around.  I love chicken fried steak and I knew that that was what was going to make or break this place.  Guess what...they passed!!!  This country girl approved of their chicken fried steak.  Their pie looked absolutely amazing.  I wish, oh how I wish, I would have had room to try it.  Alas, I had already let out my jeans.  There was absolutely no way that I was going to be able to eat it. 

We had tried their lunch, now we needed to try their breakfast.  Another weekend came around and we loaded up the kids to drive the hour to get there.  Sure enough, we were oh so glad that we went.  Their cinnamon rolls were out of this world.  I preferred the pecan caramel cinnamon roll.  They were huge.  Our entire family could easily make a meal out of one.  Everything was delicious.  So simple, but sooo good.  The Machine Shed has a special phrase that if you said it, you would receive an extra egg on your plate.  "I love eggs!!!"  Clint and his father (when they came to visit) loved this!!!!  They would say the phrase and would often say the phrase for me or my mother-in-law so they could get our extra egg too.  What can I say, they love eggs!!!

I soooo love The Machine Shed.  I miss it so much.  It was such a fun family thing to do together.  Load up and drive the hour to eat home-cooked food that reminded us of the farm.  I believe they have 6 restaurants, 2 in Iowa, 1 in Minnesota, 1 in Illinois, and 2 in Wisconsin.  If you are so lucky to be living close to one of these restaurants, run, don't walk, and get some goooood food.  You will not be disappointed.  If you are traveling to this area...perhaps touring the John Deere plant, please stop there to grab a bite to eat.  You will be glad that you stopped; however, you may need a nap after eating a meal here.  So, please, plan your schedule accordingly.

Thanks for stopping by,
Carrie

FYI:  The Machine Shed does not know me.  I am just a country girl that loves their home-cooked food.