Friday...and...I Finally Finished it!

Happy Friday Y'all!  Thank GOD it's been a fast week!  I am so ready for the weekend!
Last night, I made the BEST supper.  When I was younger, my mama would make BBQ Chicken often.  She made her own BBQ Sauce and used ketchup and pepsi to make it.  Sweet, tangy and awesome!
We called it Poor Folks BBQ Chicken....
Anyway...I wanted to do the same thing last night, but we didn't have any Pepsi...only some Diet Cola
(off-store brand), and I didn't think that would taste the same....
So....I used ketchup, Dr. Pepper, salt/pepper and Soul Food Seasoning.
Y'all...it was Absolutley Amazing!  Here's three pictures of supper last night...just because I'm obsessed with showing my food...
#1:  Homemade Mashed Potatoes
(with butter, milk and Duke's Mayo)


Absolutely  Amazing BBQ Chicken

The last of my green beans from our garden, year before last.  I hope ours make it this year and the deer stay away!


So....I don't know if you remember or not, but I bought this ugly, plain black sweater at my local thrift shop for $1.50.  It has taken me two weeks
(of working off and on)
to finally have all of my little fabric yo-yos made.  So....here it is...


With a matching headband to boot too! 

Also, I took some of my old clip-on earrings and made real rings last night.  I love these earrings and I've had them stored in a little tub/bucket forever.  I have fun looking for them at yard sales, thrift shops, flea markets, etc.  I spent a few minutes with my daddy last night and was taught how to use the grinder tool at his shop.  I took wire cutters and popped off the clip parts, then ground them down so they'd be nice and smooth and then attached the ring blank to the back of the earring.  I brought them to school today and my girlie girl students have thought they were rockin'.  I can't bring myself to sell them though, because I've had some of these earrings since like forever.  Anyway...don't you think they're adorable?

I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! I think we're going to do some re-arranging and cleaning at The Doublewide this weekend after our trip to the Flea Market nearby.  I hear there's a lady there selling cute jewelry really cheap and I'm all about a great bargain!!

Trash to Treasure!

Hey Y'all!
Oh...I have been DYING to get on here and show y'all what I did yesterday! 
I went to our local thrift shop and found this ugly (well--I thought it was) bucket and paid $1.00 for it.  It was begging to come home with me....and I knew just what I wanted to do with it!  Here's the bucket before:

And here she is after!

I know, right?!
So, now I had to go to Hobby Lobby last night to look for more buckets to play with.  I did find some and they were on sale for 1/2 off!  WOOOHOO!
If I get the 6 done that I bought last night, I'll go back sometime this week and buy more!  I think they're cute!
Tell me....if you had one, what would you use it for?
(hint...hint...)
Also, I am rolling laughing at myself today.  You know, it is good to laugh AT yourself every now and then.
I'm one of those people that when I get an idea in my head of something I want to do, I will NOT stop until I get it done.  Whether it's going to Hobby Lobby in the middle of a downpour just to buy buckets, or getting something put up on the wall that I can't reach so I'll aggravate the fire out of Big Daddy until he gets it done, or if it's getting a hair cut so that I am near bald because the one before it wasn't just quite right?!
Yup...that's me...
Anyway...I made this collage a few minutes ago.  Three hairstyles within One Month...Pathetic... 

Anyway...I hope you have a great day!  I've got to work on my fabric yo-yos so that I can get to wear my sweater tomorrow!
Have an awesome day!

Ice Cream After Church on Sunday Night....It's a Tradition!

Hey Y'all!  I hope you had a wonderful weekend!  As usual, our weekend went by way too fast!  Since Robbie was spending the night with Pop Pop and Mi Mi Friday night, I took advantage of having the TV to myself.  I ended up turning the lamp off at 2:30 AM and slept on the couch.  I did catch up on everything I've had DVR'd at least!  Since I stayed up so late, it was too hard to get up and hit the yard sales.  Big Daddy woke up early, and was outside doing the weed-eating at 6:30 AM--and I never even heard him!
Lucky for him, right?  hee hee
After church on Sunday night, we all decided to go to Tony's Ice Cream.  Click on that link and read all of the awesome history about the place and why everyone from these parts HAS to have it!!  Here's our friend, Kasey in Tony's last night.

                                     

Here's Mr. Blue Eyes himself!  Me and him HAVE to have our corn dogs when we get ice cream!  Their corn dogs will absolutely melt in your mouth!
                                             
Big Daddy enjoying his Cheeseburger and fries!  Check out those HUGE ice cream cones on top of a freezer in the background!

                                              
My sister, Doodah, (Amanda), has to show you her milkshake!

Chad tips his cup to you too!


And I'll eat this spoonful of my banana milkshake and wish you were here to enjoy it all with us!

                                          
So, the next time you're in Gastonia, give us a holler and we'll come chat with you while we all eat the BEST ice cream in the ENTIRE world!
Have a great week!

Hey Y'all!  I am SO glad it's Friday that I almost can't stand myself right now! 
Last night, Robbie spent the night with his Pop Pop and Mi Mi and will also be spending the night with them tonight.  They're buying him a Wii tonight...oh lawsamercy...
We went to Long Creek Fish Camp last night with the family.  Had a BLAST and got my belly good and full!  If you're not lucky enough to live in the south and get good fish camp eating, I'm sorry.  I'm sure your figure is glad, but oh, what your tastebuds are missing out on!
Anyway...I meant to take my camera inside to snap some pictures of how lovely my plate was, but I didn't.  So, I'll have to leave that to your imagination.
Now....here's what I've been up to lately...
First of all...I posted on Facebook earlier, that I wanted to get a haircut because I was tired of looking like Peppermint Patty!  So, I did...and it feels so much better!

Then, I have been stuck reading other people's blogs during my freetime.  There are so many people who have such wonderful blogs...makes me jealous!
Like for instance, I found out how to make a needle notebook  on a blog.  Her pictures and directions were clear and I enjoyed making it!


Inside view so that you can see where you put your needles...no more sticking them at the top of a lampshade, right mama?

Next, I found this sweater at the local thrift shop here in town for $1.50.  I cut it down the front middle and sewed it so that now I have a cute, sweater/jacket with short sleeves to wear over a tank-top. 


This weekend, I hope to make enough little fabric yo-yo's to put down the front...I think it would be dah-ling!


I've also started working on making a pair of capri pajama britches out of an old sheet I found at Goodwill.  Oooh...I can't wait to finish these up and lounge around The Doublewide in them!  So soft and comfy!!  All I have left to do is hem them and add the elastic to the waist!


I have no idea what my plans are for this gorgeous top!  It was a size large, and well, let's face it...I can only get one arm in the blessed thang, so I keep looking at it and trying to decide what I want to do with it!  All of the sequins and beads that cover the front of it...such gorgeous colors and patterns! I guess I could make a pillow, but I don't know if that's REALLY what I want to do with it, but since I bought it for only $1.50, we'll see!



On another blog, I found the step-by-step directions for making this "ribbons and pearls" necklace.  It was fun making it!  The pearls are pale pink and the ribbon is black.  It's much prettier on than it is lying flat...trust me!

Martha Stewart and Queen Latifah taught me how to make a necklace out of an old t-shirt this week.  I DVR Ms. Martha.  Sometimes I LOVE her episodes and other times she irritates the fire outta me.  She has this bad, awful, rude, stinky habit of talking over her guests...and that really gets on my nerves!

Big Daddy has been on a big diet since Feb. 11th...up to this point, he has lost 43 pounds!  I am so proud of him!  He weighs in monthly and is going to a Diet/Nutrition Clinic to get weight loss help. 
Now...since Robbie will be spending the night with Pop Pop and Mi Mi again tonight, I have to plan something special for Big Daddy.  Maybe we'll go see a movie or something.
I really hope too, that I can get up in the morning so that I can go to some Yard Sales!  I have so much fun doing that and I always think I'm going to find a TREASURE!  Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't, right?!
Anyway...whatever you chose to do this weekend, enjoy it!

My Sister's Birthday Present

                                                                              

Hey Y'all!  Last Thursday I posted about making these flowers and how I hoped to be able to show you what I did with them....
I googled quotes about sisters and picked my favorite.  Then I wrote it on some muslin and did embroidery in dark brown.  I found an old picture frame at our local thrift shop awhile back for $2.00 and I spray painted it black.
Then I added the flowers at the bottom and it was finished.  I just thought about doing it on Thursday morning and had to have it finished by Thursday night.  It's not perfect, there's too much space in between the writing and the flowers, but I made it for my sister and she loved getting it as much as I loved making it for her!
Doing embroidery like that is so much fun.  It personalizes the piece because it's YOUR handwriting instead of somebody else's.  If you do this type of craft, I recommend doing your own handwriting and rolling with it.  Years down the road, hopefully, someone will say, "My great-great grandmother embroidered this herself and it's in her handwriting!"
Seems to me that it makes it THAT much more special!
Y'all have a great day today!
I'm taking Robbie to the library after school to get our weekly 21 books! (3 per night..no exceptions..hee hee)

Back In The Day.....

Hey Y'all!  I hope you had a wonderful weekend!  We sure did!
I was looking through some old, and boy I do mean O-to-the-L-D pictures that are on this computer.  Thought I'd share a few of them with you today for my post!
This is from Easter Weekend, my freshman year of college.  All four girls came home with me to spend the weekend at my grandparents house.  My Pappaw Fred had quite a collection of hats, and we took advantage of it!  In case you can't find Waldo, I'm the one kneeling.

Another pic of times in the music building at Mars Hill College.  I'm the one having my face smashed/hidden.

Me and Mammaw.  Taken before dimentia set in....

Me and my sister, Amanda.  This was taken at Big Daddy's suprise 30th birthday party

Me and Big Daddy in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park...a total stranger took this for us!

Me and Big Daddy chillaxin....Oh how I adore this picture!

Robbie's 1 year pictures....one of my favorites!  Couldn't you just gnaw those chubby cheeks off?

Big Daddy and Robbie on St. Patricks Day, 2008
Pumpkin Patch--October 2009

Thanks for taking a trip with me down memory lane.  Which picture is your favorite?

Flower Power

Hey Y'all!

Today will be a LONG day for me.  It's Parent Conference Days in our School System.  Today is a day for parents to come and meet with their children's teachers to check progress as the school year draws to an end.
I'm pretty lucky since most kids do really well in my classes.  They enjoy "hands-on" projects like sewing, cooking, etc. so their grades are usually better here than in their math or language arts classes.
Regardless, I have to stay at school until 7:00 PM tonight---and today is my sister's birthday.  She is turning 33 today!  Hopefully we'll all go eat something REALLY good for supper tonight to help celebrate!
I've been busy working on some different fabric flowers.  I've been looking online for different tutorials and have been having so much fun making these fun cuties!

Hopefully nobody's parents will show up to see me this afternoon....maybe I can finish this project and be able to show you tomorrow!
Have a great day today!

You Ain't From Around Here, Are Ya?!

Hey Y'all! 
Last week was our Spring Break here at The Doublewide.  Thanks to Facebook, I have reconnected with lots of old friends from high school and college.
One of my friends in particular, is Freddie.  I met Freddie when we were new freshmen at Mars Hill College back during the fall of 1989.  We were both music majors--he in music performance and I in music education.  (Obviously, my major changed to education in general...just didn't want to confuse anyone!)

I'm in the middle and Freddie is on the left.
He was hilarious and I knew from the beginning that we were gonna be great friends.  He and I had a lot in common...mainly our love for all things country!  I'm telling you..we were in a college in the North Carolina Mountains, but were surrounded by Yankees who made fun of the south and our accents! (hee-hee) Now, if you're a Yankee--I won't hold it against you...I PROMISE!  But don't come to where I live, and make fun of MY people, and our traditions to my face and expect me to say nothing!  If it was sooo good up North, why are you HERE?!  I-95 runs both ways, my friend.  Seriously though, I'm very proud of my heritage, my ancestry, my family and my community.  I don't take too kindly to people being negative and talking SMACK. If you "ain't from these parts", we already can tell.  YOUR accent is the one that's foreign, not ours.  Welcome to The South Pal....Love it or Leave it! 
So last week, Big Daddy, Robbie and I went to see  Freddie and his wife Kay.  They live near Pigeon Forge, TN and I couldn't wait to see them.  Freddie and I haven't seen each other since Mother's Day, 1993, when we both graduated from college.  I'd never even laid eyes on Kay, but had talked to her on the phone enough to know that I liked her already.  We arrived late Monday night and stayed until Thursday morning.
Lots of eatin', laughin', shoppin', Wii-Playin', Weenie-Roastin', went on and I must say that I felt so much at home staying with them.
You should really hear Freddie play the piano and sing.  God has really given him a tremendous talent!
Freddie painted me a mailbox.  Couldn't you just DIE?!

Spending Time with His Daddy

This past weekend, Big Daddy got to do something he's looked forward to in since we adopted Robbie.  They finally got to go fishing together!
We have a friend who's got a stocked pond about two miles from The Doublewide.
As I set out with my mama to go to yard sales, Big Daddy and Robbie headed out to go on their first of many I'm sure, fishing trips!
Big Daddy says the fish were biting wonderfully!  Says Robbie caught 25 or more fish.
I wish y'all could hear Robbie telling the story about how he accidentally threw his fishing pole in the pond and how his daddy had to "go fishing for a fishing pole."
He gets so excited while telling it, that by the end of the story, he's practically yelling!
They had a great time, but Big Daddy was NOT happy with the fact that my camera's battery was dead, because I'm a big loser, because I forgot to charge it the night before.  He didn't get a picture of Robbie's first catch.  You know what they say, "If Big Daddy ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"
Have a great day today!

I Think I Wanna......

write a book. Seriously....Historical Fiction....a splash of romance....a LOT of my personal family history....involving a very special place nearby...

Well....we can dream can't we?  I really would love to write a book someday.Nicholas Sparks made his millions by thinking the same thing one day and now look at him!
Anyway...it's been on my mind all weekend...plots...twists and turns...etc.
Don't know if it will ever happen, but I'd like to at least try...maybe...hee hee!

Spring Break Solitude

Hey Y'all!
Hope things are well your way!  Here are a few pictures of what's been going on around The Doublewide for the past couple of weeks.
I promise to do better.  Starting Monday, I'll be blogging everyday...hopefully!
Anyway, until then, please enjoy the pictures: 
First of all....we had an Easter Egg Hunt at church....

Then we went to Sunrise Service at church at 6:30 AM...but who takes pictures THAT early??!  Afterwards, we went to regular services:




Then, guess who fell asleep during preaching?


After preaching, we took some pictures outside....
This is me and my little sister, Doodah:

Me and my best friend, Sharon:


Finally, a family shot of all three of us:

Also, Robbie and Cydney had to have their "time" in....These pictures are absolutely adorable!




Then, we headed to stay with a friend of mine from college that I haven't seen since we graduated way back in May of 1993---to save you the trouble, it's been 17 years.  Freddie and Kay-Kay were the bests hosts EVER!  We had so much fun!
While in Tennessee, we found this old house.  It is ONE of FOUR that are for sale....with 7 acres...for only 1 million dollars!  I'm telling you if I had that much money, I'd buy them and rent those suckers out...or leave here and go run a group of four Bed and Breakfasts....
Anyway....here's the picture of the most beautiful house of the four and of course, it's my FAVORITE shade of pink:

Breath-taking, right?!
Hope Y'all have a great weekend.  See you Monday!