Tickle Me Tuesday!

Welcome to Tickle Me Tuesday!

I want to share things that make me giggle that I've seen online or that I've experienced in real life.

Hope you enjoy today's picks....

#1.  This is the BEST and funniest thing I've read in a long time.  This post has floated around Facebook and Pinterest.
If you've read it, read it again.  It surely won't hurt to laugh again!!!

Click HERE to read about "The Fart that (Almost) Altered My Destiny."

#2.  I have a really good friend who's kindof FAMOUS around here.  His name is Freddie Combs and maybe you saw him on The X Factor's auditions this past season?
Anyway, about 2 years ago, Big Daddy, Robbie and myself were visiting with them in Tennessee and I recorded this video.  Hope you like it.

Finally, I have laughed so hard, so many times at Jack Vale.  Here's my favorite of his videos....The Farting Old Man I and II.

Wishing you a Happy Tuesday and wondering why/how two out of three of my videos ended up being about farts....Oh well!

Most Awesome Ideas Monday!

Hey Y'all!

Gonna try something new...

Starting today, I will run a list of things I think are great, easy, fun, most awesome!

Check out this simple recipe by clicking HERE

Also, I LOVE this Ruffled Tree Skirt!
Run HERE and check it out!!

Also, I participated in a Christmas Bazaar this past weekend.  This was my best seller and I thought I'd share the free pattern with you!!  Click here to get it!

OK!  I guess that's enough for now.
Y'all have a great week!
 Come back tomorrow and see what Tuesday holds!!

Seven Months Ago or So....

WOWZA!
Has is seriously been almost seven months ago since I was here?  Looks that way.
I am so sorry---but---life has happened.

Thought I'd share something I am hooked on right now.
Last Monday, on Veteran's Day I went with my mama and my sister to The Southern Christmas Show in Charlotte.
There was a lady there making bows and things with ribbon.  I was absolutely spellbound and ended up spending way too much at her booth!
Anyway...
Here's one of her quick videos if you're interested in watching!

Hope you'll come back and visit my blog again!  I'll try to get on here more often.

Also, here's how Robbie's doing on one of our Christmas Cantata Songs.....

I am just in love with this sweet boy!!

Bless it!

Hey Y'all!
Hope you're doing well today!
Anything exciting going on your way?
Robbie broke his little foot this past Monday night and is confined to a boot for at least the next two weeks.  After that, we'll go back for another x-ray and see what type of healing is taking place.
Here's a picture of Robbie and our friend Vernon last night at church.  Vernon has broken his big toe and will be having surgery next Tuesday.  Both boys will appreciate all prayers!
6 more school days left!  I think I'm gonna make it!
Y'all have a wonderful evening!

Here's our two week totals:

Ronnie has lost 27 lbs.

and

I have lost 12 lbs.

This is one of the hardest things we have EVER done, but we're doing it TOGETHER and that makes it fun!

Last night we really wanted to walk, but a huge lightening display was taking place.  Thunder was super loud as well, so we stayed inside.  Fortunately there was no monsoon but it was already after nine when the lightning decided to stop.

Hopefully we'll be able to walk after Robbie's last soccer practice of the season tonight!

Weigh-in on Thursday...

Guess what?
Big Daddy and I are on a BIG DIET!  We weighed in yesterday afternoon and I've lost 6lbs. this week and Big Daddy lost 14!  I'm so proud of US!
We'e been walking around my home church's parking lot in the evenings and I've only had a soft drink 3 times in the past week.  I'm drinking LOTS of water and feel like my eyeballs are going to float off my face some days.

Yesterday was Robbie's Adoption Day also!  It's our 5th year anniversary of legally being parents. We enjoyed the afternoon at Monkey Joe's and he wanted CiCi's pizza for supper.  It's hard to only eat 1 piece and a BIG ole salad instead of piling pizza all over the plate.

We'll be ok though....it'll be WAY worth it when we're both around to watch him graduate and then get married someday!

Y'all have a wonderful weekend!

It's a Beautiful Morning....

I took our dog Cookie out to pottie this morning.  Normally Big Daddy does that, but for some reason I did it today.
When I walked down the back porch steps and looked to my right, this is what I saw:

Wasn't it such a beautiful morning behind The Doublewide?  I think so!

Miss Cookie says Howdy!

Oh Sweet Lord...

I wish I was staying here......

and sitting here...

doing this....

while listening to this....

Instead, I'm here....

Doing this...

To prepare for these....

Our NC EOG testing dates are May 15 - May 17.

I know my kids have learned and have worked hard.
I just honestly wish the state didn't make it so hard on us!

Oh well....

Wait!  Where was I?

Oh yea.....

We're on vacation in East Tennessee with our friends, Freddie and Kay Combs this week.  Tonight is our last night as we'll be leaving around lunch time tomorrow.

Our plans in the morning are to go to a few yard sales and then head to The Farmer's Daughter for a great breakfast before we head home.

There's a list of a few things I've either seen, thought about, or experienced while on our getaway this week.

I'm making a list now so that I can remember everything when we get home.

Here goes:

1.  Find a great pecan sandie type shortbread cookie recipe

2.  Find a cornbread salad recipe--make it and share!!

Source: cherryhillcottage.typepad.com via Erin on Pinterest

3.  Get a Knit-Wit

4.  Decide on the kind of head band/wrap pattern to make and get busy!

5.  Work on fabric yo-yo's.  They WILL become a quilt topper this winter.

Source: bhg.com via Jalet on Pinterest

6.  Decide whether or not I want to try again with cold-process soaps.  Is the $$ worth the outcome?

Source: moneysavingmom.com via Emily on Pinterest

7.  Work on getting the craft room together and organize for at least 30 minutes daily until success is reached!

8.  Class novel....Surviving the Applewhites or Where the Red Fern Grows?!

9.  Make the jar button holder thingie--to look something like shown below:

10.  Make THIS ASAP!

Source: realsimple.com via Danielle on Pinterest

That's plenty until Summer Vacation gets here!  I hope you've found something that interests you too!

Have a wonderful weekend!

This morning we were treated to a workshop on Photo Story 3 during our planning time.  I wanted to quickly share the video I made of some of my ancestors.
If you've never played with this program, please do!  It's super easy and very fun!
*You have to have Windows xp to view.
I'll be editing later--just put the music and the pictures in for now.

Date Night With Robbie

Hey Y'all!
Yesterday Robbie and I began doing our very own "Date Night" together.
He told me that he wanted to take me out on a date!  I was so excited!  I asked him where he was planning on taking me.  His reply, " CHUCK E. CHEESE Mama!"  Umm....No.
I did talk him out of going to see the big mouse and eating cardboard pizza.
Instead, when his bus dropped him off at my school yesterday afternoon, we hit the road.
I had all these plans!  I had talked to some of my students and had some pretty amazing ideas!  (Or...so I thought!)
I really wanted to go see the new movie, "Journey 2 The Mysterious Island." 

 My kids said that since it was only rated PG, Robbie would LOVE it!  (Isn't that just like a middle schooler?!!)
So, on the way to the theater to catch the 4:30 show, I told him what we'd be watching.  He absolutely refused to watch it.  He said that he had seen the preview and it looked too scary.  I begged.  I pleaded.  NOPE...he wasn't having it!
So, we bought tickets to:

He had already seen it with Pop Pop and MiMi, but he wanted to watch it with me!
We ended up having the whole theater all to ourselves.  My daddy still cannot believe that the theater "Ran that movie just for two people!"  Robbie and I were so glad they did.
Since the movie didn't start until 4:50 and we purchased our tickets at 4:00, we went to The Goodwill store next door to kill some time.  I found two pair of jeans for me. ($4.99 each)  One pair are from The Avenue and the other pair are Levi's.  I also bought a board game for Robbie and a marionette clown puppet.  It looks really old and was hand painted.  I'm going to do some research to see if I can find out anything on it.
After the movie, we went to Cato and The Dollar Tree and then to a wonderful restaurant in Gastonia called Shogun.  YUMMY Japanese food where they cook at your table.
Finally at around 9:15, we made it back home to The Doublewide.
After doing homework and reading and laying out everything for this morning, we didn't get to sleep until around 10:30.
I am surely paying the price for it today!  I just hope Robbie's holding his eyes open while at school too!
We will surely have another day together---just me and him.  I feel like I need to get in as many moments as I can while he still thinks it's cool to hang out with mama.  I was so tired that I nearly fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
On my way to La-La-Land, I heard him talking to his daddy....
"Daddy...how about this Saturday me and you have a Father/Son day.  It wouldn't be cool to say a Date Night since we're both boys, but I want to spend time with just you too!"
See why I love me some of that boy?!!
Hope you have a great weekend!
We'll be making our Lye Soap this evening for the first time!  I can't wait!!!

Vintage Sheet Sun Dress

Hey Y'all!

I just wanted to share a super fast, super cheap, and super easy way to use an old sheet.
I have this love affair with vintage sheets and pillowcases.  I can't explain it whatsoever, but I remember going to my Mammaw's house when I was a little girl.  Her sheets always smelled so fresh and clean.  It was such a wonderful feeling when I would go to bed with my hair curling on brown paper bag strips, and smell those wonderful clean sheets.
Maybe I connect the sheets with Mammaw.   Maybe I connect feeling safe, secure and loved with Mammaw and the sheets.  Who knows?
Anyway....
I was looking around on ways to make things using these sheets that I have too many of.
I came across this image and loved it instantly.
I do NOT have the figure to wear this dress, but I knew there had to be something I could do to make one for me.  So I got busy...
I took an old sheet, turned it wrong-side out and wrapped it around me just above my bust line.  I cut it to fit.  Then I measured the length I wanted it to be and cut that.  Hemmed up the bottom and sewed a casing so that I could add elastic around the top.  I sewed the open sides of the sheet together and that's the back seam.  This was so quick to work up and it's fun.
I already had a denim shirt/jacket so I ran to my closet, put it on, and had Big Daddy use my cell phone to take a picture for you.
Here it is:

So, go grab an old sheet and get busy sewing.  Your Mammaw would be so proud of you!

Happy First Day of Spring Y'all!
I hope you have a wonderful day today!

Homesteadin'

Sometimes I think I may have been born during the wrong era.  I love all things vintage and antique.  I enjoy wondering how they did things "back in the day."
I'm sure part of the reason was my Pappaw Fred.  He would tell us so many stories while we were growing up.  Pappaw was a true historian--no doubt.
I love my job and I love having indoor plumbing, electricity, cars, air conditioning, etc.
But sometimes I enjoy thinking of what it would be like to not HAVE to work and just wonder if I could have thrived or barely survived during The Great Depression times.
Anyway...
I have been experimenting with making my own soy wax candles lately.  They're so much fun to make, I can control the amount of scent I put into each one, and they're pretty inexpensive to make.  So far I've made the following scents:  Apple Jack N Peel, Blueberry Cobbler, Birthday Cake, Banana, Frosted Carrot Cake and Hillbilly Homebrew. (<---Smells like toasted pecans, vanilla, sugared plums, and red hot cinnamon sticks.  Just like Tony the Tiger used to say, "It's GREAT!")
So yesterday afternoon, I was looking around on Youtube for some candle and soap making videos.  (Now I'm getting back to the reason of this post to begin with!  Sheesh!)
I came across Misty.  She's a "homesteader" with her husband whom she calls Mountain Man.  They have some children (not sure how many) and they live in Tennessee.
She is amazing.  Makes her own butter, cans bacon, cooks on a wood stove, and makes their home a success.  Bless her heart!  She works SO hard!
Anyway...I'll include two of my favorite videos of hers.  The first was actually a soap-making video where she visits her friend Marsha.  Here you go:

WOW!  Embedding a video from Youtube was SO easy!  Y'all are in trouble now!

And here's my favorite....
How to make Strawberry Jam



I hope y'all have a wonderful day!

I Made a Doily!

Hey Y'all!
I was looking online for a quick and easy doily pattern today.  I found the Cutie Pie Doily over at Panda Crochet. 

So grabbing some mercerised cotton, I headed to my recliner and threw the pattern up on the screen.  I had exactly enough.

Luckily, I found this small hank of yarn at one of my favorite thrift stores for $0.79.  I love doilies and I want to make some using thread, but I can't make myself go there just yet!

I made it in around an hour.  It still needs to be starched and ironed, but here it is, laid out on the den rug.

You can grab the free pattern HERE

My online friend, Charlotte, makes some beautiful things using thread.  Recently she made a beautiful Christening Dress and bonnet, and is currently working on a blanket to match.

Here's a beautiful picture of the dress and bonnet:

Isn't it gorgeous?

Go visit Charlotte at her blog by clicking here.  Tell her I sent ya over her way!

Robbie is visiting his great grandpa today with Big Daddy's mama.  The Doublewide is so quiet!  I was set to get me a good ole nap after church and lunch.  I laid down around 2:30 and told Big Daddy to wake me up at 5:15 if I wasn't up.
Miss Cookie (our dog) didn't want to be still and wouldn't be quiet either.  I got up at 3:30.
I used my sewing machine to make a quickie little bookmark.  It's nothing fabulous and the ribbon isn't centered, but it beats using a receipt or any stray piece of paper.

Also, Robbie has a project due.  The 100th day of school is coming up and he had to bring 100 of "something."
We have discussed this all week!  My idea was to glue down 100 pennies after flipping each one to find heads or tails.  He would NOT allow me to do that because he couldn't spend them afterwards.
So...we took the easy route.  I took a metal sheet (that goes in the bottom of the brownie pan) and we picked out 100 magnet words.
Here's his 100th day project!

Y'all have a great week! 

Ahhh.....Alegria!

Hey Y'all!  Happy Friday!

I hope you're having a wonderful end to your week!
Last week, our school's secretary was sporting some pretty cute shoes!  I loved them and we got to talking about the Alegria shoes.
She informed me that they were orthopedic shoes and they could cost anywhere from $80.00 up.  After I came to with smelling salts, I realized I HAD to have a pair.
Being a teacher, and being on my feet all day long, these dawgs are tired at the end of the day.
I have a plantar's wart on the bottom of my left foot--near my heel.  It is really painful.  Something is also going on with the tendons or ligaments across the top of my foot that runs into my arch.  Getting old stinks, doesn't it?!
SO....Off to Ebay I went, in search of these shoes!
I ended up winning a bid on these for $30.99!!!

Aren't they CUTE?  Today is the third day in a row that I've worn them and my feet do NOT hurt at night anymore!
The sole of these shoes are made of cork and they're wonderful to walk in!
If you're someone who's on their feet all day, I truly recommend getting you some NOW!
Here's a few pair that I love!  I'll be looking for them to show up on Ebay too!

Source: alegriashoes.com 

Especially since I checked the website and they're $119 per pair!  WOWZA!!
So...what are your plans for the weekend?  Anything good?
Me and Ronnie are headed to an auction tonight--the same one where he bought my sewing machine for $40.00!
Ok...have a wonderful weekend!  

Finished Product!

So, I ended up pulling out that horrible row on the square I made last night!  Remember how the verigated yarn made the last row look crazy?

So, I pulled it out and left it alone.  Then I remembered that I had an old shower curtain in my stuff.  I loved that shower curtain's fabric and couldn't bring myself to trash it.  It finally got it's use now!  I used it to make a pillow for the square.  It's nothing fancy, but I totally love it!  Looks great on the couch with all of our Valentine's Day stuff here at The Doublewide!

My mother's mama passed away this past October.  We weren't very close because she lived about 4 hours away and didn't see each other often.  I would talk "crochet" with her and I remember spending some time during the summers as a child at her house.  When the "Mile A Minute" crochet series was very popular, she helped me figure out a pattern and was tickled that she could help me.
When we adopted Robbie, we made the drive to let them meet him when he was about 6-9 months old.  She gave me two different baby blankets for him.
When my sister gave birth to my nephew, the week before Mammaw Doris passed away, Sawyer had some booties, a baby scarf, a hat and a baby blanket that Mammaw made for him.
She never got to see him though.

After the funeral, my aunt sent me a size G crochet hook and a pattern book that was mammaw's.  She said she would go through everything and send more later.
We never heard from her, but that was ok.  I'm still going through stuff from my Mammaw Frances' things and I'm not one of those people who get greedy when somebody dies.
Tuesday morning my cousin gave me this:

Her mother, my mammaw's sister in law, sent this to me.  She said my aunt was handing them out to the brothers and sisters after we all left.
Thank you Aunt Jane for sending this to me.  I am so happy to have it!

Updated to add the link to the heart square:
CLICK HERE

What in the World is a Sea Penny?

Yep...
I asked myself the same thing.
But....
Oh how happy I am that here at The Doublewide, I have discovered just what a Sea Penny is!
Thanks to Julia Crossland for schoolin' me!

Hop on over to her blog by clicking HERE and check it out for yourself.

I have this printed out and have only made three pennies so far.  I'm going to be using the mint green, teal, pink, and white colors and can't wait to finish it!
They whip up so quickly!  This would also be a wonderful way to get rid of your yarn scraps.
Here's my progress...

Yea Yea....I know I have a LONG way to go!

This is my "work in progress" for today.  I have finished this square:

Except...I DO NOT like the last row.  It's a pink/light pink/hot pink yarn that changes colors ever so often.  It looks like I just whacked and pieced the yarn together.  Now that I see the picture, I am going to pull out the last row altogether.  Crazy thing?  The center heart was done with the exact same ball of yarn, but you so can't tell!  I think I'll do the last row over, using white cotton.
I'll be back tomorrow with the link to this pattern and the finished product!
Can you guess what I'm going to do with the square once it's to my liking?  Please comment below and guess!  Maybe I'll send you a ball of this funky yarn as a thank you for guessing!

Reason #453, #454 and #455 Why I Love my Big Daddy!

Hey Y'all!
I hope that at least one of my readers is enjoying some sunshine somewhere.  It's rainy and cold here, but it's supposed to be in the low 60s later this week.  Since that means no snow anytime soon, I guess I'd better just get happy!
This past Thursday ended our semester so Friday and today were teacher workdays.  I managed to get A LOT done in my classroom during these two days.  Big Daddy's mama (Nanny) watched Robbie on Friday and since my favorite babysitter took a ski trip last night, it looked like he was going to have to come to school with me.  I don't mind it, but I knew I wouldn't get a lot done due to having to keep him busy.
Well.....since it was raining this morning, Big Daddy asked his boss if he could take off and spend the day with Robbie.  His boss said YES, so he came back home, before I even got Robbie up.  Big Daddy was so excited about just having a day with Robbie.  I came home to an empty house and after calling them to see where they were, I found out that they were spending the afternoon at Monkey Joe's in Gastonia.  Bless Big Daddy's heart.  He toughed it out because since it is a teacher's workday, you KNOW that place was crawling with kids.  (Reason #453) 

Reason #454:  Big Daddy brought me a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit when he came in this morning.  It was soooo good!
I'll save the best reason for the end of this post....just to make you keep reading!  ha ha ha

Now....for some sweetness!  Since I had The Doublewide to myself this afternoon, I decorated for Valentine's Day.  Here are some pictures:

I just love the colors of Valentine's Day!  Don't you?

Ok..for reason # 455....
This past Friday night we had our friends Vernon, Beverly and their daughter, Payton over for supper.  We'd been talking all week about how we wanted some "Breakfast for Supper!"  It was WONDERFUL!  So much so that Beverly posted this picture on her Facebook wall:

See what I mean?  Yummy!
So after supper, Vernon had planned to go to the auction nearby to see what all they had.  His battery died and Big Daddy went out to jump his truck off and decided that he'd just drive his truck and they'd both go to the auction.
So, when they finally made it back home, Big Daddy walked in The Doublewide carrying this in it's box:

Yup...it's a BRAND NEW Kenmore sewing machine...featuring 54 different stitches.  I have it on the dining room table now and am fixing to try it out!
So there's reason #455!
Crazy thing is that on Saturday night, we went to York, SC to an auction where my brother's bluegrass band were playing.  We missed the performance, because I thought they were singing at 6 but they sang at 4....
The same man was selling at this auction and the same sewing machine went for $65.00.  Big Daddy paid $40 for mine!  BOO-YOW!
Finally, I'll close with something hilarious!
One of my students' mama wants me to crochet a chicken hat.  I looked on Ravelry.com but the one I found isn't cute--it's kindof scary...Aww shucks...here's a picture of the one I found...

Maybe it's just the fact that there are actually legs and feet that will hang down.  YUCKY!
So, I'm trying my own.  I found a pattern for an ice cream cone--thought I could use that for the beak.  Also, she wants the hat to resemble this chicken:



I have such a challenge on my hands.  Here's what I've gotten done so far....
I just have to figure out the eyes and the comb....Any advice?



Y'all have a great evening as we're preparing to get back on a routine tomorrow!