AWARDS: Lou, You Were My First

What a nice surprise to wake up to this morning. I was given my first blog award. This came to me from the other side of the world. Lou at The Quiet Life kindly passed this on to me after receiving it herself. The Quiet Life is an intelligent, funny well written blog that makes you think a little harder about things, laugh out loud and to enjoy the day. Now I will have to do the thinking so I can pass this wonderful feeling on to 7 blogs. that I think are One Lovely Blog. This is a very difficult choice to make. In no particular order.

1. Jane @ Nutshell Berry
2. Tam @ The Gypsy's Corner
   
3. Cass @ That Old House
4. Lola @ Aglio, Olio & Peperoncino
5. Moon Garden
6. Diana @ Random Relatives
7. Kammi @ Small Home In The Country

Ladies please copy the above award to your sites and bask in the glow it will bring you. Then the tough part. Choosing only 7 blogs to pass this on to. Good luck and thanks again to Lou.

THREE OR MORE TUESDAY: If Three Are Good Then Five Are Better

Tuesday is here again and so is Three or More Tuesday hosted by Tam @ The Gypsy's Corner. This is always a fun one for me because I don't really have to do anything other than take the pictures and post it. I don't have to create, build, cook or shop. Easy peasy. Visit her site by clicking on the picture above or her name. Look around at the amazing blogs listed there.

Here I have 3 cute little birdies that I bought on one of my coffee group's road trips. Oh how I long for the nice weather when we pile into a couple of cars and traipse around to different shops, restaurants and places of interest. We find the most interesting places. I bought it to put next to my kitchen sink to hold my scrubber and strainer for the drain.
It is no longer there but in the main bathroom because while taking pictures of Heidi's stained glass pieces on display in Maple Ridge Florist I came upon it's bigger sister piece. If 3 is good then 5 is better. I took my sponge and other stuff out of it so you could see it better. I think they are so cute I don't even mind doing dishes. Pfffffffft, ya right.

METAMORPHOSIS MONDAY: Wedding Gift Shhhhh!

I am happy to join in this Metamorphosis Monday hosted by Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch. Please make sure to visit the other people who have joined in because I know they are the most amazingly creative and motivated people I have ever tried to keep up with met.

This metamorphosis has multi levels. First of all the change between the plain Lazy Susan to the final wedding gift is quite a change in itself. But this is just part of a wedding gift to the son of our dear long time friends who used to be our neighbors. Their kids and our kids played together since birth. We would take out the middle section of the fence between our yards so they could run back and forth. They grew up on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Lego. They played together daily until they moved 5 hours away. That was 13 years ago.
Now they don't see each other much. Once a year in the spring when Craig would come down to the coast for school and stay with us for a few months. Now we have a wedding to attend next weekend. The little curly haired blond boy is an adult and is getting married. I don't know how this has happened because we have not aged at all. I do know one thing. He is quaking in his boots because I know all the stories to tell at the reception.

You can see above what happens when you base coat something and when you see it dry it is full of little hairs from the paint brush. This shouldn't happen and I pay extra for brushes so it doesn't. I used a razor blade to pick them out and started over with more paint and sealer. The vine grows some leaves and then when the sun comes out the fruit starts to form.
We can also call this Metaphor Monday. How life starts from the vine, grows and bears fruit and then dies back only to start over again.
Thanks for coming over and thanks to all of you who helped put my visit total over 2000 this weekend. You are the best. I will be starting something new on Thursday so make sure you check it out.

MY VISITOR # 2000

Thanks to all of you who helped me reach my goal of 2000 visitors this by this weekend. I don't know why it seemed important to me but it was and I appreciate the help.
As far as I can tell this visitor came to me at 2:10 Pacific time but it was at 5:10 their time in Kansas. You are situated somewhere in the middle of Butler, Chase, Marion, Harvey and Wichita Kansas. You should let me know who you are.
Thanks again to everyone who came by.

SUNDAY FAVORITES: Pajama Weekend

Sunday Favorites is a great idea brought to us by
Chari at Happy To Design
We all get so busy on the weekends and this is a way to re-post something that many of the newer followers or visitors to our sites may not have seen. This is a win-win situation and I hope you go to Chari's site to see some great previously enjoyed posts by the other writers.

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This post was originally posted in February, 2009

Pajama Weekend

I have a confession to make. I have been in my pajamas since Friday night and I am not even sick. Now I have taken a showers and put on clean jammies but that is it.

I had the house to myself all weekend and there was nowhere I had to go. I ate when I was ready, I slept when I was ready and listened to loud music while singing out loud. What a great weekend.
Don't get me wrong. I have been busy. I have made trays of meatballs, carrot cake, banana blueberry cake and I have chicken marinading in the fridge ready for dinner on Monday. I have done 4 loads of laundry and cleaned off my painting table. I have also been working on 3 different family trees.
My crew is home now and there are meatballs simmering in tomato sauce. Icing on the baking and I am still in my jammies. I do however have perfume on. A girl has to dress up a little.

SHAMELESS PLUG: 2000 Visitors By This Weekend

THERE WILL BE A SURPRISE HERE NEXT THURSDAY

Just a little teaser for next Thursday (I will post a day early so you have some notice).
Please make sure you come back to see what it is.

FOODIE FRIDAY: French Onion Soup

French onion soup is such a restaurant favorite but it is so easy to make at home. I didn't even take a picture of the process because you guys are all so smart and already accomplished cooks I don't think you need them for this (read: I didn't think of it until I was done cooking)

Click here for a printable recipe.

5-6 onions sliced
butter and olive oil
big pinch sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon thyme
bay leaf
pepper
1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cartons beef stock
1/2 cup white wine or vermouth
lots of Gruyere cheese, grated
a toasted round of baguette for each bowl sliced about 1/2 inch thick
garlic

1. Using a big heavy bottomed pot heat olive oil and butter together over medium heat
2. Toss in onion slices and sugar stirring to coat evenly
3. Be very patient and let this cook and brown until you have nice brown colour on the onions and the bottom of the pan. This is where the flavour comes from.
4. When it is all evenly browned then you put in the dry mustard, thyme, bay leaf, pepper and Worcestershire stirring it up for a minute.
5. Pour in wine or vermouth to deglaze the pan stirring up all the browned bits
6. Add the beef stock (Okay you can use a good veggie stock if you must) and simmer for an hour on low heat.
7. Brush the bread rounds with olive oil and toast them under the broiler. Do not turn your back for a second. Do not run to the bathroom, don't answer the door or the phone do not even stop the children from killing each other or this will burn and you will have to start over.
8. Take the hot bread toasts and "scrub" each one with some fresh garlic clove and it will melt into the bread and you will start to make these everyday.
9. Dish soup into oven proof bowls. Top with 1 or 2 toasted pieces. Scatter some cheese over top and return to the broiler.
10. Watch this too but not quite as closely as the toast. You can now run quickly to the bathroom or stop the kids from killing each other. Or not.

Foodie Friday is once again hosted by Designs By Gollum and her display today is scrumptious. Visit the others who have posted to.