New Farmer's Market in town!

I got this notice in my mail last week about a new farmer's market coming by the new mall around here so I did a little research and wanted to share what I found at azcentral:


• 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. first and third Wednesdays of the month, October through May.

• At least 12 vendors will be at each market. The main focus will be on foods but other items will be sold such as aprons and tablecloths.

• The market will be located on the side street by Just Dogs Gourmet. SanTan Village is at Williams Field Road near the Loop 202. ( I read its by FitChix)

• Information: www.shopsantanvillage.com.

Camera Update w/ Question

"Unit will be delivered to you within 4 business days"


...according to Canon. So question for all of you. Would you take that as it being shipped out within 4 business days or it being in my hot little hands in 4 business days?

I know, its a pressing matter. Humor me here.

Leave a comment with your thoughts!

Camera Drama.

We are supposed to be going to California this weekend.

I still do not have my camera back from Canon.

I am getting a little concerned about this, so I called Canon to see what could be done to make sure that I received it back by this Friday.

Well, even though I told her my sob story and that the trip has been planned for awhile, asked what I could pay to get it back on my FREE warranty repair, and that I already spent a lot of $ to get the camera to them fast and safely (didnt say that part), she told me all she could do was put a note on it and its up to the camera technician. Really? Really, Lakisha? Then she tells me that they are even closed on Thursdays. Not helping my confidence here!

So then I emailed them and they basically told me that they can not help me at all because nothing is done on their end with this and then told me the same thing I had researched before I started this endeavor this morning.

Killer part? The camera is in the SAME TOWN that we will be in!!

So. There you have it. Sniff.

I miss you Camera.

Live Laugh Love

FUN page! Lots of chipboard, grungeboard, distressing on paper, buttons, brads and rhinestones using dream street papers!

Wedding Gift

For Stevie and Tawn. Congrats guys!

How to Can Peaches (and tomatoes too!)

So as you all know, last week, I took the time out to can peaches and tomatoes. I ended up doing 4 quarts of peaches, 3 containers of peaches for freezer, 1 bag of tomatoes for freezer, 4 pints of peach jam, and 7 quarts of tomatoes. And I had to throw away 26 peaches because they had gone bad before I could get to them! I also made 2 freezer containers full of pico de gallo that we ended up sharing and eating. WOW! This week, they were offering pears and I was super tempted but decided I need a break, so if they offer them again, I will go for it, but not this time.

Anyway, I started doing the tutorial for the peaches and tomatoes but didnt take pictures of all of the steps for each one. I had a request (Thanks Alea!!) to do the tutorial, so here we go! (For more information on canning or if i dont make sense or miss something, pickyourown.org is a great link!)

First, gather your supplies. Jars with brand new lids and bands, a big 20 quart pot with lid, a lot of sugar, lots of ice, and can-jel (Clear-jel) for pectin, and Fruit Fresh (or lemon juice) And a jar grabber! (I had to use a giant wrench because I could not find the other canning supplies anywhere!!) Fruit Fresh and pectin was at walmart. Ooh and dont forget a wide mouth funnel.




1. Sterilize your jars and lids. I did the jars in the dishwasher on high heat and did the lids and bands in boiling water.

2. wash your fruit (or tomatoes)


Then you are going to peel them. Drop them into a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds and then shock them in some icey water for about a minute.


Peel and Slice them.....SUPER easy!

Do this for tomatoes too:



While you are peeling peaches, start your syrup. I did 6 cups boiling water and added 3 cups of sugar. I stirred until dissolved and boiled it and then simmered.

Once the peaches are all cut , coat them with the Fruit Fresh or lemon juice and then add them to the syrup....note: use a bigger pot than I did!! This is called hot packing the peaches. It helps make the fruit safer longer, helps with coloring, etc. You can skip this step, but for my first time, I wanted to make sure everything I did was "right". Do this in the barely boiling syrup for about 5 minutes. Mmmmmm.....


Now pour them into your jars with your funnel. Try to keep the opening as clean as possible.


Dont do this.


Fill them until about a 1/2 from the top. Take a knife and run it all around the inside to get all of the air out. I dont think I did this well because I had floating peaches.

Seal them up (make sure everything is clean so it seals well) and then boil them in a covered pot for 20 minutes.

Take them out with your giant wrench or jar grabber after the 20 minutes are up and let them sit over night on your counter or somewhere that they aren't moved around. Once the jars are cooled, check to make sure they sealed. If the safety top pops up and down, you can either reboil the, (if its still hot) or put them in the fridge and eat them soon. If it doesn't pop, you are done!!

With the tomatoes, I obviously didn't use the hot pack method and the syrup. Instead, I filled the jars with the tomatoes and lemon juice, then added water and canned them in the hot water.


The peach jam, I used the instructions that came in the box of pectin and it turned out so good! YUM! (I'll add a picture later of the jam)

Let me know if you have any questions or if I totally screwed up here! :) Enjoy! Google it all too! There is so much info on canning and different recipes for peach pie filling, peach chutney, spaghetti sauce, salsas, etc.

I still want to can apples (apple sauce!) and pears!

Worn out!

Today I made 50 shimmery white frosting and red velvet cupcakes for Stevie and Tawn's wedding tomorrow night. I think they turned out pretty and will post pictures tomorrow.

During naptime, instead of folding all the laundry that I washed yesterday, I did this page. Glitter, distress ink, stitching, and a fun journal pocket from dreamstreet papers. The letters are from YMBD. I even got out the "decorative" scissors!

Love Birds

Did a book using more Dream Street Papers from our pictures we took on our 5 year anniversary. I love the colors and how whimsical it is! I hand cut the album itself using cardboard which adds to the texture and shape of it. The acrylic is the shapes I cut awhile back and I glittered them up. I added a bit of sewing, ribbons, rubons, rhinestones and other fun accents.

I love you from your head to your toes!

...using dream street papers, grungeboard, chipboard and glitter! I glittered the edges of the whole page, threw on some rhinestones and used rubons for the title.

I love your laughter & Best Friends!

Its been so busy around here, I havent really had a chance or desire to sit down and scrapbook until Saturday. I got my housework done, so I did two pages during nap time. (Thanks for the Cherry Coke Olivia!)

*Tawn, these are those buttons you gave me!

Happy 18 months Jackson!

Yesterday when I woke up, if you had asked me if I planned on cutting Jackson's hair off, I would have laughed at the possibility. But something in me decided on a whim to go for it yesterday afternoon. Micah and I had talked about it off and on all week, and after really looking at him yesterday, I knew it was time.

18 months, with a full head of hair and having had gotten it trimmed already this summer and growing back so fast, we just though it was time.

Here's a before shot. He has peach jam on his mouth (which turned out so yummy!)


And after: (By the way, I am feeling so lost without my camera. Sigh.)

Look at those baby blues! Who is this kid?!


Snuck one in with me :)


Jaden keeps saying, "My best friend! Your hair! You look so cute!"


Hahahahaha, sorry, I had to add this one. Classic Jackson.

My mother in law gave me this pewter box awhile back for when I cut his hair. It says baby's first curl on the lid. I keep looking inside at his precious hair. Is that weird?

What I learned yesterday!

After really getting down on myself Wednesday, I made all sorts of goals for myself for Thursday and here is what I learned.

• Dont set too many goals for yourself! you wont get them all done and end up feeling bad about that too!
• Starting off my day in the Bible took the burden of worrying away. just. like. that.
• Always make sure to screw on the lid to your son's sippy cup full of milk....otherwise he will take it off and dump it on your carpet.
• Baby hugs and kisses make everything better
• I didnt want to fold the laundry...so i didnt. or do dishes. i have done them all week nonstop. Ineeded a break.
  
• A good phone call always lifts your spirits
• When your brand new dslr camera breaks, don't make yourself sick over it. Call canon and get it fixed for free instead of jumping to conclusions and having a meltdown. yeah. its on its way to california now. And yes. that will throw a huge wrench into the rest of your plans for the day. But don't let it get ya down!
  
• No scrapbooking yesterday, but thats one less mess to clean up today.
• A dinner date that turns into a table of four is such a blessed time with friends
• I love my husband.
• I should have bought batteries for my other camera last night as we walked around target without a care in the world.
• Thank you Ya Ya for babysitting the boys, Jaden misses you this morning!
• Thank you to my friends who support me on here and in real life. Hugs for everyone! It means so much to me to have you in my life!
  

Happy Birthday Michelle yesterday again! I am still tempted to post the convention picture of us! :)

Shame on me.

I wanted to share whats on my mind as my husband sleeps peacefully next to me and I lay wide awake.

Shame on me for:

• getting down about extended family situations
• worrying about money
  
• not scrapbooking for two weeks
• not getting enough sleep for a week now
  
• only getting my sewing machine out once this week and that was to try to design a cell phone cover
• failing at the cell phone cover and giving up before i really tried
• drinking too much soda this week
• losing my temper today with the boys
• not taking time out today to really appreciate my family
• not finishing the laundry and leaving it unfolded on the chair
• not picking up the Bible today until Bible study tonight when I had to
• skipping exercise...again
• not sending my Maw Maw any recent pictures of the boys
• lack of patience

Tomorrow I will:

• start out my day reading the Word- everything else after this will be easier to face on!
  
• pray for patience and truly seek it
• try not to worry about anything else.
  
• only drink one soda
• make peach jam
• fold the laundry and put it away
• enjoy play time with the boys
• hug them and kiss them and be grateful for life. who cares they make messes? how long does it really take to clean up?
  
• start a "what i am grateful for" book.
  
• celebrate my husband's 31st birthday while my sweet sister babysits
  
• sing.
• dance....that counts as exercise
  
• thank God for blessing me with family, health, home, and providing always.
  

How easy is it to get down on yourself for "failing" all of the time. To get stuck in the "shame on me" attitude. Turn those negative actions into positive goals, and your optimistic attitude may truly do wonders for your day! Job 9:27 "If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile..." Life is too short for all the other nonsense.

I will report back after tomorrow to update how it went.

Apologies for Blog Slowness!

Yesterday was a busy day of canning (tutorial to come later!) It is addicting and satisfying, but a very messy job! I am only about half way done with the peaches and I still have tomatoes, but I made four jars and a freezer batch of peaches yesterday.

Sunday was the tea (pictures to come soon, once I receive them from the awesome Tiffany who took them for me!) I thought it went really nice too!

Lots to talk about later!

Tea Pictures

Last week, I promised to show you the pictures from the tea and I am excited to share I got them yesterday! Thank you Tiffanie for taking the pictures for me and sharing! Here are some of the great shots she took!

On the other computer, I have the invitation I put together digitally. It wasn't anything super fabulously creative, but it was fun making it.



Tawn and I hosted it....


I made favors for all of the women. There was yummy chocolate in it! (and I have extras!)


Strawberries and Dip

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Tawn made these great cinnamon muffins, and I learned how to make petit fours (the easy way) and I threw in some cheesecake


Deviled Eggs

Micah's Mom brought these great cookies, everyone loved them!


Way too dry pasta salad. Next time I know better.


Afterwards, we had Scripture reading, and really blessed conversation. What a beautiful group of women we had gathered to fellowship with one another! I am looking forward to getting together again!