I love Vinyl

I love a good Vinyl! I got this off of Etsy, and it's from householdwords:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5842289
pretty cool. This is the wall I painted during the cold winter months, never did find a picture (s) to go on it.. and thought that this would make a great display... maybe I would add family pictures around the name. SO COOL
They really have stunning things, I also got 2 other vinyl's and I'm sure I'll take pic's of that too.

To answer Sue’s question….

I am not so good at “eyeballing” things so…
I used a lazer level and put a couple of medium pieces of tape on the wall where the black horizontal lines should go .
I measured the wall in half and put a piece of tape in the middle. I measured the vinyl and put a piece of tape in the exact middle.
When you peal off the backing paper, the vinyl is a little sticky so that holds it in place, making sure I got the horizontal lines straight against my medium pieces of tape. Pull the tape off and start rubbing the vinyl lettering… starting in the middle working out on one end then the other.

Ta da.

Food Fun Friday- Coconutty Breakfast Bars

This is something I have been working on for several weeks now. "perfecting"

We have eaten a "bar" around here that is yummy with nuts and coconut and oats etc. Although it has TONS of sugar and syrup... I have "perfected" my own healthy recipe... AND for the first time ever... entered it into the Better Homes & Gardens Contest... cross your fingers and wish me luck.

In the mean time

Here's my FAMOUS (cough cough) recipe for...(ta da)

Coconutty Breakfast Bars
2tbs softened butter
1C applesauce
3/4C loose pack brown sugar
1C old fashioned oats
1C whole wheat flour
1C ground Flax cereal like Fiber One
3/4C egg beaters (or 3 eggs)
1C chopped pecans
3/4C flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 300º
Spray 9X13 glass pan with Pam.
Cream butter, sugar and applesauce.
Combine oats, w/w flour and cereal.
Add to creamed mixture.
Spread and press into the prepared 9X13 glass pan.
In small bowl mix egg beaters with pecans and coconut.
Spread evenly over flour mixture.Cook for 30 minutes.

Let cool and cut into 6 large bars for a healthy quick grab&go breakfast bar

Wednesday Wisdom

...Making the most of what we have turns it into more.

Melody Beattie

Pictures part ..3

For every beach that you hike down to, you have to cross, traverse, climb over, along top, under and thru a ton of logs.

logs logs logs.. and for some reason I was not very good at balancing on top of them.

Kalaloch lodge where we stayed.

So I told 'em I had a new camera could i take their picture, and... ummm I didn't even get there name OR email address to send it to them. cute family

The view from our room.

Good night.

Obviously this day was not sunny. This is the typical overcast weather of the Pacific Northwest. La Push La Push

sea life, there is a starfish lower left.

How about this as the cliff Bella jumped off of? (second beach)

Our trip to Ruby Beach

This is a little slide show of our trip last weekend. Remember I told you I took over 244 pictures.. So I had to really cut out a lot. (last Monday was Forks) So we started out on our drive and came to Lake Crescent. The water was like glass.
Lake Crescent

Then after about an hour and a half (after Forks) we came to Ruby Beach. The is the view hiking down.

And after we hiked down we had to cross over all the logs to get to the beach. It was a beautiful sunny day with no wind (those days at the beach in the Pacific Northwest don't happen often)

self portrait... the rock i set the camera on was crooked

There were these 2 little girls playing in the muddy sand, so cute, ah youth.

There is a light house WAY out there.

Of course more logs... could this be the cliff that Bella jumps off of... no that's at second beach, that picture will be here on tomorrow's blog.

Food Fun Friday-Cilantro Mayonnaise

Cilantro - you either love it or hate it.

I hate it.

Mr. P loves it.

So I make a Cilantro Mayonnaise for him, only him.

I put some on a "cold cut", cut a red pepper slice, roll it up and put in a lettuce (romaine) wrap. These are his afternoon snacks. He isn't even tired of them! (month after month!)

So for those of you who love Cilantro... here's a great (South Beach) recipe for:

Cilantro Mayonnaise

Ingredients
3/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
3/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaf
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 garlic clove

Directions
1Put all ingredients in a blender.
2Blend until smooth.
3Store in the refrigerator.

Wednesday Wisdom

Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.

Happy Birthday to my Husband

Today is my husband’s birthday. He is a super-wonderful man... well of course he is wonderful.... that's why I married him!!! It’s been almost 4 years since he called me on the phone and changed our lives forever.

Today, it’s all about you Mr. P (Mr. Produce, he’s the produce manager, yep in charge of the fruits and nuts, and vegetables). Mr. P is the 4th out of 5 kids. Two older sisters, one older brother and one younger sister. They are a close family full of get-togethers, reunions, weekly phone calls and vacationing together (We have SUCH fun together we can't wait for the next one!!!!!)

He is a dedicated family man. He has 4 boys and is a great teacher and example to them. They are all men now and hopefully they can be every bit as upstanding as their dad! Thank heaven for texting it's how he keeps in day to day contact with them.

He also loves his new girls. He didn’t just get me in the marriage but finally 2 daughters whom he loves and supports whole heartedly. Oh yeah, ALSO a mother-in-law. He is her: handyman/caretaker/landscaper/taxi driver and support system. (thanks honey).

He is the love of my life and supports me too, with all my high maintenance ideas and big city lifestyle.

He keeps things lively with his sharp wit, adventurous nature, excessive number crunching and willingness to love me ........ in spite of my short comings.

You are a charmer Mr. P....... AND you are a hot.

Happy 50th, you deserve the very best!

Forks, WA

We had a great "Mr. P Birthday" weekend away. I went bananas with my new camera and took 244 pictures. So you'll get several days of trees..lakes...beaches...driftwood...islands.. etc.

I'm going to start out with Forks. Its only about an hour and a half West. We always make fun of it. Mr. P says its where people don't have any teeth live ( I don't know if he means that they eat the bark off trees or can't afford dentistry??). People at work say its where all the methakins live (quite remote=meth - lots of logging and tree planters=Mexicans). There are only 3,000 people in the town. There is no walmart, or walgreens. I saw a Variety store, a sporting goods store and a Thriftway grocery/hardware store. This is Hwy 101 to the ocean and tons of rivers and of course the rainforest. I saw lots of Campers driving thru, and boats galore.

AS MOST OF YOU KNOW this is the setting for all of the the Stephanie Myers books. Many many kids, ok mostly teenage girls BEG their moms to take them to Forks. And I'll have to admit in the little time I spent there, I saw 3 different families (with teenage and preteen and tweens) walking up and down the one block of main street. Then there are all the signs welcoming the Twilight fans. Well good for little Forks, trying to make a buck while the hype of Vampire fans is still alive (get it! ha)... So here is my pictorial view of Forks......Forks High School

if you can't see it.. it says "Edward Cullin didn't sleep here"

no Z Z Z there..

..twilight wireless internet??

Love the Dew Drop Inn (anyone remember the Sesame street movie.. Big Bird gets lost?) and the Don't Drop Inn (Oscar's place).

ok, here's where I bought MY twilight memorabilia!

paging Dr. Cullin... in your Mercedes... in FORKS WHAT??

ahhh, the timber museum wasn't open this early, (tear)

and over on the right side is a pink car owned by Bella,.......oh wait hers was red. And that is shown on the TWILIGHT TOUR, but Mr. P said he already sat thru the awful movie and you couldn't PAY him a million dollars to take the tour, besides he thought this weekend was about him!!! (oh yeah)

more twilight- come-on's

beautiful housing, very colorful

MY favorite... including the 2 rocking/ridding horses.. fenced of course!

Food Fun Friday-Alton Brown's Granola

We are going away this weekend so I was trying to make something we can eat on the road. I came across this great recipe from Alton Brown:
Alton Brown's Granola

Ingredients
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup cashews
3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
Directions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.
Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

ok, I made some last night, YUMMMMY - but too sweet so tonight I made it again and didn't put any of the brown sugar in it (oh yea and added sunflower seeds, and no raisins)

ummmm warm right out of the oven is best! and addictive.

So its packed up ready for the road.

AND we are going to the OCEAN, and going right thru Forks, that's right folks, Forks is only a little over an hour from where we live. And apparently its Edwards birthday celebration this weekend! (ah what that little - -and I MEAN little-- town won't do for tourists). I'll take lots of photos with my fancy shmancy camera and show them Monday! Right now I'm too busy eating warm granola, mmmmm

Happy Birthday Lauren

LAUREN
When Lauren was born the world stood still for many many people. Grandma and Grandpa, Nana and Gong Gong…Aunts and Uncles…most of all ME, we all waited a long time for you, and you did not disappoint.

You were a great baby, even greater toddler and little kid. At 3, you would invite all the neighborhood kids over for otter pops- showing your party planning skills at a young age. Before you were 1yrs old you knew 12 words and spoke them often, thus showing your buding verbal comunnication skills.
You also knew what 7 different animals said, of course I had to ask you in the same order that you learned them: dog, cat, cow, sheep, frog, pig, rabbit.

You named your sister. (it was either, Kieri or Tracey or Tegan) You went up to her and called her Baby Kieri.
The two of you were sisters/friends/cohorts/rivals/ying&yang. You were/are the/a Social butterfly. You were/are happiest when you were/are with others. You loved preschool, you loved kindergarten. (although on the first day of school they put you on the wrong bus, and boy were you mad, because YOU knew which bus to take and they messed you up) You loved school. Hassle as school was, you loved learning, you LOVED reading (you really liked the sad stories of neglect and oppression).

(since this was your favorite costume of all time, I had to put this in here)

You were always there to impart your wisdom to others. You were placed in the split class (2nd &3rd graders and then 3rd & 4th) and when you were thru with your work, you were always asked to teach the lower grade. You were a straight A student. (you made a lot of money off of Grandpa!)

You were in the “smart” click. I do believe your first love was always English. Reading and Writing, which by the way you are a very talented writer (and I STILL expect to see some sort of Sheri L Dew book out of you).
High School was hard, socially, mentally emotionally, physically and spiritually. You grew to understand yourself and your relationship with others.

Then time really started to fly, UC Davis, SF State amongst other colleges so you could still get 30, count them 30 units a semester. You had a plan and you were bound and determined to get there the quickest way possible. Patience has never been at the top of your list. Then off to Palmer Chiropractic school one of the youngest in that grad school. Then quick as a wink you got married and graduated a Doctor.
You have never been afraid of a challenge. You’ll worry yourself to pieces over it, but you will take on a challenge.

You are party planner extraordinaire making wedding cakes, Christmas Cookie parties, Sushi Parties, and even cake pops (check out her blog for more of her parties). You have always loved to cook, and have cooked at least one meal a week since you were 14.
You were my little baby who could talk. Now you are my friend who I can talk to.
The best sister in the world, well now (those Jr. High years were tough on everyone).
Everyone’s compassionate friend.
Here’s a salute to you, It’s your day, Enjoy the Fabulous Person You are!
A quarter of a century. I love you and support you and wish nothing but loads of good wishes for you.

kiss kiss