Confessions of A Craigslist Junkie The first step is to admit or find enabling friends.... I like option 2

victoria elizabeth barnes click on this link to read the story!

I am a stalker on Craigslist... There I said it. So much of my furnishings, accessories, rugs etc. have come from CL. Judge if you will, I don't care. I've driven 5 hours to pick up a french daybed sight unseen. Okay when I saw it I should have returned home without it, but I didn't... It now lives on my front porch (Sandford and Son style) until I can haul it off. With that being said I have scored AMAZING deals on my beloved CL... I love this story and it reminds me so much of me. My sister sent it to me and I was literal laughing out loud. Poor Lambert can detect the look in my eye when I'm on the prowl... It's a running joke in my family.

See this... yep scored on CL... would have cost me over $3000 at RH... It was less than 1 year old purchased by a young physician living in the medical center who sadly (boo-hoo) had to relocate and didn't want to move... I picked it up immediately~!! Well.. Lambert picked it up immediately while I jumped for joy.

Strawberry Shortcakes

I have had a love connection with strawberries from as early as I can remember. I actually recall my mom and great grandmother loading me up in a blue Volkswagen station wagon (with rubber flooring and no air conditioning) and driving to an Amish owned strawberry patch near our home in Florida. We would pick fresh berries and tote them home in the little wooden fruit crates. My dad was stationed in Homestead Florida for a short stint and I have very fond memories of that time in my life. It's amazing the things I can recall. I can remember driving to the strawberry patch and seeing the Amish, maybe Mennonite people helping us. They also served AMAZING elephant ears and cinnamon rolls. I also remember loving the song Fly Like An Eagle by The Steve Miller Band. It must have been on the pop charts because it seemed like I heard it all the time. We would lay out in the sun by the kiddie pool (probably minus any sunscreen) eating our strawberries and I would wonder what the song meant... fly like an eagle... time keeps on slippin slippin slippin... I just know I liked it and still do. Great great memories. Okay back to strawberries. So my Grandma Sally always made the best ever strawberry shortcake. Really she made everything the best...It wasn't until adulthood that I truly appreciated her recipes. I'm not a fan of the traditional angel food cake or the pre-made round sponge cakes sold in grocery stores. I like a flaky biscuit soaked in fresh sweet cream topped with homemade whip cream and the sweetest strawberries ever. (because they've been soaked in sugar chilling in the refrigerator for hours before serving). My grandmother ruined me. She is the best cook ever and I can remember her serving up strawberry shortcakes on a beautiful plate and always with her best silver. I might be a food snob. So today, I lovingly served my family a favorite recipe and they will NEVER know how easy it is to prepare. They just know their mom is the best cook ever. (for today, that will change tomorrow) Hoot told me the meal I prepared today was EPIC... he even ate the shrimp. Maybe we are turning a corner.







Recipe:
1 package bisquick biscuit mix (prepare per package instructions)
fresh strawberries cut and soaked in sugar (i use Equal or Splenda)for at least 2 hrs
pour 1 pint half and half over the strawberries
spoon berries over biscuits and pour half and half mixture to your liking
top with fresh whip cream (sweetened)
Enjoy~

Blessed

Isaiah 54:13 All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.

It truly blesses my heart to see my children reading contently.  Hoot chose to read his daily devotional... (because it's short) and Libbie chose a Dr. Seuss book. She can't read yet... but she pretends. I love the stories she invents.








If I hear the "B" word (Bored) or "What are we going to do now mom?" one more time this summer... I'm going to throw myself off a bridge. It seems if we are not in constant motion, we are bored. Given this is my first real summer as a SAHM, I wasn't versed in summer mom responsibilities. I didn't know I was the entertainment director much like a cruise director. I've been appointed official cruise director of the Lambert family. Wikipedia describes me as this: "a high-ranking officer of a cruise ship with responsibility for all onboard hospitality, entertainment and social events, who acts as the public face of the company" Yes, that would be me. I think I deserve a badge and at least a few metals. My littles were highly offended that they had to tag along with me today for routine errands. Apparently getting the car washed and buying groceries was not checked on their excursions list when they boarded the SS Lambert Summer 2013. Once we boarded the ship (came home from grocery shopping) I gave them two options for afternoon entertainment...Read, or take a nap in their cabins.

We also went school shopping today for uniforms.... when does school start back? Ha!

Road Trip

"Summer will end soon enough, and childhood as well"~ Gorge R.R. Martin  Summer with littles is the best. They are brown and pruney from the sun and water. We were in the pool from 10AM until 7:00PM only taking breaks for snacks and potty!   These are the days I hope to remember forever. The belly busters,  giggles that turn into full on hurt your tummy laughter, the smell of coppertone babies and sweet taste of watermelon.  Summer is fun and always fleeting. I'm already thinking of school supplies and uniform shopping. But for now... we swim and build Legos when are fingers are too blistered to swim any longer.

Summer Fun!!

It's HOT in Texas folks!! We don't have a swimming pool so we broke down today and went old school... yep.. daddy aired it up and this small inflatable provided 5 hours of summer fun. Add in water guns, goggles and watermelon... equals one fun day!!

Posting Frenzy!

Feeling Crazy~~~ I think now that I have 80 whopping followers I'm inspired to post... I don't know why. Tonight I made the best ever Asian chicken wraps. They were delish I could hardly stand it. Recipe at bottom of post. I was feeling overly domestic due to a recent late spring cleaning I did. I decided it was time to clean out and clear out and it feels great. Our family room felt crowded and cluttered and no matter how much I cleaned, it still felt un-kept. I think I had too much furniture/accessories in the room. what's a girl to do? get to work! I eliminated several treasures from the room and it feels much better. Lambert came home and asked where his ottoman was... so sorry. I decided that less can be more. And fresh cut flowers pull it all together without being over powering.(like the ottoman) After the cleaning... I pulled a favorite recipe book out (Peace Meals) a collection from the ladies of The Houston Junior League. A sweet friend gave me this book several years back as a Christmas gift. I usually pull it out around the holidays, but thought I would give it a looksy and found this wonderful recipe. My wraps didn't look as good as the picture in the book so I stole theirs. I even used the white butcher paper, but their pic looked MUCH better. Like I said I'm still working on my culinary photography skills. The finished product was delightful, but do you think my family liked it? I can tell you the answer is NO... I have the pickiest family on planet earth. It was fresh and crisp. The sauce was sweet and sour... Any my family just looked at me with sour faces. I finished mine and wanted seconds, but refrained. The rest of my crew went to Chick~Fil~A... I'm telling you if it doesn't come from a restaurant or box... they don't like. I'm trying to eat at home more often and prepare healthier foods for my family. My husband is the instigator. I think my littles would eat what I prepare (because they do for lunch) but when Lambert gives "the look"... they, almost on cue, turn up their noses. If it was up to me, I would make them eat it... How can a mom compete with ole Truett? So if you have a normal family that eats more than strictly box prepared full of preservatives food... try this one.

Enjoy~
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 large clove garlic-minced
1 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 lime (squeezed)
Flour tortillas
1/2 cup prepared hoisin sauce
3-4 green onions chopped
1/2 bunch green leaf lettuce chopped fine
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup peeled and grated cucumber

Heat the oil, red pepper and garlic in a large skillet over med. heat. Add the ginger and chicken. Saute' until cooked through and the juices run clear about 7 mins. Squeeze the lime over the cooked chicken and remove from heat. Warm the tortillas one at time. I heat mine right over the gas flame on my cook top... (its the best). top each tortilla with the sauce, onions, lettuce, chicken, etc... and roll tightly. Secure the wraps with tooth pics and cut on the diagonal to serve...

Lambert just asked me if I was posting the recipe for disaster.... Jerk. I think he forgot Father's Day is Sunday. I may prepare this for Father's Day Dinner!!

Painted Brick and Other Summer Fun

Over the years I have stored up quite a collection of images of painted brick and painted cottages. I don't know that I would have the courage to paint our brick given the fact that I really do like the color of our brick and I believe it's a "historic" whatever that means brick... I've been told by several older neighbors that the woman that built our house in 1959 was very particular and that our brick is "special"... if there can be such a thing... But look what a difference a fresh coat of paint can make.



Before









Painted Concrete... not too bad!!


And last but not least!! My stamp finally came!!! I've been using it for a few weeks now. Love. she is very talented!
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Sunday Supper

I'd been planning this dinner since Mother's Day. My mom was supposed to be in town, but had to have emergency surgery and wasn't able to make it for Mother's Day. She strolled in to town this afternoon after her doctor gave her clearance to drive. I'm not so great at food photography. It will be a new obsession that I will work tirelessly on until I master it! Dinner was delicious and the company was great. Lambert grilled steaks that were marinated in olive oil soy sauce garlic (very simple) and I made a wonderful strawberry walnut salad with home made poppy seed dressing (a new favorite) brown butter and thyme rice and Barefoot Contessa's Brussels sprouts with prosciutto ,garlic and syrupy balsamic vinegar. We are just about to dive in to the Lemon pound cake and then watch a movie. Littles are bathed and in bed watching a movie. Coffee and cake for me and then off to bed. Happy Sunday.

Utility Bathroom Reveal

So we have this hideous utility room and tiny bathroom that adjoins. It reminds me of the movie The Help. I can't imagine who would build a bathroom so small with zero ventilation right next to the garage... HOT, and sometimes smelly... When we moved to our home, 6 years ago, we ripped out the floors and had mexican brick pavers installed. We stopped there. It has remained in the same funky state all this time. I try not to look at it and have jazzed it up a few times with pretty towels or rugs. Mostly I avoid it. We've had so many other projects that needed our attention and I am the WORST about starting a project and not completing it. The worst... This week Lambert installed the faucet ( I have more to add about that later) and hung my mirror (more on that too) and she is done! I still need to find a few little accessories, but for the most part we are done. Lambert did a fantastic job taking my ideas and making them happen. He is not a carpenter and does not want to be. I came from a Dad that can do ANYTHING. He just makes it happen, seemingly effortlessly. Lambert... not so much. He's so detailed that it drives him nuts when things are just perfect and then he spends too much time correcting or re-doing that he gets frustrated and burned out.

The sink- it's original to our house. I loved it's school house vintage feel so I didn't want to replace it unless I could buy the $1000 Kohler apron utility sink :) We decided since it's not a restroom we use daily and it is soooo tiny,to pass on spending the grand... However I did select a beautiful vintagey ( i know that's not a word) feeling Delta faucet with porcelain handles.  Lambert took the sink and the faucet to work with him so he could clean it up and somewhat restore it to it's original glory. He was having difficulty installing the faucet because of the deck lines. It would not line up with the cutout on the sink. So... one of his well meaning customers (and a great friend) offered to run to the hardware store to grab another faucet for him. This customer has great taste and is an awesome carpenter, artist, re model king... so Lambert agreed. He came back with a faucet and told Lambert that it wasn't very expensive and that his wife actually told him to go with a prettier faucet but since it was just for the SHOP bathroom (at our store) he thought the cheaper one was better.... He did not realize this was for our home. I think the faucet was $25.00 (literally). Lambert was nervous to tell me about it. It took me several months to finally choose the one I had picked. He told me the whole story and to everyone's surprise I was VERY compromising and said, oh well it's just a utility bath, lets roll with it. Now that it's all together I don't think it looks half bad. Thanks Eddie R. (he will probably never read this).  The mirror- I picked up last year from an Antiques dealer in Ft. Worth. I knew as soon as I laid eyes on it I wanted it, but like so many times before, I passed and then called back the next week to see if it was still available. I don't know why I do that... My sister picked it up for me and stored until I made a trip up to Dallas. I adore it. It's Irish pine and has all the beautiful worm holes that make it so wonderful. It's chipped on one corner which just adds to it's charm.  We chose a Martha Stewart pendant light fixture that looks identical to the pottery barn fixture I originally selected.  The artwork- My mother in law painted this canvas for me several years ago. I took her a page from a Better Homes and Gardens magazine issue from 1998... I always loved the painting an even attempted to paint it once myself. I love to paint, but my mother in law (and Hoot) is the artist in the family. It's the most treasured gift she has ever given me. I know it was a labor of love because it was no easy feat to complete.  I hope to paint a small canvas landscape of Seaside later this year to hang over the commode.  Until then I'm leaving this tiny (TINY) space alone.  I'm on the hunt to find a little rug and I'm having a blue and white ticking skirt made to go around the sink. The room is so small it was difficult to even photograph.

Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My!

Trips to the zoo have never appealed to me. Not a fan of hot smelly places and that's been my experience with most zoo visits. However.... last night we had the most amazing zoo excursion. Through our affiliation with Shriners Hospital we were invited to Dream  Night at the Houston Zoo.  Libbie was allowed to invite one special friend. Without any hesitation or wavering... Libbie selected Kate to be her zoo buddy.  We picked Kate up and Hoot decided he would rather stay and play with Harry. So with two silly girls buckled in, we made our way to the zoo. I've decided this is the only way to see the zoo. No lines, great guided exhibits, face painting NO LINES, rides, crafts and dinner. (fritos and ice cream sundaes for the girls). All of the Shriner's clowns were there making the night extra special and the zoo staff was just awesome. I learned more than I ever needed to know about the African iguana. The girls and Lambert skipped through most of the visit when we weren't riding on a zoo golf cart... Did I mention it was the only way to experience the zoo?? It was a very different dynamic having two girls rather than our usual crew of Owen and Libs. Girls are really girly when they get together. Kate's brother was on the Zoo Crew Jr. staff last year so Kate acted as our very own personal guide. She was VERY informative and new several of the animal's names. For instance she knew Neiman (as in Marcus) was a young female giraffe that was different from the other giraffes in that her coat was much lighter. When we fed the giraffes we indeed met Neiman and the trainers informed us of what, thanks to Kate, we already knew. I thought it was interesting that the girls chose to ride the panda bear and the tiger on the carousel. As we were riding Kate said, "were riding animals from China". I thought it was just a coincidence, but maybe not. After our ride we visited the face painting station and the girls chose pink tigers. Too cute! They were in tiger character the rest of the night, growling at every one they met.  The very best part of our visit made me a little (okay a lot) anxious. In the pavilion where we had dinner a zoo member told us if we waited just a minute they were going to bring out a very special animal. They put up a plastic chain to rope off the area and we were right up front. In a moment they brought out the largest dog I have ever seen. It was an Anatolian Turkish Shepherd. Truly a giant, but beautiful. I thought wow this is pretty special, but she was not the special guest. The Shepherd was a "protector" of the animal they were leading out... I could see from the corner of my eye that they were leading out on a small leather leash a real live cheetah!! I was very nervous for the girls. They informed us that the cheetah was the fastest animal on the earth and that it could run 30 miles per hour... Not good news for us face to face with just a plastic chain rope separating us from this animal. We made it without being attacked and decided it was getting late so we would head towards the exit. Little did we know we were still in for a hulla hoop contest, craft exhibit and dance yourself silly stage... I know I selpt like a baby last night and Libbie didn't wake up until 9:30 which is late for her.

House Dreaming

Do you ever dream of houses? Am I crazy? I LOVE houses. I know it's not good to get caught in the traps of "if only" or "someday then" but I love looking at houses, driving by and photographing cottages, stalking Realtor.com... We have no intention of moving any time soon... unless something fabulous came our way... BUT... I have longed for a few acres with a little fixer upper on it for a long time. I love projects and can totally see our family out in the country. Wouldn't this be a sweet nest to come home to? I'm the hopeless romantic for houses!

God made the country, and man made the town. ~William Cowper, The Task

I Feel Happy

" I chose to pour My Light into you, so that you can be a beacon to others. There is no room for pride in this position. You part is to reflect My Glory. I am the Lord!" Jesus Calling - Sarah Groves I needed this message today. I can be prideful...



It's 9:45. My children are still sleeping! Its Summer!! This late slumber for my littles doesn't occur often. I have taken full advantage of this sweet time. I've enjoyed a cup o coffee (in blissful solitude) completed a much needed quiet time and read a little of Dr. Dobson's, Building Confidence in Your Child. Great read for all parents. It offers practical applications that help us guide our children to see their true worth and value in a culture that places so much emphasis on beauty and intelligence.











Kroger had peonies yesterday on sale!!! LOVE. I so wish we could grow these beauties in Houston. My folks in Indiana are blessed to have them in abundance. These lovelies were brought in from Michigan. I will cherish them while they last! Our little Kroger gets a shipment around this time each year and they don't last long!


Okay... kids are in my living room requesting breakfast tacos, bacon and waffles...

Its summer....