Happy New Year!

 

Here we are. The end of another year. It seemed like it just flew by. Once again, I don't have any New Years Resolutions. (I could never keep them, so I just hung that up!) But, I do want to try and slow down this year. I want to take the time to enjoy each day in it's entirety. I also want to enjoy and appreciate everyone who is a part of it. Like Pooh, I want every day to be my favorite day. So, (even though it scares me) I am going to let go and let whatever will be, be. Que Sera, Sera.

Is It Spring Yet?

I am going to share something with you that I just wrote on my other blog, because it affects this blog too. I haven't been posting much lately, and I just can't seem to get with it in the winter months. Bear with me these next couple of months and come Spring, I'll be flooding these pages! I promise.

Here is the post.

There's something about winter that just messes with me. I can't quite put my finger on it. I can't say I feel bi-polar because I'm not depressed. I still love my life and I still feel pretty "happy" most days. (Except that week that Mother Nature messes with me! I can't wait to give her the boot someday!) During the other seasons, it's nothing new if I never leave my house for five days straight. I do go outside, but most weeks I don't leave the yard until the weekend. Doesn't bother me one bit, and in fact, I like it that way! During the winter it's the same thing, only I don't go out in the yard. Unless it's warm and sunny, (which doesn't happen very often) then I bundle up all the dc kids, and spend the next 20 minutes pulling them and their boots out of the snowbanks. When my arms feel like they are going to fall off, we head back inside. I wonder if because I don't go outside that often, or I can't just jump in my car and drive to "wherever" on bad weather weekends, if it isn't causing some sort of "anxiety." (which is a strong word for it, but I can't think of any other word to describe it right now) Sort of like being "trapped" in the house or in Wheaton, or something. I don't feel free to just go and do what I please. I have to answer to the weather. I'm not in control and I need to be in control. I can't help it. It's the way I was born. (I think I just had an Aha! moment here. I need to be in control....By George, I think I've got it!! The weather is controling me and I don't like it! Not one bit.) But, then comes Spring, when the snow starts to melt and the sun is shinning, and I can run outside in just a sweatshirt. I feel like superwoman! I can do anything! It's spring!! But, in the winter, I feel like superwoman who has had all her powers stripped away from her. I can't do anything. Well, now that I've figured out my problem, (See, writing IS great therapy!!!) what do I do about it? Does anyone else feel like this? What works for you? If you have any answers or thoughts, shoot me an email at tdsiegel@hotmail.com
I would love to hear from you. Email anytime. I'll be in the house.

Merry Christmas

 

May the Christmas Spirit

stay within your heart, all year long.

Merry Christmas!

Tim, Desiree & Landon

The Best Gift Of All

I am constantly telling our son Landon, "Lighten up, don't be afraid to show your sense of humor, laughter is the best medicine, etc..." Tonight with a little smirk, Landon told me to "keep an open mind," and presented me with this little sign. He gave me a little bit of his sense of humor, and I couldn't ask for more. I love it!! (I have to admit, somedays I do ride a broom. ha!) ;)

Ya Still Here?

Tampon Case Update

Hey there, I just received an email that the "burst into flames" cases are out of stock. Bummer. But, they are sending a really cool venus fly trap one to replace it. You can check it out here...

 

i think it's

 going to be

one of

those

 days...

Psst....Hey, Check This Out!

Have you been looking and looking for that little, something, "perfect" for your BFF who already has everything?  Well, look no further! Here is the perfect little gift for her and the odds are good that she doesn't have one! Check it out!

 

It's a TAMPON CASE!!

That's right. Now, how cotton pickin' cute are these??

I only have a limited supply, but they will be here in time for Christmas!

(I just placed the order on 12-10-12)

 

#1

#1

venus fly trap

 

i think it's going

to be one

of those days.

$16

(Three Available)

 

These gorgeous tampon cases featuring sassy vixens were created to keep your personal life discreet and stylish. Now even if you do spill your purse's contents you won't reveal your personal life. The image is epoxy coated for long life - won't wear or peel off. These cases are great for change and make up, too. Made of stainless steel, the case holds 3 cardboard applicator regular sized tampons. Packed in coordinating printed gift box.

  5" X 2" X 5/8"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#2

ob/gyn

 

if there is a god,

please let this guy

be my ob/gyn.

 

$16

(Four Available)

 

 

#3

pms mom

 

that's the look she gets

just before she goes into

"full-on-bitch"

mode.

 

$16

(Three Available)

 

 

#4

idiots

 

idiot, a.

menial, defective,

imbecile, moron,

(STUPIDITY); fool,

tomfool, witling.

most people around me

on any given day...

 

$16

(Three Available)

 

 

#5

it's you

 

PMS DOESN'T BOTHER ME.

YOU BOTHER ME.

 

$16

( Three Available)

 

*This one also comes with a matching box,

but for some reason it isn't shown in the picture.

 

 

If you would like to order one,

just shoot me an email at:

theswedishcowgirl@hotmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I Was Wrong

A couple of posts after this one, I kinda tease about Landon bringing home scraps of felt from school. But, once again he makes me eat my words and I am happy to admit I was wrong. It turned out to be a good thing, and I was too quick to form an opinion. He's repurposing and creating! Love it!!

Any kid can come home from school with dirt on their jeans from playing hard.

(Actually he decided to walk home from school because...
"It's snowing mom! I just had to!")

But, it takes a real tough kid to come home from school with dirt on their jeans,

and a backpack full of felt scraps to dive into for a cool sewing project!

He's gonna make a mighty fine husband someday!
 

Spritz Cookies

Last year I bought a spritz cookie press in a temporary moment of insanity. I am a terrible baker and even though I try hard, there are only a tiny handful of successful recipes that I can tuck under my hat. I don't know what the problem is. It might be my oven, or typos in all the recipes I try. Well, it could be. Anyway, I tried it once last year and it was an Epic Fail. (How cool am I to use cool words like, Epic Fail? Hee hee...) Sticky dough, hard, dry, burnt...you get the picture. So, when our son Landon found the press and begged me to make cookies, I gotta tell ya, I wasn't overly excited. But, I was willing to give it another shot, and hopped on PINTEREST (I LOVE PINTEREST!) to guide me in a better direction than last year. There I found a cream cheese recipe someone had pinned from Andrea Myers blog, that claimed the cream cheese kept the cookies soft. Here is the website:

http://andreasrecipes.com/cream-cheese-spritz-cookies/

(I didn't use the orange zest or cinnamon. That might be part of my problem. Not being able to follow an entire recipe!)

Every once in a while I get an easy Daycare day. (I am a full time Child Care provider with 11 dc kids and one of my own!) Today was one of those days. With only three kids here and one of them in preschool all morning, I thought it was the perfect time to tackle those cookies. The thing about spritz cookies is you have to pump out about 3,444 crooked, no good cookies, before the press starts cranking out good, keeper cookies. So, for every tube you fill, you get 2 good cookies. Well, it seems that way anyway. (If anyone knows the secret for getting all good, keeper cookies, please tell me!) We ended up with a couple sheets of good ones, and then I saved a little dough for my little preschooler boy. He came back at dinnertime, and was all set to make cookies! (He had made drop sugar cookies a few days ago with his mom, and was ready to go again!) I handed him the press and I guess the dough must have gotten a little too warm as it was not cooperating at all! I took it back and tried myself without success. He just shook his head, sighed and said, "Just take it out of there and I'll show you how to make cookies!" And he did. Check them out! (That little comment made me chuckle all day. One of the many perks of my job!)

 

Now, THIS is how you make spritz cookies!

 

Ain't Ya Gonna Use That?

I might have created a mini-monster-me. Today, when I checked Landon's backpack, it was filled with pieces of cut up red and green felt. When I asked where it came from, Landon informed me that his class did an art project today. The felt was left over and the teacher was just going to throw it away! So, he asked her if I could have it to make Christmas ornaments for my dc kids. Oh, heavens. While I love his thinking, I might have to teach him some boundaries. But, bless his heart. He was thinkin' of his momma. I'll take it!!!

One Of My Favorite Ornaments

Erin Martinek is our local family photographer and she rocks! She took our pictures this past summer and they are phenomenal! For Christmas, she gave out 3,455,366 (I am sure it felt like that to her!) HANDMADE Christmas ornaments to all the people she took pictures of! Amazing... Here is ours.

 

 

 

I LOVE IT!!

This is the picture Erin posted on facebook.

It's just a tiny portion of all of the ornaments she did.

I love the crates and all the cool little treasures tucked in here and there.

Isn't it the coolest thing ever?
Handmade gifts are the best!
 



A Little Holiday Kitchen Cheer

 

Of course, now that Christmas is almost here and over...

I'm starting to get in the spirit!

Please ignore the old stove in the background.

 I did ask Santa for a new one this year,

 but I'm not sure I've been good enough to aquire that!

Might get a little bottle of stove cleaner though... hee hee.

Winter Projects

Last Saturday was my last purse show for the winter. After eight years of doing shows, the one thing I've learned, is that you can not count on the Good Ol' Minnesota weather to be good all winter long. Blizzards arrive, shows get canceled and you don't get your money back. It's the pits, but that's just the way it goes. So a few years ago, I stopped doing winter shows all together. So, now I have a little time on my hands, and am going to really focus on my Etsy store. It keeps changing as I go though. At first I thought I would be able to put all my cool funky junk I had on there for other people to enjoy or create something out of. But, I forgot something. It all has to be mailed. UGH! I can't ship out windows, doors, antique sewing machines, chairs, or cool little pot belly stoves. Well I could, but I don't think anyone would want to pay the astronomical shipping charges that would require! So, my plan for all the big funky junk is a weekend spent at my favorite flea market in Detroit Lakes. Shady Hollow. I know it would be a sell out and I'm excited and sad at the thought of it. I have most of the little vintage items on there already, my painted and distressed cast iron, and I added a lot of supplies. (Beads, material, etc.) I also added a few IPAD cases and Totes that might be able to stay on there as supplies for monogrammers. (Not sure, if they will let me, but I am certainly going to try it.) So, my Etsy store is all over the place and it's not sitting well with me. I don't want to open it until I am feeling better about it. I want it to be a fun shop, and a fun shop it will be. Soon. I hope. I'm always thinking, and I'm always trying new things. So, by the time I get it open, it just might be completely different than what I just told you! Guess we will both have to wait and see. But, I'm used to that and if you hang out here long enough, you will get used to it too. Welcome to my crazy life! I didn't say it was going to make sense, but I did say it would be fun! Just hang in there. It will happen. It will.

One Of My Favorite Places To Go

 

There it is.

One of my favorite places to go.

On our way to Battle Lake this weekend,

to do my last purse show of the winter,

we had to make a little pit stop.

This is the second time I have been privileged

to enter this building. A couple of years ago

I won $1000 on a print and play ticket!

They say the third time's a charm.

So...the next time I come here....

 

 

There's gonna be a whole lotta

extra zeros on the end of this number!!

Yee haw!!

P.S. This is the worst picture ever taken.

I was fighting a cold, but I look like I have the flu!

It's the only one I've got though, so it is what it is.

I am not going to think about the fact that they are

going to blow it up and plaster it on the wall at the

store where I bought the winning ticket from. UGH!