From Chaos Comes Happiness

I'm about to share a secret with you, my beloved blog friends. Something that many of you will not understand. Something that will cause so many of you to question the very core of my existence. Yes, many of you think  you know me, and I am fairly certain that you do . However . . . I've been hiding something from you all. Yes, I have a confession. Something I must share with you . . . today. I love Spam. Eeeeee-gags!!!!!! SPAM?!?!?! Yes, Spam. Perhaps if I tell you why I feel so strongly, you will better understand.   Primarily . . . it's because of my Dad (insert awwwwweeee here). But in all seriousness (ok, can there be a 'serious' conversation about Spam?), I grew up thinking that Spam was something yummy, and never thinking anything otherwise. My dad was fond of Spam, and I think it had something to do with his time in the service. Dad was an army guy long before he married my Mom and had us kids, and I think he was introduced to it during t...

As we approach the end of July (WHAT?!?! Did I just say "approach the end of JULY?!" What in the world happened to the first 7 months of this year?) . . . I digress . . . eh-hem . . . As we approach the end of July, I find it a fitting time to review and take inventory on our Word of the Year thus far. Remember that whole "Word of the Year" thing that I write about, or have written about, for many years now? (Click here if you need to be reminded.) Yes, the Word of the Year. Again, the whole idea originates from Scrapbook extraordinaire Ali Edwards , who reminds us that, "One little word can have big meaning in your life if you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities." My dear friend, Mary (my beloved Food Floozie ) actually reminded me of our words while visiting last month. As we strolled through the amazing galleries at the Art Institute of Chicago, she brought up the subject of our words. At first, I felt my stomach sink . . . can it b...

I think Milwaukee is a cool city. I think they do really cool things there. And no, I am not native to Milwaukee, nor am I being paid by the Milwaukee Convention and Visitors Bureau or by it's mayor office. I just think Milwaukee is an awesome place, and I have to tell you about one of the things I saw while I was there. During a walk to dinner one night, we found ourselves seeking refuge from the 100 degree heat and taking an indoor (and air conditioned) shortcut through the downtown mall that extends blocks of the city. While walking through the mall, I couldn't help but notice how the economy has made a significant impact on the stores in the mall. As we passed one empty store after another, I felt like we were walking in a deserted place. Then, before my very eyes, I looked down from the second floor atrium, and saw this . . . Let me turn that around for you . . . and make it a little larger . . . Make A Parade Workshop? Free?? WHAT?!?!?! I stood there...

From lovely Milwaukee, Wisconsin! Yes, my dears . . . I have returned from the land of cheddar and can't wait to tell about it. Boy-oh-boy, did we have some fun. And boy-oh-boy, am I glad to be back! You know, taking a few days away is always so awesome for the spirit. It's great to see new things and have new experiences. It's also great to realize, after all is said and done, that there really is . . . no place like home. Yes . . . I had a wonderful time. But yes, I'm glad to be back home. I spent the past few days away having lots of poolside fun, reading, and enjoying plenty of rest . . . while our beloved Phil Guy worked the hours away. While I was gone, a thousand and one blog post ideas came to mind . . . so be on the lookout for some great stories in the coming days (and weeks!) I actually decided to make some visual changes to the ol'blog (yes, again) . . . but it's something I am just feeling right now. Believe me, the stories and heart of this b...

Time for another "Keeping It Real" post! Here are my latest truths . . . in no particular order. The truth is  . . . my heart is so very heavy for the people in Aurora, Colorado. I haven't put the TV on or watched much of the news about the killings, because . . . I can't. But I am praying for the victims, and for their families. I am reading a little online, but I can't bring myself to watch any footage of the scene. I don't understand. I will never understand. The truth is . . . that even though I am not working right now, I still need to get away. To leave the house and the stresses that come with it behind. To just get in my car, and drive. And very soon . . . I'll be doing just that. The girls and I will be joining Phil on a work trip again. And although this trip may not be as glamorous as when we joined him in Puerto Rico . . . it will still bring us a bit of adventure along...

My dear blog friend Kelly, from Happy Shack Designs (Artful Happiness), wrote a wonderful post last week about her "happy place" . . . a special place she often visits when things are piling up on her and where all of the tensions and stress of her life simply melt away. Kelly's place is the ocean. Click here to read her post . . . I swear, my stress melted away just reading about her special place. I started thinking about my happy place. At first, I didn't think I had one. Sad, isn't it? But don't worry . . . it wasn't long before I realized that I most certainly do . . . right in my back yard. Yep. Right outside my door. I realized it on Sunday, as I approached the pool and saw this . . . My little piece of heaven, right there, in my own back yard. It truly is  my happy place. For here the telephone is far away in the house, and cannot be heard. The computer and television are all behind closed doors. The toys, the boo...

Welcome to my humble abode . . . the place where I create, where I am inspired, where I write, and where I fulfill my wildest dreams of living a creative life. Today I am linking up with the absolutely amazing Karen Valentine over at " My Desert Cottage ", and joining in the "Where Bloggers Create 2012" Annual Blog Party! Welcome to Where I Create. Here is my studio. My space where all my art is born, my sanctuary, and . . . our basement. This room originally was set to be my husbands "Man Cave", as the rest of the house was clearly in my control (and decorating wishes). However the man cave never quite came to be. It was a storage room, a toy room, an office space, and about a year ago . . . became MY studio. It's important for me to have a colorful space . . . a place that is vibrant and full of fun and full of life. Having a studio in a basement (with very limited lighting) makes it quite a challenge, though. But I certainly man...

My friends, today we are going to venture into my kitchen, where I will be sharing just about the BEST cake recipe with you. True, I am not one to do many posts on foods or recipes (I'll leave that to the true food experts, like my friend Mary!) But I have been known to post one or two DIE HARD recipes that truly will . . . Change Your Life. (Remember the chocolate covered grapes? Or my super duper special Chocolate Chip Cookies? Yeah, of course you do.) So today, I'm bringing you another family favorite of ours. And probably, yours too. The thing is, you probably have forgotten about it. But chances are, I'm fairly confident that you have seen, tasted and/or made this very cake at some point in your life. Intrigued? I thought so. Let us begin . . . I was at this stage of the baking today, when I decided I should do a blog post about the cake . . . Have you figured out what cake I was making?  No, not yet? Well, let's move on. After sweating for hour...