Pizza...Pizza...everywhere and plenty of it to eat!

Who doesn't like pizza?  The perfect chewy crust, thick sauce, piled high with fresh chunky veggies and topped off with fresh mozzarella cheese!  MMMmmmm.  I am a member of http://www.food.com/ and I can find anything on this site.  Check out what we are having for supper tonight...





Homemade pizza dough with homemade pizza sauce!  Big chunks of fresh avocado, tomato, and onions with lots of mozzarella cheese...that's how The Family Circus rolls with it!


I also made a cheese pizza for the kids...





with a little pepperoni on one section...just in case.  Everyone will eat until they can eat no more...I'll let you know if there's any left over!


I was going to sew today but never got around to it...oh well there is always tomorrow.  Can't wait to take a bite of these!

A Bag from a cat food bag...hmmmmmm...

If you have read my profile I have a few animals running around here...OK...more than just a few.  With having 5 cats I go through food pretty fast...they all have very good appetites.  So as a result I have quite a few cat food bags and they seem to be very good bags.  It seems such a waste to just throw them away. 


In my surfing I have been seaching for patterns or ideas on making my own grocery bags.  You can find lots and lots of ideas and patterns just type in google search!  I combined a few ideas I found and this is the result...











Doesn't this make a cute tote??  I love the pictures on these bags so much! 


This little baby can handle any load...seriously!  I just used it today at Walmart.  I asked all my cold items to be put in it and the bag boy definately took me for my word.  The bag held and the straps survived!!  AWESOME!

Raining Cats and Dogs!

The weather forcast for us here on the West coast of Florida was 80% chance of rain today...they were not kidding!  It started this morning and it stayed steady all day.  It made for a very wet and cold Monday.  It looks like we'll have this weather the rest of the week...oh joy.  On the bright side I have a feeling I'll get lots of sewing done this week!!


I'm working on some new projects!  I went to my favorite thrift store over the weekend.  The last Friday of every month no matter what day of the month it is, that Friday, Saturday and Sunday everything in the entire store is 50% off!  I got a great looking hid-a-bed couch for $30...awesome right?  I also picked up a bunch of clothes for the kids.  To many to post pictures of here but I am working on re-vamping a few pieces and I will post pictures of those. 


Carlos also has a new great nephew...he's so adorable!  I am working on making a gift set to send to him.  As well as working on some things for my new grand baby that is due in July!!  I have been slacking on keeping up on this blog...I promise to try harder!  Cross my heart!


Picture is from Zazzle.com

T-shirt Tote

I don't know about all of you but I just really don't like using those plastic grocery bags you get at the store!  I see them everywhere they are not suppose to be...at the park, in the lakes, laying on the side of the road or blowing in the wind...I can't stand it!  I have a few "store bought" bags but they are bulky and hard to store in my SUV.  So I went searching on the web (go figure) and found so many great ideas!  This one is a t-shirt tote and this is my very first one...





It's a little big but I think it will work.  This was one of C's t-shirts that I thought was really funny and I took it from him to make this...LOL! 





I made a couple of rosettes just to spruce it up a bit.  Next time I think I'll make it a little smaller, you know how they love to pack those bags down with a gazillion cans...right?

Rinny's Purse...almost done!

I can just hear you...finally!  Well I'm almost done with it anyways.  I ran out of crystals and I'm waiting on my order to come in so I can finish that and then I'll be done!  But I wanted to show ya'll what it looks like...





It's reversable too...





Isn't this just the cutiest thing you ever seen?





I even put her inital "S" on it...LOL!  I thought at first this was going to be easy and it was for the most part.  But I had to finish sewing the handles by hand, it was way to small for my sewing machine.  This is where I got the pattern and tutorial for the purse from.  Thanks Heather!

A Well Deserved REWARD! One of my favorite pastimes...

I took a small break after completing the laundry room yesterday, and then the purging process began. My second goal this week is to clean out the abyss most people like to call the “garage.” It has become a dumping ground for anything and everything…basically a dump. My big plan is that if I haven’t used it in the past year…it’s going.


I filled up my SUV with this stuff and took it to my favorite thrift store. Key’s Training Center benefits adults with mental or physical disabilities, many work right there at the store! I actually feel good about cleaning and purging knowing in the back of my mind that my “stuff” may become treasures for another and in the process the purchase will benefit those in need.


After I made my donation I went inside the store just to browse around! You never know when you’ll come across a new treasure…right? I know I’m sick. I found two denim placemats that I am going to turn into purses…for a quarter each!





A couple of shirts for Michael…





A dress for Rinny…





A couple of shirts, skirt, another dress and a pair of jeans for Rinny as well.














Then I saw this and I got excited!





Not the shirt silly…the scarf! It’s so cute!! It was priced $2 and all children’s clothes were 50% off…so $1. I couldn’t pass it up!





I also got a really cool remote controlled car for Codie. All of this and guess how much it came to? Give up? Less than $20 bucks! Crazy!


I ordered a rhinestone applicator and I am going to bling Ms. Rinny out! I can’t wait!!

Laundry Room Complete!!

After 5 days and lots of hard work for the most part my laundry room is done!  YEPPEEE!  Drum roll please...


Chalkboard wall...





and yes it does work!  (Still have to paint this door though...ugggg!)





See...





I have lots of different colors of chalk for the kids to choose from...





Codeman testing it out.  See the paint still on his elbow?  LOL





This is where I sort and hang clothes as they come out of the dryer...



Storage closet...





and again...





I moved all the towels and stuff over the washer and dryer...








I want to get more baskets like the ones on the dryer that I store the kids hangers in to group everything on the shelves.  Just waiting for them to go on sale!





Don't mind the drill and hardware...waiting on C to change the outlets.  I tried but couldn't get the wires loose.


I took more pictures but they didn't come out I guess.  I have a table that I gutted and hid the litter box under next to the washer.  Still have to paint it.  And I can use the top of the table for laundry!  I'm thinking of painting the inside of the shelves and the table a pastel green!  Still on the lookout for a chandelier too!


I think I'm going to bask in the aftermath for a little while before tackling another project like this one...WHHEEEWWW!  I am having sewing withdrawls...I miss my sewing machine!

Painting Day 3

Well instead of just turning one wall into a chalkboard I have expanded this project to include the entire laundry room.  Oh boy...what did I get myself into here??  I am almost done, just have to trim out the walls  and do some touch ups tomorrow.  I'll post pictures when I'm finished. 


I've also been purging and donating "stuff" I no longer need or want.  I already have two boxes and two trash bags to donate.  After I finish the laundry room my son is going to help me purge the garage.  That should take us a few days.  He's out of school for Spring Break so he has plenty of time to help out.

Trip to Home Depot

So since I couldn't go any further yesterday on the Laundry Room Re-do I decided pack up The Family Circus and to go shopping at Home Depot! Whenever we all go on an "outing" it's an experience to say the least.  I was thankful to find a cart with extra seats for the kids that had seatbelts...yeaaaa!  I was able to pick up all the things I needed to complete this project and a few extras...I just couldn't help myself. See, we have a MAJOR problem with the kids leaving the lights on when they leave a room, so I picked up some timers for the closet lights that will shut them off after 15 mins and sensor light switches.


Now if you know me you know I didn't pay this price right? I am always looking for a bargan and I really found it today! The employee's at Home Depot are so helpful. I found only one sensor switch and I asked if they had any others. The one I found had no face plate and it was the same price as this pack! I needed more than one so they showed me these. As I looked through them the third one down had a sticker price of $14. I asked if this was correct and they checked...YES! So I got 4 packs!  WOO HOO!!



So after checking out the kids said they were "starving" so we stopped by the hot dog stand outside and grabbed a dog.  As we were eating some little birds kept flying up and landing next to the tables.  So I threw some of my bun down and they came out of the woodwork to eat.  The kids thought it was great! 

HOME JAMES!  Whewwwww...we made it back home without much incident.  Then the fun really began...



This is the space I am making into a chalkboard in my laundry room.  In this process I am also going to give the room a face lift.  This blue is driving me insane!  I'm triming with chocolate...




and once I stared I just couldn't stop!





I kept going and it flowed over into the kitchen.  We are covering the wallpaper (thank goodness) with slats as well as the cabinets.  I see lots of painting in my future!

Overwhelmed...HELP!

The Re-modeling Fairy needs to come visit my house for a week or two.  Hmmm...maybe longer who knows!  I got this burst of energy and started re-doing my laundry room tonight and hit a brick wall.  (I do things like that from time to time...well OK...all the time)  I want to make the wall where the dry erase board was into a chalkboard wall...from ceiling to the floor.  Maybe frame it out with molding.  Use the top half for myself and the bottom half for the kids chore charts and art.  I got everything down off of the wall and sanded it down.  I was going to patch all the little holes and bam!  Couldn't find anything to patch them with!  Joint compound to old and waterey; calking to old and I couldn't find my little jar of wall patch stuff.  Unbelieveable at this house...we have everything here!  Also my 5 gal bucket of paint I bought to paint the walls is missing!  I can't find it either!!  I have my chalkboard paint though...thank goodness.

Well, my son is out of school this next week for Spring Break and he knows we are cleaning out the garage!  That is our project for next week.  Everything just gets thrown out there and I know most of that stuff could just be thrown out.  So I am getting myself ready for purge mode!  My favorite thrift store will get a large donation...maybe two!  LOL!

I didn't get to finishing Rinny's purse today, definately have to get it done tomorrow!

I have so many projects that need to be done here that I don't know where to begin.  I feel so overwhelmed!  Any suggestions??

Site Seeing and Treasure Hunting in Lake Panasoffkee!

The day started out as any other day...getting kids up for school, dressed, and breakfast eaten.  Then off to school!  C had a wood delivery in Lake Panasoffkee and I've never visited before...so I went along for the ride!  Lake Panasoffkee is known for it's nature park and perserve which offers birdwatching, biking, camping, horseback riding, fishing, hiking and hunting.  As we drove I watched bait shops, horse farms, cow pastures, Mom & Pop stores and resturants go by...some still operating, some not.  There were lots of properties with For Sale signs in the yards.  An older gentelman walking on the sidewalk with a walking stick wearing a white shirt and overalls.  Lots of bicycles parked at a corner store.  I said to C, "A small town of country folk just trying to survive!"  He nodded.

We made our delivery then picked some sour oranges & tangerines.  Can't wait to make some sour orange maranade and candied orange rind!  Yummy!  As we drove back through town I noticed a thrift store and said, "Let's stop!"  And this is the treasures I found...



I adore vintage sheets!  I'm still thinking of what project I will use them for.  I collect tea cups, saucers and dishes no particular brand, just anything that catches my fancy.  There was another tea cup that I wanted to get but I broke it.  I'm such a butterfinger!  I paid a whopping $10 for the lot.



Isn't this tea cup cute?  No stamp though.



My grandmother used these dishes, they were her everyday dishes.  I just can't pass any by when I see them...they remind me of her.  This is my first serving platter of the set!







The ones that had markings stated they were made in the USA.  So my visit to Lake Panasoffkee was a very enjoyable experience!  I love visiting different out of the way places here...there are so many things to see, smell and taste!  I forgot to bring my camera...again.  I hate it when I do that.  And I really love finding treasures!!

I'm working on another purse for Rinny, I should have it done tomorrow.  I'll post pictures when I finish it! 

Place Mat Purse

I found this tutorial for a purse and thought it would be perfect for Rinny's birthday present so I gave it a whirl and this is the result...



I thought this was so cute that I just had to make two!!



Now we have matching purses!  BTW...she loved her purse!!

UPDATE:  After using this for a few days I realized that it was way to small for me so I made a bigger one...





Now this one will work!!

Out of the mouths of babes...

Driving the kids to school I heard this conversation right behind me between Rinny and Michael...

R:  "Why did you take her clothes off?"

M:  "So I could put them back on!"

I'm guessing that Michael took the clothes off of Rinny's baby doll.  LOL!