love me some chevy chase

for the past 9 or so years my friend mark and i have had a tradition. he may be the only person on the planet who loves this movie as much as i do. truly, you should really only ever watch your favorite movies with a fellow admirer. well-mark is that guy for me~ and i am lucky. he throws a firelog in the old fireplace-opens a bottle of fetzers chardonnay and calls me. mark and i let our spouses watch with us. we are nice people like that, but to be perfectly honest- i don't think their holiday would be ruined if this event did not occur. for me tho- it would just not be the same. we belly laugh at our favorite scenes, recite the lines we know, and almost every year we marvel at some tiny new aspect we'd never caught before. thanks mark for your sense of humor and for sharing your firelog with me. (promise if we ever don't live 4 houses away, we'll still make time in december to watch it together k.?)

                                                                            xo, beth

ideas~

i can't help myself...i've been collecting some fabulous ideas to share for december. i know it's not december yet - but work with me here, i'm about to burst!
.


 for a new baby -the only hard part is the hanger




make your favorite cheese ball and double the recipe.
stack it, cover it with softened cream cheese and decorate your
snowguy with some licorice and a rosemary wreath....kaaaa-ute.

 

o.k., is this not the best stocking stuffer? you went and got
the white felt anyway right? so these are handwarmers,
you fill them with rice and heat them in the microwave
for about a minute-then throw them in the
kids mittens before they head out to play. love them.

watch for more fun ideas to  dress up your holidays as Christmas draws nearer.
 any new ideas to share with me?

xo, beth



b-i-n-g-o!

here's a few observations worth noting about our Thanksgiving.

*the weather has never been nicer. not one of us had on boots or stocking caps on the deck.
*the handholding went on so long it got awkward before the blessing was said.

*there was enough turkey for about 12 more people.
*i remembered to light the candles.

*our 115 lb. housedog was  in the kitchen- in the way 98% of the day.
*my niece made the pumpkin pies...a new generation of cooks has been launched.


so impressed ms. ashley

  * the little kids kept winning at bingo, i think it was rigged.
* i only snuck upstairs for a rolaid twice.
* a family picture never happened. there will be no Christmas cards from the larsons.
* my great niece and i had a slumber party on wed. night. we were having so much
   fun on Thanksgiving morning, i wasn't ready when the rest of the guests starting arriving.
* there was glitter all over my comforter when i went to bed and a hard boiled egg maker
  under it? come on family, what gives?
* i miss everyone.
* i am tired
* i feel blessed.

my little brother

how cute is he???

i'd like to introduce you to my little brother. this is todd. i have 2 brothers and when our mom died at 30, a cousin of my mom's adopted them. my sister and i lived with our grandparents.growing up we only saw each other twice a year, not on holidays tho.
 todd is one of my favorite people on the planet. he is all of these things and more: kind, soft spoken, handsome, outdoorsy, old fashioned, strong, loyal, funny, witty and brave. he has had incredible health challenges in the past 15 yrs. but he has not let that define who he is. he has endured 4 major back surgeries that changed the course of his life and left him at a very young age, almost unable to do the things he loves. it also forced him to change careers and settle for work that probably isn't what he ever thought he'd be doing. the thing is~he has a heart the size of alaska and works with adult men who live in a group home. some of them have become very attached to him. he may very well be the best thing that ever happened in their lives. he cares about them. really cares. it takes a very special person to do that kind of work, and do it with heart. todd also survived west nile virus a few years ago and that was a major health setback that kicked him in the gut for a couple years.
in spite of all this, todd is fun to be around, always thinking of others. he and his DARLING wife mary have a marriage that is to be envied. they were high school sweethearts and have one daughter. it took some convincing on mary's part to get todd to have a baby. he was afraid he couldn't be a good dad, since our father left us when we were little and our momma was dying. well guess what? not only did they have that baby...but todd is the kind of father most girls could only dream of having.
*here's the best part.....are you ready?  drum roll please**********************************
for the first time since we were little kids,  (4 & 7) we are going to be together for a holiday~ smiling and laughing across a table full of food and i for one will be more thankful than you can IMAGINE to be sharing Thanksgiving with my beloved sister and brother and their families. God is good!

                                     xo, beth

for goodness sake

yesterday it was all about the first minnesota snowfall and yummy smells coming from the kitchen. here's a little photo shoot of my ginger ball cookies being made. i'm practically famous for them. check out the date on my well worn recipe card. 1980. doesn't that sound ancient? i was a newlywed in the 80's and baking was something i did every week. if you'd have stopped by on any given day-you would have been offered something freakishly, freshly baked. that's the way this farmgirl-raised by her gram- was taught. we were happy and well fed and had horrendous perms, it was the 80's. now baking is something i do for special occasions- and yesterday felt special. SNOW-who doesn't love the first big wallop of it every year? a few white lights came out to play and so did some sarah mclachlan's wintersong music.



pay close attention to the sugar ladies---available at byerlys. imported from sweden



that which looks like chocolate is actually dark molasses



 

little devils lined up ready for dipping in this
cool sugar from sweden (lars)
***********************************

yes...30 yrs. later, still just as yummy. here is the recipe.
dirty, stained-tried and true

 take my advice and double this. roll balls in regular sugar or dip top in pearl sugar, bake at 350 for about 8-9 minutes. underbaking is THE KEY people. it's why we all think they are so perfectly delightful.

                                      *************************************************
                    oh and this was the scene on the deck as night fell.

  ~  as we kick off this week that is all about blessings, i'd like to thank you for taking the time to read my blog....wishing you blessings that overflow your cup! xo b.

love this little family~

so about 4 years ago (right jess?) i had the pleasure of watching this adorable couple get married...it was a perfect day in every way. i watched jessica grow up-she's one of my daughters besties. she and her hubs have dated since they were in diapers practically. well o.k. maybe it was jr. high.  once in awhile there was drama and they wouldn't be dating... then they would be- but they could never stay apart long. they were meant to be together.for always.  a happily ever after kind of couple. today i had the pleasure of taking some photos for them-and meeting their precious new little bambino.



 look who joined them in june----wesley!

it was pretty obvious they adore him

******************

i loved meeting you little guy...your eyelashes
had me green with envy~ xo

 


 






3 turkeys

it's not every gal who gets to brag that her hubbie can bring home the turkey and fry it up in a pan...



these 3 turkeys are my hubbie-(the little guy), my strapping oldest son and
yes...a legitimate turkey





up close and personal. sure is a pretty bird isn't it? well except for the
head that is. that's actually freakish.

what's on your menu for Thanksgiving? we're having all
the usuals and then some. my sister in law is bringing
her homemade rolls and that may be what i'm most excited about. that and my big sweetie's stuffing. yuuum
if i close my eyes and think about it, i can almost smell it.
i think that means i'm hungry. if you'll excuse me-i'm going to dig in the fridge for a bed snack. : )

xo, b.

oh and p.s!!! i am having a giveaway. you can win this turkey's tail feathers. they are currently hanging by my fireplace and i couldn't be more repulsed.



check her out!

my friend maggie has an amazing blog. cha-cha-check it out if you want to laugh-feel happy-or just get a glimpse into her life.

this little life of mine -or correctly-

thislittlelifeofmine.blogspot.com

gratitudes

one week till Thanksgiving.
for the last 10 months i've been keeping a gratitude journal.
my goal was to make it to 1000. i thought it would take a
REALLY long time, but a month ago i reached my goal.
the best part is-i didn't stop. i have been hearing alot about
how gratitude changes people. it changes lives. it makes you
look for the silver lining in every situation. i feel it working
in me. even on days when  life hits me hard-and this last year there have been some of those days friends-before i tuck myself into bed i reflect and remember with gratitude the things that went right in my day. there are always, always blessings.
i'm going to share todays.

i am thankful for:
*the neighborhood owl that hooo'd to me
*a doctor with genuine compassion
*a drive thru a small town-lit up with white lights
*music that made me smile
*my oldest son sharing our dinner
*a phone call from a friend
*feeling well
*time in my studio
*a husband who'll run to the grocery store
*my warm casa

and speaking of warm-here's a quick pic of the headband i
just finished.

              i am one lucky girl, and i don't take that for granted
                                              xo, b.

rise and shine

if i could, i'd bring you each some of these this morning-

               warm, sweet blessings for your day-xo 

modern family

do you have a modern family? i think i want one. based on the show modern family- i think i want a gay brother and a stepmother named gloria. this show cRaCks me up...like no other show ever has. the writing is genius.

 if you're not already watching it and you have a sense of humor-a funny bone or a pulse-i'd  like to encourage you to tune in on wed. nights. laughter is good for the soul. it prolongs your life-studies have been done. come on over-i'll open some wine.

  this show is "snorting milk outta your nose" funny.

                                                                xo, beth

super star



if you need a bit of encouragement
today-remember, i think you are
a super star!

xo, beth



lucky me~

so...yesterday was a good day. here are some of the highlights:

*i got up early made a cup of international coffee, grabbed my laptop and headed back to bed to read (reading The Homecoming of Samuel Lake-it's gooood) and check my favorite blogs.

* whilst i lazed in bed i got a text from my rockstar daughter who'd just shot her first evaaar deer! she has a fab new guy in her life and she was at his cabin hunting with him. they're in a remote area with no cell phone coverage and i cannot WAIT to hear all about the experience!




sorry for the poor quality-this was sent on a phone


*next I got up, did some household chores and got ready for the day and headed to the library to check out a movie. I walked in and low and behold-there was a demonstration going on on decorating for the holidays-well girls, this was not on my agenda-but when i saw 2 big tables covered with spruce tips, fresh magnolia, huckleberry, birds nests, pepper berries, old ice skates, mittens, window boxes and wreaths i was a goner-i knew my day had taken an unexpected detour.
i registered for prizes and texted one of my bff's and told her to get her tush to the library to join me a.s.a.p

*i settled in and thoroughly enjoyed learning some new tips on using natural materials to spruce up (get it?) the holidays. Here is maybe my favorite one: use Epsom salts to add some sparkle to pinecones, the rims of mason jars-pretty much anything. Just water down some Elmers glue a little and apply to your surface-then roll or sprinkle on the Epsom. it adds a real natural looking sparkle-like snow. they rimmed the edges of old mason jars and  wine glasses with the salts and then filled them half full of the snowy looking product, nestled a tea light down in there-lit it and voila! it was gorgeous. sooooo here's the best part. they gave away most of what they'd designed and guess who won the window box? yep me.




here it is -before i added some red berries



can you see the big old chuncks of birch?

 


with berries, this is my view from inside the house!

********************

*my friend Cindy -who did rush to the demonstation- invited me to join she, her hubs
and another couple and go out to dinner. i came home, bundled up and went for a brisk walk, went to sat. evening church services and joined them

*the dinner was delicious and the live music great! there was also a couple on the dance floor
that provided such wicked entertainment i could do a whole blog post
about them (but i won't-call me for the gory details-haha).

*i saw the first Christmas lights on the way home. they were spectacular-i'd like to personally
thank the people that apparently rent boom trucks to string lights in trees as tall as water towers, for the enjoyment of all. i get it. i appreciate you. i LOVE Christmas lights people. (have been know to drag my family all over God's green earth when they were young to ohh and ahhh with me-now i have to trick them, say we've got to go to the hospital to visit a friend or something- get them in the car and then break out the Christmas music and hot chocolate, lock the doors and start driving). haha

* my hubs comes home tonight after a 9 day hiatus, hunting and helping my sister's husband with harvest. whoot whoot!

hope your weekend was a good one too,
xo, beth





 

one last encore

this is it...i swear-can you just bear with me and let me show you one last snippet of the amazing Fall beauty that is right outside my window today? i stood in the kitchen yesterday, marveling at how the maple tree that brushes up against my house was still loaded with all it's gorgeous golden leaves when almost every other tree in the area has dismissed theirs. well low and behold-this morning when i stumbled to the kitchen to make my coffee- overnite it had changed. in the blink of an eye-this was now the scene on the deck:

not. even. kidding. there were DRIFTS of amber leaves- : )

so here's just a few more shots of how insanely pretty my deck looked this morning. and the dear old tree that was once cracked almost in half by a wind storm and has suffered other indignities in it's 18 yrs?  it has provided us with more than just shade. i look at this simple beauty and think

 "thank you God for this big old tree."



i did not place these-i swear-this is how they were



they were even drifted in the crotch of the tree

************

                                                             xo, beth

home alone

         o.k. so here's the scoop. i'm home alone. will be for the next 4 days.

if you love me please do not tell chester. chester the molester. i'm not afraid-after all i live in the city voted 2nd best place to live. in the whole united states of america. i have a phone. i have neighbors. i have mace. i also occasionally have mice. like last night. now that's something to
be afraid of.

                                                                                xo, beth

queen b.

I've got a thing about crowns

i think us girls should just do it. let's just all get  ourselves a fabulous tiara and freaking WEAR IT. let's wear it when we're cooking, when we're rockin babies, when we go to target!...who says you have to be married to a king to wear a crown? who says only the divas on the floats get to wear them?  i think we should just start a movement. if you want to join me i'd love to meet you at the mall - in the food court-say around noon. i'll be the one in the yoga pants. wearing a crown.



oh and p.s. i like bees in crowns too.
since my name starts with a B i think perhaps my
grandchildren should consider calling me
queenie B.

one of my best friends was the homecoming queen. to this day when i get to
see her, i ask her whyyyyyy she isn't wearing her crown. is there a time limit? i also tell her, if that baby was mine-i'd so be wearing it.  : )

xo, beth



mama's happy

                  are you a junker?
                     * do you want to be?

are you at all panicked that garage sales are pretty much over for the year? well if you love a unique find as much as i do-something no one else has in their house or draped on their bod, get yourself to Mama's Happy in Mound this weekend. I promise you won't be disappointed. things are very affordable- the shop is so full that they have taken over the shop next door to their business for the next 2 months and set it up for a one of a kind shopping experience. (my handmades will be in the "annex"). this is an occasional sale folks. there are just 2 weekends in Nov. and 2 in Dec. for shopping.



trust me, there is great loot at this sale!



gifts galore...

the address of the shop is 2271 commerce blvd. mound mn. if
you want to map quest directions.

for hours look for Mama's Happy on Facebook/google
nov. 9-13
nov. 17-20
dec. 1-4
dec. 7-11



this just in: happiness spreads like a wildfire~

it's true...happiness does spread like a wildfire. you've seen it happen right?  when you're around one of those MARVELOUS creatures that God created...someone who radiates joy-it's contagious, combustible- marketable even--if we could just figure out how to bottle it. if you don't have people like this in your life-get out there and find yourself some-i am one lucky cowgirl friends-cause you know what? i can count at least 5 people who rock my world on a consistent basis with their joyful, positive attitude. their happiness makes me happy ~ it rubs off on me and i hope once in a while i too am "so happy" that i make other people happy. what a gift we can give each other.

                                xo, beth

i'm about to snap



 

just a photo-that's what i snapped
 saw this on my evening walk. no climbing kids-they mean it!

 

i stood under this fabulous maple to capture a picture of a leaf or
two as it floated lazily down to the ground. the leaves were falling so fast it actually
sounded like it was raining. it was magical.





the sun in all it's glory




the first ice on the birdbath. the birds need to find their iceskates.



soon these leaves will be covered with snow-it's in the forecast for midweek!

*some fabulous news from my house tonight is that for the first time since i was 6 years old, i will be spending Thanksgiving with not only my sister and her family, but also one of my brothers and his family.I am excited, grateful and just plain thrilled that he will be sitting at my table on a day that is centered around family. Todd, I have missed you. This just feels so right.  xo, beth

blood is thicker than chocolate

DO YOU HAVE GOOD MEMORIES OF GROWING UP WITH YOUR COUSINS? I DO. I WAS ONE OF 21 FIRST COUSINS ON MY MOM'S SIDE AND BECAUSE I LIVED WITH MY GRANDPARENTS, I GOT TO SEE MY COUSINS OFTEN. SOME OF THEM  FEEL  LIKE SIBLINGS TO ME. LAST WEEKEND 4 OF US GIRL COUSINS, A COUSIN IN LAW AND A  BRAVE YOUNGIN (ONE'S DAUGHTER)  SPENT THE WEEKEND TOGETHER  IN REDWOOD FALLS. 



THE CREW-MINUS THE PHOTOGRAPHER- ANNA



OUR WEEKEND CONSISTED OF:  EATING GREAT FOOD, SHOPPING AT THE LOCAL SHOPS, EXCHANGING GAG GIFTS AND INTRODUCING THEM TO "BED PRIZES", DRINKING WINE, GOING TO THE LOCAL CASINO WHERE ONE OF US (AHEM, NOT ME) WON ALMOST $400 ON A PENNY MACHINE, SQUISHING OURSELVES INTO ONE

CAR-WHOSE BACK  BUMPER WAS PRACTICALLY DRAGGIN ON THE GROUND AFTER WE ALL LOADED UP, VISITING THE LOCAL FITNESS CENTER-WHERE THESE FUNSTERS BROKE INTO SPONTANEOUS DANCE MOVES,DRINKING SOME MORE WINE, PLAYING A GAME THAT HAD US ALL PRACTICALLY WETTING OUR PANTS LAUGHING, THEN WATCHING A MOVIE TO CALM OURSELVES DOWN, CHUGGING SOME NYQUIL AND HEADING TO BED.



THE DANCING QUEENS. ( LOOKS LIKE KIM MAYBE THOUGHT IT WAS A HOLDUP?)

 A HIGHLIGHT OF SAT. EVENING WAS A SURPRISE VISIT FROM A FORMER MISS AMERICA-SOMEONE WE USED TO KNOW BUT HADN'T SEEN IN YEARS.  (actually this
is my hilarious sister-who seems to have taken over for our dear grandmother-who used to like to dress up to make us all laugh).




GIRLFRIEND ROCKED THOSE JEWELS!





THE GAG GIFTS WERE GAGGABLE-THIS ONE WAS A BIG HIT. A SET OF HOT ROLLERS FROM THE
1940'S FOLKS. YEP YOU READ THAT RIGHT-THIS BABY IS OVER 70 YRS. OLD!



THE MARK OF A SUCCESSFUL WEEKEND IS THE NEED FOR A NAP AND YEP-THIS OLD GIRL TOOK TO THE COUCH WHEN I GOT HOME ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON, EXHAUSTED AND FULL OF GRATITUDE TO SUE FOR HAVING US. I HAVE ALL KINDS OF FUNNY NEW MEMORIES TO THINK BACK ON.  LOVE YOU GIRLS!

                                         XO, BETH