Hello world, I'm here, really... sort of. 

We are out living life, I just haven't been posting about it, that's all.

Here is what has been up, in a nutshell...

I've worked on some crafts.

Taken some incredible pics and had fun doing it.

Vacationed in Cali with my best friend of life.

yard saled in Cali and enjoyed every last second of it... I didn't really want to come home. 

Reconnected w/ friends from high school.

Did a bit of geocaching.

Went to the midnight showing of Eclipse w/ my girl (had a blast!).

Had the most incredible 4th of July with another of my best friends of life and her family...

so much good has been going on.  We are enjoying life.  Trying to find our place in Lacey... we haven't found it yet, but it has made us a much stronger family.

I will try and do more posting... just as soon as we have done more living to tell about.~G

I'm tired.

I've got a lot on my plate.

This morning a friend sent me a photo of Nick's memorial tree. 

We had it planted at our former church so everyone could enjoy it and it would have a safe 'home' (as we don't know how many years we will be in this location).

And I cried.

Yes, I am very, very tired.

 
The tree is just starting to bloom.

(Thanks Leslie~G)

On my bedside table:

Nada, not much can fit on that stool, and I like it that way. 

On my tv:

Oh my word, I am going to have to watch this while I'm really awake - I put this movie in as I was headed to bed and had all sorts of strange dreams last night...

On tonight's menu:

Chili & cornbread

On my to-do list:
Bathrooms, dishes, laundry, blah blah blah (standard Monday)

Recipe I've tried this week:
Not exactly a recipe, but woah-Nelly, I came up w/ this and it is a good one! 

I went to United Grocer's for some coffee syrups and ended up coming home w/ a massive bag of steak.  It was $2.29 a pound!  To me, if any meat is at or close to $2 a pound, its a good deal (sad isn't it?) - and for it to be steak?  I wish I would have got more! 

Honestly, I'm a steak connoisseur I am not - when I was raising 4 kids and had a fairly rigid food budget - I just didn't served it enough to know (cuts, kinds to buy, etc).

But here is what I did -

* Cut steaks up (it was a huge 'roast' type thing).
* Whacked both side of the steak w/ the pointy side of my meat mallet
* Put steaks in a bag
* Pour in some balsamic vinegar
* Add 2 cloves fresh pressed garlic
* Pour in a bit of oil
* Let sit for 30 min - 1 hour
* bbq 3 - 4 min per side (salt/pepper to taste)

I've always found I should bbq meat less time than I think because it keeps cooking a bit longer and to let the meat set for 5 min or so before serving (so the juices do their thing).  I invert a platter on top of the platter the meat is setting on and try to leave it alone.

Homemaking tip of the week: 

All those tips your Momma gave you, are probably right on the money (and generally on the cheap).   If you are able (and your Momma is still w/ you) you should call her today and say thank you.  Love ya Mom!

Favorite Blog of the week:

Home is Where they Love You

Favorite Photo of the week:

I took this photo just over a week ago now at a "Tuff Truck" event and love the 'air'. 

Lesson learned from the past few days:

I can buy Mary Kary make up, new in the box, not out of date, for almost 1/2 price on ebay and generally with free shipping.  I just check ebay for 'buy it now's' because I don't ever like to bid (and not win).

On my prayer list:

Friends that need healing:  Wendy, Nathan, Rebekah, & Tanya.

In the early 90s I found myself buying stirrup pants on the clearance rack. Although I had loved the style 'from afar' I couldn't bring myself to commit until they were worn by the entire population of the world for years (and years) and had finally come to their sense, said enough, and wouldn't wear them any more.

*sigh*

Yep.

That was me.

And today, I'm reminded of that era in my life as I am bringing up the rear of the Ultimate Blog Party 2010.

Thankfully its not because I wouldn't commit, its because this week has been crazy busy for me.

I'm Gina (aka CraftTeaLady)

That's me on the right.

Married 24 years.  I am the Momma of 4.  3 of my 'babies' (ages 22, 18, 17) are here with my honey & me,  our first born went Home 3.5 years ago when he was 20.

I love photography, digital scrapbooking, crocheting, tea, cooking, home decor, gardening, geocaching, & yard sale/thrifting, and occasionally searching a good clearance rack. 

Thankfully stirrups haven't ever come back in style, until they do, I'm rockin' a couple pair of leggings from time to time. 

It's huge, looming over me, and I can't decide what to do with it... it's my fireplace.

Built is the early 70's it has all the appeal of a rectangular wall of bricks... blah.

And not just pretty bricks.

Oh no.

There are light bricks and dark bricks and just about every color you can think of.

With a huge gray slab that protrudes and doesn't match at all (aka the hearth).

Here are a few ideas that make me happy and the 'view' that I have now.  Gag.

(living room area... pre-painting, but the hearth and bricks are the same)

(this is the color of the walls on both sides of the fireplace - although there are no walls touching it, its just a mass in the middle of the room, free standing, mocking me w/ its ugliness.)

(I love this mirror, I always have.  I bought it at a yard sale an eon ago for $5 and used it in my room as a 'headboard' weighted decor for years.... but now it just doesn't fit w/ the rockin' new headboard my man made me.)

(Today this is my view.  I 'put up' my mirror and a 'hearth' to get a feel for what could be.)

So, my friends, here is where you come in - I need help!

I am open to ALL suggestions! 

I am not opposed to painting brick.

I am very interested in 'boxing in' the 'hearth' and using beadboard to anchor it to the floor.

I love the cottage look and am rather smitten w/ photo #1, and #4 (hover over the photos and you can see the numbers attached to them).

Opinions coveted!

Ideas, helps, suggestions?~G

I love Tip Junkie!  If I only had one site to go to for craft inspiration it would be Tip Junkie, hands-down.

Today they are doing gobs of give-aways (totaling over $6,000 worth of prizes!).

Hop on over and enter to win!  Ya never know, the next prize might very well be yours!

Our trip to Seaside was a quick one, but we had a great time.   Here's a small sampling of photos I took along the way.

A little crochet and gps action to get us there.

A nice view from our room.

A little learning about how they make the cheese.

A whole lot of cheese envy for my youngest (he loves cheese!).

A huge starfish.

A gorgeous view.

A sea urchin.

A little photography.

A bit of splash.

A terrific time at the tide pools. 

A trip to remember.

When I was a kid and we would go on vacation trips, my Mom would collect spoons. She could spend hours (at least it seemed like hours to me as a child) looking for just the 'right one' to commemorate our trip, take home, and hang in her rack.  They were her memory treasures.

When I was a kid one of my best friends had this incredible charm bracelet with little trinket-y things from places she had been and I was enamored w/ it.  My Mom bought me a charm bracelet of my own... but just like a mouth-full of Pop Rocks... it was good for a while, then it fizzled and was gone.

Some people collect shot glasses, thimbles, or salt and pepper sets.  Those are all well and good, if you like to dust a lot (which I don't) or you have great need for drinking (shot glasses), sewing (thimbles), or spice (salt/pepper sets).   But those just don't float my boat.

Now that I am an adult, errr... a grown-up no longer a kid I have a little vacation collection of my own. 

And since I can't stand the thought of having to dust anything, let alone great collections that might take over an entire wall or room...

I collect earrings.

I don't have a ton of them, but when I go on a big trip (one of significance to me) I probably spend too much time looking for just the right pair, just like Mom and her spoons.

This is my (almost too funky for me) Seaside vacation pair.

Every time I put on a pair of earrings I got from a vacation, they bring back a moment, some special little thing from that trip to my heart and they make me smile.

Its just a me thing...

What treasure do you collect when you go on vacation?~G

Taking a bit of a stay-cation type thing this week.  Be back soon!~G