Amber Waves of Grain

I haven't gotten into many shows lately. I flip through every channel, even sometimes stopping at the Home Shopping Network out of desperation. Whatever they do works; it makes me want to call right then to order their products. I'm convinced that I need their steam mop . Anyway, I am not a big fan of Dancing With The Stars ..... but when absolutely nothing else is on, I'll take it. So, I've come up with my own fantasy league of DWTS celebrity dancers. Here's who I'd invite to be on my own version of the show ( btw-- on my version, the women have more material to their outfits too.... but that's another blog post ). Richard Simmons ! - Sweatin' to more than just the oldies! John Schneider (Bo Duke!) - He can slide into the General, but can he slide onto a dance floor? Tina Fey! - For some comic relief. Love her. Damon Wayons! - Classic. Steve Martin !-- He's actually a great dancer/mover if you've seen his his old movies Julia Roberts...

I married an older man . He turns 34 today. Happy Birthday, Nathan!!!!!!!!!!! For his birthday, I will list 34 things you may not know about Nathan.... from my perspective. 1. He's tall. (I married him to get some height back into my family) 2. He shaves with a straight razor 3. He goes turkey hunting but never sees any turkeys. 4. He went to college on a trumpet scholarship 5. He worked at McDonald's during high school 6. He knows only a limited number of colors. For the longest time he called all of his light beige/khaki type pants "white." 7. He makes the world's best chocolate milk for me. His recipe is top secret. Really, he won't let me watch when he makes it. 8. Up until this summer, Nathan has worn the same size pants since he was in middle school. 9. Because #8 is true-- this means he still owned his stonewashed purple Guess jean shorts when we got married..... because they still fit. 10. He gives a nice back scratch/rub. 11. He h...

My seamstress (and friend) came over today to work on the curtains. She hung up some of the kitchen panels to measure for the hem. I love them already and they aren't even done yet. Here's a sneak peak. There will be 2 panels per window when she's done (instead of just 1 like you see here), so just use your imagination. Above the sink (That's right, I haven't washed dishes in awhile . Give a pregnant lady a break ): By the back door (and there's the seamstress hard at work): All together : She'll hem these soon and she's starting the living room curtains next. Love them!!!

My painter finished last week and I LOVE the new colors. He even painted the white trim and baseboards to make them look like new again. We are still not back to normal yet. Our house is a mess and we haven't hung things back on the wall, etc. We are also waiting on curtains and a new brown sectional (and we've sold our old green couches that you see in the pics). We also have a pile of wires from the plasma TV; we need to find a cabinet to hide the receiver and so forth. So, here are some before & after pics -- just to see the completed paint job! Kitchen BEFORE : Kitchen AFTER : And, new rugs (Target- Canberra Brown collection): Living Room BEFORE : Living Room AFTER : View towards the front room BEFORE (look at that old TV too): And, AFTER : Entry Way BEFORE : Entry Way AFTER : I'm enjoying the new colors but we have a lot of work to do. I'll try to post more pics as we hang curtains, get a new couch, and decorate! It's a slow process now that I'm ...

Today I had a hankering for chicken salad . By hankering, I mean when a pregnant woman craves a specific food.... she had better get it QUICK or havoc will occur. So, I made this: Now, this recipe is STOLEN . It's my BFF, Jennifer's, recipe. And, she probably got it from her mama. They are both great cooks and worthy to steal recipes from. I did NOT ask her permission to post this ( better to ask forgiveness than permission, right? ). Let's hope it's not a family secret. Just promise me that if you use it that you "didn't get it from here.". Wink, wink . So, here is the best recipe for chicken salad.... that you did NOT get from me. CHICKEN SALAD 2 cups cooked, diced chicken 3/4 cups diced celery 1 cup seedless grapes (I cut the big ones into 4ths) 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup mayo (I use lowfat real mayo) 1/2 cup almonds (sliced) OR pecans (I use almonds) 1 cup pineapple chunks (I use the can kind and cut them even smaller. Also, drain well.) 1 TBSP l...

Hello, blog readers! For those of you who read my last update on Pat over the weekend, here's an update. I just got home from my doctor's appt. I have good news. The reports came back and there is no 'abruption' like we thought. It was probably the nurse's interpretation of what was happening Fri night at the hospital because I was bleeding so much. I only have Placenta Previa which means my placenta is covering my uterus to some degree. This is common enough and usually it will gravitate back to where it belongs before delivery (and if not, I'd need a c-section but we'll cross that bridge later). I have another ultrasound in 3 weeks and the doctor is confident that we'll see some movement of the placenta by then already. In the meantime, I am not on bed rest, which is a praise. I am supposed to be very, very careful and limit my activity-- but she understands that I have small children too. She said to limit my lifting, bending, ...

Last night we had a little scare with baby Pat. That's right, I said Pat. I had some symptoms that I won't share in graphic detail here. Just use your imagination . So, the doctor sent me to the hospital last night. We had a very long and thorough ultrasound done and I was diagnosed with having Placenta Previa ( link ) and an abruption . ( thanks, Becca, for telling me what was what!) From what I understand, my placenta & uterus are tearing apart from one another. And, my placenta is covering my cervix and it shouldn't be. The danger in this is that the baby may not be getting enough blood and/or oxygen. We were at the hospital a few hours and they reluctantly let me come home. I'm just keeping watch of my symptoms and making sure they don't worsen or I'll have to go back. Placenta Previa can either resolve itself OR continue through my pregnancy. Women who have Placenta Previa at delivery time have to have a C-section. So, I'm praying t...

Here's some Amber trivia that I was recently reminded of. I didn't like potatoes until college . That's right.... not baked, mashed, escalloped, etc. I could handle only french fries that were thin ( and still don't like them too thick and potatoey! ). Now I love potatoes. I especially love a baked potato when it's covered in butter, sour cream, and chives. So.... I feel like I should share this. Did you know you can bake potatoes in the crockpot?? I feel like this is a secret that's being kept. Or, was I just living under a rock? Was everyone else using a crockpot but me? I feel like someone should have told me. In case you didn't know either, here's how you do it. Crockpot Baked Potatoes..... because YES it can be done -Prick the potatoes with a fork -Wrap the taters in foil -Throw them in a crockpot and add the lid (do NOT add water or other liquids). -Cook on high 2 1/2- 4 1/2 hours.... or on low 8-10 hrs. And, yes, you can b...

I've taken this " nesting " thing to a whole new level with this pregnancy. I must admit, I've gone totally Martha Stewart this week. Here's the project I finished today.... I was inspired by a website called Desire to Inspire where people took those wooden, cheap embroidery hoops and used them to decorate. Here's a LINK to the photos. In one particular photo you can see that they turned the hoops into bulletin boards above a desk. So, here was my challenge: It's a blank wall. Not only is it a blank wall, but it's right in our kitchen where a lot goes on. We don't have a good place for paper or to hang bills that need paid, etc. So, I want this wall to be practical in addition to good-looking . OH, and cheap . I wanted it to be cheap! I bought some of those embroidery hoops at JoAnn Fabrics, ranging in size (between $1-2). I used fabric from the Anna Maria Horner collection that my curtains will be made with. I inserted the fabric into ...

I recently came across these fun prints on Etsy ( link ). I bought these two (frames not included): They are $10 for an 8x10 and come from a shop on Etsy called Black Baroque ( link ). The paper is an antique page from a book (1880s-1890s) and they have added the peacock. They have several different versions. I really like the colors. I originally had them in mind for my yellow bathroom. It was a way to bring some teal into that room. However, when I hold them up against my teal kitchen, they look even better. So, they are homeless until I can make up my mind. I thought I was only obsessed with cute vintage type owls... but now peacocks seem to be on my mind. I just had to share these prints!

I found a strong , hunky man ( aka Nathan ) to help carry in my new teal dresser tonight. It's a little cluttered with my treasures but I'll move stuff around once I have more shelves up. I'll also be hanging goodies on the wall above it. I love Nancy's comment about distressing it. Anyone volunteer to come over and do that for me? I promise food and lots of publicity for you on my blog. Ok, again, here's the before photo of my front room: Here's the before photo of my cheap ($30) Goodwill dresser: And, voila! Here's the after: I had to crop this photo so you couldn't see Kennedy throwing a tantrum on the ground on the other side of that gate. Really, my kids are perfect. What do you think?

When you first enter my home, you'll find a boring brown desk in the entryway. I use it to display some of my antique treasures. It's just an old computer desk that we had. The desk lacks character and the antiques are lost in it. So, at Goodwill the other day I saw this vintage type dresser. The shape would be good for an entryway, but it definitely needed some loving care. I brought it home for $30 and decided to slap some teal paint on it (the same paint as our kitchen). What do you think? ( and, yes, that's a Dukes of Hazzard bed sheet I use as a drop cloth ! ) It's still drying so I haven't taken it inside yet for the big reveal. I'm a little nervous. Does it say "cute and fun" or "cheap furniture that Amber slapped paint on" ?? I'm not sure yet. Either way, I'll have something at least temporary for my front entryway until my sugar daddy buys me something from the Pottery Barn catalog instead!