Sunday afternoon

This is how a spent a hour or so Sunday afternoon. Reading and drinking, Ohhh, to bad my house was a cluttered mess of toys and projects yet to be completed. I just found a spot that was cleared off and perused my magazines.

I found Flea Market Style at my local Walmart Saturday morning. And I absolutely recommend Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea. I bought it at the Starbucks in Barnes and Noble. I love love love it. They sell it by the cup or you can buy the tin. Give it a try if you like cinnamon. Funny how a cup of tea and magazines can make you just so happy.

The Junk Mammas

Easter with Martha

While browsing the Martha Stewart web-site I found some inspiration for Easter decorating.
I want to make an egg garland this year, love this.



I have made these carrots before and they work great with cheetos or cheddar bunny crackers inside also.

Hope you're inspired!

The Junk Mammas

Spring wreaths

Although, it is snowing here I am searching the web for a spring wreath to make for my front door.

Love this wreath @Maryjanes and Galoshes

She used brown paper bags to create this beauty.

Good Housekeeping

The eggs are a cute touch on the bottom of this one with the word welcome. They could be easily be removed and something else added in their place.

Haru's shop Etsy

Found this one on Etsy and the bright colors caught my eye.

What's dressing up your front door these days?

The Junk Mammas

Valentines day across blog land

We have spied some pretty cute stuff around blog land for valentines day, check out a few of our favorite ideas.

Clothes pin clip magnets @live.life.create.art.






Cotton candy ice cream cones @la*T* da.

Framed scrabble letter frame from Melissa at 320 Sycamore

Heart shaped paper clips from How about orange. I needed a video to figure this out.
Paper clip hearts video

Cute devil shirt that I saw about two years ago. Haven't made it, but my little devil could use it.

The Junk Mammas

Mac

This is our sweet little puppy Mac. He grew from the above picture to the one below in literally weeks. At about 10 months old and 70+ pounds, he has turned into a BEAST! He has chewed and ruined shoes, my foam pots outside, the bean bags he used to use as a bed, and legos seem to be his favorite snack.

We are starting our 1st day of training classes today at the Humane Society. Did you know most Humane Society's offer training, and it's about half the cost of the puppy classes at other places.

Since we missed the puppy kindergarten, we have to start with one on ones. After last weekends incidents, I knew I didn't have a choice. My husband gave me a week to find training for me, the kids, and Mac of course. (Mac doesn't seem to listen as well to us) Sam my 7 year old happened to be in the path of Mac on Sunday and was bumped into the coffee table, liquid stitches and a black eye, made me decide we needed more control over him now!

Wish me luck.

The Junk Mammas

Amaretto Chunk Cookies

I found this recipe in a magazine a couple years ago. I really like them, I loved the coconut in them. Try them out

Amaretto Chunk Cookies

Prep 30 minutes plus cooling
Bake about 10 minutes per batch
Makes about 4 dozen cookies

2 1/2 cups - all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon - baking soda
1 teaspoon - baking powder
1/2 teaspoon - salt
1 cup - butter or margarine (2 sticks), softened
1 cup - packed brown sugar
1/2 cup - granulated sugar
2 - large eggs
1 tablespoon - Amaretto Lliqueur
2 teaspoons - almond extract
2 cups - semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup - sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup - sliced almonds

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. On waxed paper, combine flour, baking soda, baking
powder, and salt.
2. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter and sugars until creamy.
Beat in eggs, amaretto, and extract. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour mixture just
until blended. Stir in chocolate chips, coconut, and almonds.
3. Drop dough by heaping measuring table-spoons, 2 inches apart, on ungreased
large cookie sheet. Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes or until golden around edges.
Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.
4. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in tightly covered container at room
temperature up to 1 week, or in freezer up to 3 months.
Note: each cookie contains about 145 calories, 2 g protein, 17 g carbohydrate, 8 g
total fat (4 g saturated), 1 g fiber, 20 mg cholesterol, and 105 rng sodium.

We are adding this to Kimba's DIY- check out all of the great stuff from your fellow bloggers.

The Junk Mammas

Chalk board labels

I know you have probably seen these a million times, they are everywhere. I wanted some chalk board labels to put on my sugar and flour jars. I have checked everywhere, and even looked online and was unable to find what I was looking for. One day at the dollar store I found some green chalk board stickers. I really wanted black, but they were removable, Wallie things I wanted. I thought I could paint them with some chalkboard paint I had at home. They were only $1.00 and if it didn't work I wouldn't be out much.

So I took out my black chalk board paint and went to work. After 2 coats and a couple of hours they were ready to cut. I did let them dry overnight before writing on them.

The Junk Mammas

W.S. Valentine wreath

I finally did it. I made a wreath I have been gushing over for the past year. The William Sonoma Valentine wreath.


First, I searched the Internet for some free valentine images. I then printed them on card stock and cut them out.

Next, I took a green foam wreath I purchased for a couple of dollars and covered it with some red ticking fabric strips.

Last, I placed my cards on the wreath, glued them on and added a polka dot ribbon for hanging. For a couple of dollars and an hour of my time, I added a new addition to my valentine decorations. We are also adding this to Show and tell Friday@ My Romantic Home, and Kimba's DIY. Stop over to both of these places and check out the great stuff.

The Junk Mammas

Wishing you and your family.....

A very Safe and Happy New Year! See all of you in 2010!

The Junk Mammas

Christmas 2009 has come and gone

Ok, so we fell off of the blogger wagon. Sickness in December totally put a damper on my Christmas spirit. I did manage to send out a few cards and the tree finally did get put up and then I broke the top off of it. It was just one of those years. But the kids enjoyed the season, that's all that matters in my book.

Now I am just relaxing with the kids watching cartoons and playing games in front of the tree. I typically wait till the New Year to take down my tree and decorations, but it is just cluttering my house and the broken top is just bugging me. But I am just to lazy to remove myself from the couch to clean anything up yet. I must be in a food coma.

I did decorate my dining room and porch before the sickness over took my house. So I will share my pictures. Enjoy the rest of the holiday season.

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The Junk Mammas

Stocking re-vamp

I bought these plain stockings a few years ago and always thought they looked like they were missing something. I saw in a magazine were they had button initials on the stockings and loved that idea. So last night I started on mine.

I hot glued the buttons in place, sewing would probably have been a better option, especially if you want to change them later on. But, I was looking for instant results. As it was, it still took me some time to do one and I have 3 more to go.

I love the way that it added a personalized touch, and I think it would on any stocking you have. I will post a picture once I get the others finished.

We are adding this to Kimbas DIY party, stop by and check out all the other great ideas.

The Junk Mammas

Christmas decorating take 2

Here are some random projects I have been working on in my house. Love that burlap webbing stuff from Walmart. I used it outside as well, on my door wreath and basket on my screen door.

Below, is a little tree I put in my living room. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of room for our big tree in there, that always goes in the dinning room. This year I wanted one is the living room as well.




I used homemade stuff on this tree, birds cut out of music, old spindles and some clock faces I found somewhere online. Love my old bucket I got at an estate sale this summer, I was looking for a way to use it in the house!


Off to work on the big tree, we finally got it today.


The Junk Mammmas

Christmas decorating

All over blog land everyone seems to have put up their Christmas decorations already, do some of you sleep. Yeeek, I better get going. We got about an inch of snow last night, so I am glad I got up my outside decorations earlier this week when it was 50 degrees out. I'll share some pics so I too look like I am doing something instead sitting on my butt.










Oh yes, my 3 year old son also has taken to helping decorate.






The Junk Mammas

Wishing you all...

A very happy and safeThanksgiving.

The Junk Mammas

Pumpkin gingerbread trifle

Looking for something new to try for Thanksgiving. Check out Paula Dean's recipe @ the Food Network. The recipe looks super easy to make and delicious, plus it received hundreds of wonderful reviews.

At a recent show we did, the booth next to us had fresh cranberries she was dipping in warm Carmel, which were to die for. We thought that would make a fun snack for holiday entertaining.


The Junk Mammas

Favorite things party!

We are joining the party @ 320 Sycamore- Favorite things. Here goes with the Junk Mamma's favorite things.

Rimmel 60 second dry nail polish, it's a great polish and inexpensive. Nice colors and it works well for wiggly little toes and fingers that want to be painted also.

Yankee Candles, love the smell of candles in the house. A few of our favorite scents are Home for the Holidays, Midsummers night, Clean Linen.....


Things with a polka dot pattern. Red, black and white, brown. Dishes, fabric, rain boots, dish towels.... We love polka dots.



Flannel jammie bottoms, I even take my kids to school in them.




Mini Babybel light cheese rounds. Yummy to snack on.


Can't wait to see what everyone else has on their list!


The Junk Mammas

Upstairs hallway project

Today, I started to tackle one of my projects. This has been an ongoing thing for literally years. I have been collecting frames to make a wall collage of the kids, dogs and our whole family if we have room.

I first started by mapping out the area I selected for my frames. I cut out pieces of paper the same size as the frames and taped them on the wall. This way you can get a feel of how they will work and move things around before the hole making starts. I really hate this step, but I knew if I wanted my husband to help me it had to be done.




Below, they started to go up one by one.

Here is the finished project for now. Not quite finished, but better then the frames stacked in my hallway. I need to pick out more pictures to fill the frames, and if I would have taken his picture a little higher you would see I have some space yet to go for it to be complete.

Check out Kimba's site for other DIY projects.

The Junk Mammas