Aaron put hundreds thousands of hours of work into this house. It looks great now…go to the Flickr set to look at the end result.

When we moved in, August 2005....the weekend Katrina hit NOLA.

We put 80% of our stuff in the back room, and slept on a daybed, for a few weeks while we had the floors done.

Aaron hard at work clearing bushes and trimming tress in the backyard.

Turning the old lean to shed into the office/laundry closet

My first real garden! Summer 2008

Aaron painting the kitchen right after we moved in...can you tell he was happy about it?

Building the deck...Aaron took apart our neighbor's old deck in exchange for the wood.

Lisa's fig tree next door...I will miss it, and Lisa!

A built these beautiful bookcases from scratch

I will miss that porch swing

Drawing on the deck

The ever present boots

 For more Wordless Wednesdays, go to Arkie Mama.

Photo from Food Network

Last year on St Patrick’s Day I made my first Corned Beef, and I have to admit it was pretty darn tasty! I decided to continue the tradition this year.

Food Network has come up with five different recipes for corned beef….their slower-cooker version sounds wonderful, as does the hash you can make with the leftovers.

I’ve also read a lot about people and their green meals….imagine a green buffet of salad, broccoli, asparagus, apples, and avocado to name a few. Maybe some green eggs and ham would be in order?

So what’s on your plate for St. Patty’s this year?

Love the dollar section at Target!

One of the key accessories for bento making are silicone cupcakes molds. As I am super cheap, I have refrained from purchasing them at Michael’s or the Container Store, even with coupons.

As I roamed the dollar isles at Target on Wednesday, I found a six pack of baking cups for a buck! Yippee!

Honestly, they seem pretty flimsy for baking, but who cares about that…I just want to separate my saucy and loose food in the bentos!

I added some pictures to my Flickr set with my new purchase. They make a huge difference in keeping your bento nice and tidy. Run out to Target and get some TODAY!

Photo from one of Donna's workshops to be taught at Scrapbook Corner

If I could  ask God for a favor, just a small request….I would ask for one-tenth of the talent, imagination, motivation, skill and/or life force of Donna Downey.

Never heard of her? If you are not a scrapbook maven or rafter, I’m not surprised. But if you scrap or craft, no doubt you’ve seen her column in Simply Scrapbooks, been uber-inspired by her blog, or sat in awe while looking through her galleries and shops on website.

Donna is the type of scrapper/crafter I yearn to be: a true mixed media artist, manipulating paper, paint, ink and photos into albums, 3-D art and whatever else pops into that wonderful head of hers. I know I’m talented on some levels, but this lady takes the cake.

Well, anyway, the reason why I’m telling you this is because DONNA IS GOING TO BE IN LITTLE ROCK!!!!! Ahhhhh!!!!

She will be at Scrapbook Corner April 30-May 1 to teach four different workshops. You can see workshop descriptions and photos on their blog. Deadline to sign up for the classes is April 15. I hope to see some of you there!

Here’s a list to get you started, courtesy of How Does She? :

1.Go out for pizza
2.Try live entertainment, such as a band at a local bar or restaurant, instead of a movie.
3.Pick a TV show, get a season’s worth on DVD and make a running date to watch it together every night. (we did this with The Office and Lost)
4.Head out to the dollar theater and splurge on snacks.
5.Try brunch and a matinee; fancy restaurants are way more affordable in the a.m.
6.Pick up a bucket of fried chicken and head for the drive-in.
7.Dress up your backyard picnic table with a white tablecloth. Add candles, fancy cheese, chocolate and voila: five-star fun!
8. Too cold or wet for an outdoor picnic? Spread a blanket on the floor and have a carpet picnic. (we do this when we eat pizza with the kids!)
9. Bring home your favorite fast food, but serve it on your best china.
10. Museums usually have one free night a week or month, so hit one then.
11. Find a happy hour half off appetizers and order a few for your dinner!
12. Take a sketchpad to a scenic bluff and draw your own version of the vista.
13. Grab a basketball and hit the free courts at the park.
14. Sample international food at a street fair.
15. Hit the local video arcade.
16. Go to the library and page through the coffee-table art books, or any books!
17. Suit up and spend a late afternoon at the indoor pool of the Y.
18. Head to the highest point in town. Spend an early evening watching the twinkling lights turn on.
19 Drive out to a country field, lie down and snuggle under the stars.
20. Make yourselves the biggest, craziest ice cream sundae ever.
21. Take a tour of the house you’d (someday) love to own.
22.Paint coffee mugs at a paint-your-own-pottery place.
23. Sign up for a one-night class at your local college.
24. Hit a farmers’ market and scavenge for your dinner.
25. Take a tour of garage sales in the ritziest neighborhoods.
26.  Head to an ice skating rink and strap on skates for some icy fun.
27. Book a double massage at a spa.
28. Take a balloon or helicopter ride over your town.
29. Rent a fancy car. Tool around as if you actually own it.
30. Find a nearby bed-and-breakfast. Spend the night someplace where someone else makes the bed and cooks breakfast.

From the Eric Carle blog

I have always loved Eric Carle. I’m not being trivial…since I was a little girl, like 4 or 5, I’ve loved The Hungry Caterpillar and his other books for their vibrant color and wonderful texture that is trademark Carle.

Click on the photo to read his post about everyday art and making a mess.

Nate waiting for his first soccer practice this past Saturday.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, kick it on over to Arkie Mama.

Photo from Maisie Eats Bento

I found Maisie Eats Bento a few weeks ago, and love everything about it! Lisa’s daughter Maisie was a very picky eater, so she started to pack bentos to make lunch fun, in hopes she would eat more. Her plan worked! Lisa takes pictures of the bentos daily, and comments on what Maisie did not eat, so you can get an idea about what goes over well and what does not. She’s also made a great Q & A page that gave me a lot of ideas for Nate’s bentos.

I’ve found several tutorials on the web for both no-sew and sewing required scarves. I believe anyone can make these….for some all you need is a t-shirt! Click on the photos for the tutorials.

No-sew circle scarf from My Waking Memories

Sewing required t-shirt scarf, sized for a child or adult, from Ruffles and Stuff (remember their petal backpack?)

Another sewing required ruffled scarf, but a little more fancy....from Hope Studios.

Just cut and wear! Jersey scarves from Little Birdie Secrets.

I would love to hear if you guys make any of these? Leave a comment and I’ll link to your sure-to-be gorgeous creation. Have fun!