Two front TeeTh & other Bodily Hazards

I should have started this blog a LONG time ago bcs sometimes i feel like this little cottage is finished. Maybe i need to reconsider that notion since 1 corner of "the smallest bathroom known to man" is still UNpainted. Don't worry, it's not a very BIG corner since it is in fact; "the smallest bathroom known to man". ;) I'm not working on any projects today though bcs i am so SORE i can barely move. There was a substitute teacher in my "aquatics" class at the gym today. She said we were only going to work on "conditioning" since she didn't know what our regular routine was. I should have known this was CODE language for "i'm going to TORTURE you until you want to die".

Arden Choi is FINALLY getting her first tooth. That little scoundrel is reaking havoc in this house. I'm referring to the tooth--not the baby. :) It's actually 2 teeth. The vain of my existance....again referring to the teeth--not the baby. :)

I thought my family would enjoy seeing this picture from Easter. Have to go now, SOMEbody is crying for me, and it's NOT Andrew. Not this time at least. ;)

TTYL,

Angela

Fiesta

I know, i'm a BAD blogger! I haven't had ANY time for posting any wonderful, creative, or inspirational blogs because i've been BUSY chasing around an angel faced 10 month old who hasn't been very ANGELIC lately. I actually caught myself turning my voice into one of those STERN and STRICT "motherly" voices i used hear mom's in the grocery store use. I actually used the 'first and last name combination' today. SCARY!

We also went out of town for Andrew's birthday and left Arden with a sitter for one night, which takes ALOT of preparation. I'm pretty sure the babysitter probably thinks i am a neurotic list maker, and she's probably RIGHT. I do LOVE my LISTS--don't we all? I'm pretty convinced all home interior bloggers are COMPULSIVE list makers. Is list maker one word or two? I hope you won't hold it against me for not knowing. ;)

The picture above is of my front door. It's FIESTA time here in South Texas. This is my FIESTA wreath....i would LIKE to say that i made it, but....i DIDn't. I added lots of extra hanging ribbons to make it a little more full and "FESTIVE"...but i know that doesn't count :)

FIESTA, is spanish for party...also rhymes with SIESTA, which means to take a nap, and happens to be my FAVORITE spanish word. Back to FIESTA; a WEEK long celebration of FOOD, DRINK, and FESTIVITIES. And did i mention BRIGHT colors? Hence the wreath, which is common for people to hang on their doors around this time of year. I like to leave mine hanging for about a MONTH, which i'm pretty sure makes my neighbors think i am a WEIRDO who doesn't have a calender. Actually, 'weirdo' is probably not the worst thing my neighbors have called me...but that's a whole other blog.

Anyway, because i'm in LOVE with this WREATH, i like to leave it hanging for as LONG as possible without morphing myself into one of those people who STILL has their christmas lights hanging up during SPRING BREAK.

Did i mention i PAINTED my guest bathroom? And i ORGANIZED my pantry?

I just realized LISTMAKER is one word!

TTYL,
Angela

Hello, Friday!

Is it really Friday already? The weeks fly by so fast when you have a little one. Every day is the same, but different. I can barely remember what we did this week, but I know we were busy, busy, busy. I have several "projects" I would like to finish in the month of April. The first one was organizing my home accessories/craft closet. I have already finished that, but I will not be posting any pics...it's boring and compared to some of the organzing afficianados I have seen on blogger, let's just say I have nothing to brag about. Projects 2 and 3 are: painting my guest bathroom, or as I like to call it; the smallest bathroom known to man, and painting the interior of my china cabinet. I will post before and after pics of both as soon as I knock these out. I have been wanting to do both of these for a long time, but was very concerned about paint fumes affecting Arden. Benjamin Moore has come out with a paint that has no fumes, which I plan on inquiring about during a trip to Lowe's this weekend. My final project will be organizing my pantry/laundry room, which if I get this far on the list I will be well deserving of a mani/pedi and facial...maybe a massage. Hint, Hint to the "man in my life" who is reading this...and I'm not talking about my Shit-Zu, Charlie :)

Is anyone hungry for some "Easy Chicken & Biscuits"? I got this recipe from my "Campbells Cooking Companion" Book. I absolutely LOVE this book because the recipes are great for amatuers like myself; they all use Campbells Soups and I purchase the cans that are either fat free or low in Sodium to cut back on all the junk that's bad for you. This is a favorite that uses frozen vegetables that come in a "Vegetable Medley" which consists of brocolli, carrots, and cauliflower, along with canned biscuits. I highly suggest using the "Grands" brand of biscuits, as this time around I used the grocery store brand and the biscuits were not as fluffy or as large. Check it out and maybe you can make it yourself.

Easy Chicken & Biscuits

1 can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Celery Soup

1 can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Potato Soup

1 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed

1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or less--to your liking)

4 cups cooked cut up veggies (broc., carrots, cauli. from freezer section)

2 cups cubed cooked chicken (make sure NOT to season the chick.)

1 package refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (10

-Stir the soups, milk, thyme, black pepper, vegetables and cooked chicken in a 13x9x2-inch shallow baking dish.

-Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and stir.

-Cut each biscuit into quarters. Arrange cut biscuits over the chicken mixture.

-Bake for 15 minutes more or until the biscuits are fluffed and golden.

Be ready for everyone to ask for "seconds"!

If your wondering what Arden is up to......

She's just practicing her reading ;)

Have a great weekend!

ttyl,

Angela

Arden's Room

I'm constantly changing (as in moving things around & swapping out accessories) all the things in my house. I feel like a room is "done", and then I get inspired by a pic in a magazine or a book, and I feel like I have to "make a few changes". Then I scour every home interior store in the city until I've exhausted myself, and when I can't take it any longer I declear, "I'm finished!! I'm not changing another thing in this room ever!!" Then everyone that knows me really well and hears me say this rolls thier eyes and Arden laughs. Oh well, what can I say, it's fun! It's also expensive and time consuming--but that's probably what makes it fun :)

The one room that never changes is Arden's room. Well, Andy's "junk room" never really changes either, unless you consider getting "junkier" a change :0 I painted this room Tiffany Blue long before this color became so popular. Tiffany Blue or "Robin's Egg" Blue has always been one of my favorite colors. This room used to be my "office" but when I found out we were having a daughter, I knew I had to find a way to make the color work for a baby girl. I finished everything in here in about 2 months. All of the pillows are handmade and were purchased either on ETSY or at craft fairs. A few of them I had before she was born, which I think is really special. The children's furniture was purchased in Wimberly, Texas at their 'Market Days', which is on the first Saturday of every month from March through September. The little whicker baby carriage is an antique and is probably my favorite. The artwork is custom, which I know some may consider a bit frivolous, but I've always been a sucker for art. I also made the wreath myself and in less than an hour! Lastly, I hand painted her name on the wall with white craft paint and glitter, then glued the pink and white jewels on. This took FOREVER, but I'm so pleased with the way it turned out.

I just adore this room, it's such a little gem! I sat in here alot before Arden was born, just rocking and reading and admiring the whole creation. I should have sat in there alot more and enjoyed the quiet and ALONE time I had before she came out!!! Everything in here was purchased with so much carefulness and thought behind it, and so much of it is "vintage" or handmade, so you can imagine how special it all is. I hope one day she appreciates it as much as I do. If not, I would be happy to move my bed in here, and she can sleep in Andy's "junk room" ;)

ttyl,
Angela

p.s. i forgot to mention that the quilts were also handmade by my grandmother, especially for arden--what a treasure!!

Conversation and Pizza

I guess so far this whole blogging thing is going ok. I would love to post more, and I have alot of ideas, but I am definetly kept very busy with Arden and other things (like friends, family, and taking care of home stuff). As far as the whole technical aspect of things, I guess I'm doing better than I had imagined (referring to pictures, header, etc.), but I would still like to improve with time. Maybe one day I will purchase a more beautiful web design from a graphic artist like most of my favorite blogs already have. We'll see how it goes ;) . I'm also looking for/trying to figure out the whole "graphic signature" thing. Should I be signing these blogs at the end??? Maybe I will try that today and see how I like it.

I am waiting for some free time, and also for the annuals in my front yard to start blooming and then I will put up some of pictures of my home, etc. And, I have a deseased hedge that needs some serious help--although it may only be noticable to me. Maybe that's the equivalent to having a blemish on your face that only you can spot???

On another subject; I always said that I would start cooking/eating better when I turned 30 and/or when I had a child. I said this bcs a) i've always loved to eat junk food and b) i've never been very handy in the kitchen. Well, I'm turning 30 this year, and I already have a child. I don't know if it is coincidence or fate, but each of these events has coincided with my reuniting with one of my old sorority sisters, Vanessa. Vanessa recently moved into my neighborhood, and she has given me the confidence I've needed to get started in the kitchen.

Along with starting me off with some 'easy' recipes, she has also given me lots of advice on pretty much everything from slicing and dicing to baking. Now I cook every night, which is a big achievement for me bcs in the course of 2 months I went from rarely being in the kitchen, to planning and preparing 6 meals a week. As I'm sure you can imagine, Vanessa is now Andy's favorite friend of mine. Thank You So Much Vanessa!!!!!

Anyway, she gave me this recipe and I liked it so much I had to share it with everyone. This is a Mini Pizza on a wheat tortilla. I'm realizing as I post this that the picture just doesn't do it justice--I guess black olives don't photogragh that well. You'll just have to take my word that is delish! It's perfect for a light lunch, or a snack, or maybe even a really skinny person's dinner ;) I kow this works for me bcs I have a habit of grabbing "bad things" to eat duringthe day since it's just me and Arden. But this was so easy and inexpensive to make, and you can vary the ingredients--I used black olives as my topper, but you could easily use brocolli, mushrooms, or any other favorite veggie. I think this would be fun for kids to help with, and I can't wait to make it for Arden one day. BTW, it's very low in fat since it's baked on a wheat tortilla.

Well, I'm off to start my own dinner (pot roast & mashed potatoes), so I hope everyone has a great Tuesday!
xoxo,
Angela

"Mini Pizza"

* 1 wheat tortilla
* 1 can diced tomatoes
* shredded mozarella cheese
* topping(s) of your choice
* 2 tablespoons olive oil

-Simply brush each side of the wheat tortilla with olive oil, and lay on a cookie sheet
-Drain the diced tomatoes and spread over the tortilla to your desired chunkiness
-Cover with cheese (also to you desired amount)
-Spread your favorite topping(s) over cheese
-Put cookie sheet in oven at 375 degrees, bake until cheese is melted

Enjoy!!!

A very young garden.....

So, just between you and me, Little Bird Cottage is only 3 years old. No, it's not an antique cottage with centuries of history, in a quaint little town full of antique shops and B&B's. It's more like an almost-but-not-quite cookie cutter style house in an over-developed subdivision. Oh well, it's home to me! Regardless, it's cottage to us, and we love it. All that being said, I think Andy and I have done a pretty good job in the landscaping department in our short time here. These are pictures of our backyard garden which we just developed last year around this time. Each of these plants is only a year old!!!!

This is the back section of our yard which was originally nothing but half dead golf course grass. Last year we planted 5 trees (two pear trees & 3 crepe mertyles) and a number of plants, along with sodding and mulching the entire area. We also stained our fence. Well, hehehehe, I say "WE", but all the credit actually goes to Andy bcs I was pregnant and he wouldn't let me do anything (what a gentleman!). I drew the diagram for the landscape plan and "supervised", which everyone knows is my favorite job, and one that I do VERY well!

Since we live in South Texas we are limited to planting things that are extremely heat and drought tolerant like Asparagus Fern, Rosemary, Slavia, and Lantana. I currently have absolutely NO shade in my backyard, so my dreams of topiaries and hydrangeas will have to wait until we move to a different house. Not everything is blooming yet, but when it is I will be sure to post more pics of our young garden.

Look at this other little bunny I found hopping around the shrubs............