Friday Five - 1.27.12

1.  In my last post, I shared a photo of one of our gorgeous Camellia blooms.  Here is a pic of the entire Camellia shrub.  Isn't it lovely?  I think I need to research how to prune and maintain these beautiful shrubs so that they continue to thrive.

2.  As I've mentioned in previous posts, my mom is teaching me how to sew.  When I'm in Tulsa for any length of time, we often tackle a sewing project since my mom has a sewing machine and I do not.  (Actually, I "have" my late Grandma Johnson's sewing machine and cabinet, but we have not yet transported it to SC.)  Over the holidays, my mom and I made several burp cloths to give to my friend, Laura, and we made them differently than the ones we've made in the past.  I think they turned out really well!

3. For my 30th birthday, my mom gathered a ton of old photos of me, and we really enjoyed looking through them.  Here's one from Christmas morning many, many years ago...26 to be exact.  :)

4.  This is random, but it was so helpful that I have to share.  I don't know if any of you have smooth top stoves, but we do and I have had a hard time getting ours completely clean.  I've purchased the specialty cleaning products and followed the instructions exactly, but they haven't removed the faint cooking stains that come from liquids sizzling on the surface.  While looking for something at Walmart recently, I stumbled upon this cleaning tool and I was happy to see that it was safe for glass and ceramic stove tops.  I gave it a try when I got home, and it worked (without scratching the stove top)! 

5.  I attended a baby shower recently, and I saw something I've never seen before...a diaper tricycle!  Isn't it clever and adorable?!  I had to take a quick pic with my phone so that I could save the idea for future reference.



Friday Five - 12.30.11

1. Our Christmas Tree

We still need to find a topper that we like.

2.  Our mantel in South Carolina

I found the garland at Michaels BEFORE Christmas and it was 60% off!

3. Lights covering a F-86 Sabre at MCAS Beaufort

I wish we had a better photo, but this was the best we could get using an iPhone from our car.

4. Christmas #1

Tara, Toy, Rick, Erin, Kevin, Kelly

5. Christmas #2

Vern, Belinda, Erin, Kevin, Kelly

Christmas #3 (with my parents and brother) was great as well but we didn't take a single family photo!  Pretty shocking since photos are a BIG deal in the Johnson household. :)  Oh well, we had fun and made memories. 

We had a fabulous Christmas with all of our loving families, and we hope you had a wonderful Christmas, too!

Friday Five - 11.25.11

1.  Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you were able to see loved ones and enjoy tasty food yesterday!  As I mentioned in a recent post, my late Grandma Johnson's pumpkin bread is my favorite Fall recipe.  I made it again this week, and I think that everyone needs this easy recipe.  So, here it is.

My Grandma Johnson’s Pumpkin Bread

3 c flour                                                                           
3 c sugar                                                                         

1 ½ tsp salt                                                                     

2 c pumpkin (approx. 1 can)                                        

4 eggs                                                                             

2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon                                                   

1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cloves
2/3 c canola oil
2/3 c water
1 c chopped pecans

Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix well.  Divide batter between two large loaf plans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 ½ hours. 

2.  My mom and I made another pillow this week, and I can't wait to take it back to South Carolina to see how it looks in our living room!

Translation: Make yourself at home :)

3.  Gift Idea - Christmas is just one month away, and slowly but surely, I am getting my shopping done.  If you need a gift idea for someone who likes to cook or read then I highly recommend The Pioneer Woman's Cookbook or The Pioneer Woman's book, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels.  The cookbook is full of delicious, step-by-step recipes, and the book is intriguing and laugh out loud funny!

4.  UNION HIGH SCHOOL (our alma mater) beat Jenks High School tonight, 30-29!  What an exciting game to watch on TV with my family.  Next week, Union will play for the 6A Football State Championship...and yes, Kevin and I have been out of high school for over a decade, but high school football pride runs deep in Oklahoma. :)  Go Redskins!

5.  Operation Christmas Child - I mentioned this on Facebook, but it's such a wonderful cause that I want to post it here too.  If you're looking for a way to help a child in need this Christmas then go to this website to find out how you can pack a shoebox and send joy to a child in another country.

Friday Five - 11.18.11

1.  As you may have heard, Justin Timberlake attended a USMC Birthday Ball in Virginia last week.  He wasn't a special guest or anything like that, he simply accepted an invitation from Corporal Kelsey DeSantis, USMC.  I have a lot of respect for JT for accepting the invitation and attending the ball, but I have even more respect for him after reading the blog post he wrote about his experience.  His words seem very heartfelt and sincere, and I encourage you to read about the evening he calls "life-changing."  (On another note, how cool would it have been to be seated at a table with him?!)

My Night At The Marine Corps Ball by Justin Timberlake

2.  While persuing Justin Timberlake's website for the first time, I noticed a post called So You Think You Can Dance??? with a YouTube video in it.  Because I appreciate talented dancers (and I love the show SYTYCD), I clicked on it and watched.  Wow.  This guy can MOVE, and his video has had over 15 million hits!

3.  Cinnamon Rolls - My mom is the best cinnamon roll maker I know.  Last year, I wanted her to teach me how to make them (for real this time, since most years I just watch her).  We decided to make The Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls since my mom thought PW's recipe sounded a little simpler than the recipe she has always used.  We made them, my mom decided PW's recipe was easier/faster to make, and they were melt-in-your-mouth delicious!  We're talking about making them sometime in the next week, and I can't wait.  (In case you decide to make them, I'll warn you that I am not a big fan of PW's maple coffee icing, but I do love vanilla or orange icing on them.)

4.  Chickabug - I recently discovered this company and blog, and I think it will be a great resource for future parties, showers and events.  Check out this post about DIY decorative paper lanterns; what an inexpensive way to decorate vertical space!

5.  My mom knows how to sew, and I do not.  I really want to learn so she is in the process of teaching me the basics.  We've made a bunch of cute burp cloths together, and this week we tackled a new project.  A pillow cover with cording.  Although my mom has sewn many different things, this was her first time to attempt a pillow cover.  The pillow cover part was super easy for her, but the cording was rather challenging.  It was so difficult that I just observed and did a little pinning while she did all of the real work.  It's finished except for hand stitching the opening along the bottom, and I think it turned out beautifully!  Thanks, Mom!