Thursday, December 4, 2014

MIA Mommy in the 'Dale

I just thought I better update and let everyone know I am still alive and well.....that's an overstatement.....I'm not sure I'm ever well....I got the crazy tiche' gene!
But I have been busy....you know I'm a Mom and a social worker and that takes up all my time.
I had to escape to Starbucks tonight to get a post written...crazy.
My ADD kicks in at home and I get sidetracked with laundry and cleaning up. I might go two weeks before I mop or hand scrub my floors, but suddently when I sit to post a blog, it's amazing how distracted I get! ADD brain,,,it's a thing! And you know I self diagnosis myself often!
I also have been pomdering the booth I have at Saturday's Treasures in Mt. Pleasant. Although I love refinishing furniture and painting, the booth has became a second job to keep it filled. It's hard, yo!
And I pay $175 a month for the booth and the most I have made over the fee is around $100.  It just doesn't seem worth it. The deciding factor was my desire to stop painting because I have to, not because I want to. I much prefer to paint at leasure and pleasure. Sanding , refinishing and painting quality pieces is a pleasure and mental escape for me. Doing it because I have to takes the pleasure and fun out of it. That was thedeciding  factor. 
Fear not the Mommy in the Dale furniture will continue but on a personal basis and will be posted on this blog and usually for sale on Facebook sale/trade/wants.  The pieces will get more love and time.
Whew.....I feel like a weight has been lifted.
I still dream of opening a store at some point, where speciality paints will be for sale and classes to teach techniques is still a dream of mine, however that's when I can give up the social work gig....but it pays the bills right now!
Speaking of my child welfare social work days, cases are limited at this point and the down time is ok. It's like ebb and flow...the rush will come again. December is a notorious terrible billing/work month. People cancel constantly. I do have one visit with a little guy I just adore.
I'm still on the wait for a 'porch baby' to show up, because Rich refuses to in-pregnant me.  Plus I'm getting too old to reproduce. So a porch baby seems perfect.  Know anyone just willing to give one up, I'll take it!!! Like a hospital/fire department drop off center! I'll keep checking!
Christmas will be here before we know it...crazy....where did 2014 go? My kiddos keep growing and I need to pause time! How can I be a wife and parent......I feel like I'm still playing house!
I'm so thankful for a great group of girlfriends to keep me semi-sane. They know who they are.... I just love them.  It's great to know you can call someone up when you need to chat.
I haven't had any "What I learned" posts lately, simply before sometimes I just survive and get  by day by day and forget to focus on learning little lessons.
I am still active on my facebook if you don't follow my on there...search Carla Keefer-Rhodes. I share crazy things my kids say and do.....isn't that the perk of parenting! Embarrassment is necessary at times for all the crap (Literally when babies) I had to deal with!
I am also active on instagram.....search Mommyinthedale. See lots of pictures, mainly of my best friend...my dog! 
I am also a total addict to the Dollar Tree and post pictures and hauls on youtube. Search Mommy in the 'Dale. My picture is me in a hat with sunglasses on the beach----looking incognito like I'm famous! Follow me!! The number of followers make me feel good! I'm well on my way to being famous..watch out Ellen! (I should probably start a diet if I'm going to be on tv!!)
On youtube you get voice funnys!
Well that's all peeps. Sorry for my lack of posts----I'll get better. Soon I will do a picture entourage of  my house for Christmas.  I'll work on getting back to learning and sharing things again....my poor brain needs to focus!
Later peeps, love ya!

Sunday, October 26, 2014

10/26/14 What I learned!

10/26/14

1. How do people who wear socks to bed know the joy of rubbing their feet on a blanket or cool sheets?! 
2. Friday nights are spent sleeping with a dog, cat, and my daughter. I prefer to sleep with a moose rather than her. The moose would give me more room 
3. I remembered I had one cookie from Sheetz after coming home late one night. I totally pocketed that cookie and ate it alone in my bathroom! I'm all for food sharing with my kids,but not my one and only cookie. 
4. After said cookie I got a tummy-ache. Stupid karma. This also happened after I stole some of my kids Halloween stash--double karma.  
5. This time change thing needs to happen. I can't wake up yo darkness all the time. 
6. I binge-watched Orange is the New Black, Season 1 on DVD. Now I need netflix.  
7. The disgusting Jesus house on the block is getting torn down--.can I get a "hallelujah, Amen!"  
8. I'm still confused by the Renee Zellweger photo. 


9. But perhaps more confused by the Honey Boo-Boo/momma June dates a sex offender scandal. 

That's all for the week.  Enjoy the beautiful weather to start the week. I'm certain by the weekend it will snow! 





Sunday, October 19, 2014

What I learned....10/19/14

10/19/14

1. I missed what I learned recently because what I've remembered is I love to nap and procrastinate. I already knew this things but those are my excuses and I'm sticking to it. 
2. Every-time I get a headache (which is about daily...back/neck issues and stress, yo).... I convince myself I have a brain tumor. Which I know isn't true because I've had CAT scans. 
3. It's all fun and games with fake nails until you get an infection on your fingertip. Great...guess I'll cancel my fake tit-tay appointment next week! 
4.  I'm still on a Steeler/NFL strike and now cheer/midget football season ended soooooo.....how will I a fix?! 


5. I'm seriuosly OD-ing on pumpkin everything. Candles, lotions, body spray, teas, coffees....now I hear there's pumpkin flavored rum?? Say wha....???! Girl you know I'm headed to the liquor store ASAP on Monday morning! Cancel my work schedule!! 



6. I saw the movie 'Gone Girl' last week...totally recommend it. It's the next 'boil the bunny/crazy lady movie'....did you get the boil the bunny reference??? Total score if you did....if not see below! 


That's all for this week! Enjoy.... Come sit with me and have some pumpkin flavored everything! 

....'boil the bunny' reference is from 'Fatal Attraction'. That women was cray-cray! 


See me on YouTube by searching for Mommy in the Dale 
On Instagram: Mommy in the Dale 

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

What I learned. 9/28/14

9/28/14 

1. The things to do list just keeps getting longer and time and money gets shorter. 
2. People are getting stupider....er, more stupid! 
3. An hour smelling candles in a store calms me greatly. 
4. Is there a limit on how many times one can bath a day?!
5. I need Olive Garden pronto. 
6. The only way the hub and I will get a date is if takes a day off work and we go to lunch. 

That's it this week. Have a great one! 

(Snort!) 

Girl in the dale makes a YouTube debut

http://youtu.be/5cn2f1q7HjY

Sunday, September 21, 2014

What I learned 9/21/14

9/21/14 

1. Sometimes I'm really good about writing down my reflections of things I've learned all week..other week...ah, this one...I get to Sunday and think 'where the hell did the week go?' And 'I don't think I can remember an hour ago, let alone a week of learnin'!
2. I'm totally marketing and patenting 'pocket Pom-pom's' because...well, just because. 
3. Good grief this girl child and I can fight in the mornin--especially on picture day because.." Wear the damn dress I want you to!" Then it makes me feel all bad and I find an excuse to take something into school to her so I can write a lil' "sorry, I suck as a mom letter." 
4. I'm def overusing "..."s this week...quotes and '...'---what are these called. 'whatev's'! 
5. Apparently when the boy child sees deer in a line he thinks conga-line? 😳
6. Thank you Mr. Mt. Pleasant police man for pulling me over.."no sir I have no clue why you pulled me over?"---why do they ask that---do they expect me to say "why officer, I'm a 38 yr old mother in a swagger wagon (ie mini-va...va...va..... Nope I just can't say it) with two kids in the backseat fighting...do you want them or the useless hub who refused to drive...or the bottle of wine I'm toting to drink once I get home?" "Oh, my front driver side lights burned out...ok...I'll put that on my things to do list.....after I drink my wine!" 
7. Hey have I told you lately how much I love Dollar Tree??!!

That's it this week--have a good one!! 


Fall decor

Walk with me through a picture montage of my Fall decorations at my house. 

Porch. I got this chalkboard from a sweet ol' friend and I love it. I write various things on it. 

I had this bittersweet wreath and then just added three clip in sunflowers from my favorite store...the Dollar Tree. I like it simplistic statements on my teal front door! 
Why hello witchy!! With a black iron pumpkin on right. Three glass tea light candles in middle. Burlap runner. And two led color changing candles from
DT on each side of pumpkin. 
Hi little buddy! Tucked in my blankets over a ladder. 
There's another cute friend! 
Last little buddy on shelf. I love these little pumpkin bears! So cute. This is all in my living room. 
Living room fireplace. 
I love all these glitter pumpkins and things. Lots from DT and Dollar General. 
Put the glitter things on tea light glass holder. Three varying heights. Then added flat glass candle holders. DT items! 
The little purple pumpkin matches the owl. DG! 
 Shortest arrangement.  I love, love, love the maple sugar DG candles. Seriuosly good smelling.  Love them...go get you one (or several!) 

Last couple glitter pumpkins. 

Dining room door. I made the yard wrapped wreath last year with flowers. Then this year for Halloween I added a hanger I had to middle. I can take center out after Trick or Treat fun. 
Dining room shelf.  Aren't these beaded, shiny indian corns the cutest!! 
Another shelf in dining room. Halloween hanger and threw some leave arrangements in cups for shelf. On right of shelf is glass milk containers I put the scented beads in. I have a scent addiction. 
Ok so on another buffet I have a glass mirrored tray.  Candles. I love the mercy glass ones from TJ Maxx. Yes, those are clam shells. We just got back from beach. My parents gathered them early one morning. Around them are little acrylic plastic pumpkins. Little cuties! 
Centerpiece on dining room table. 
 
That's basically it. I have a few little things placed around in kitchen and bathroom but nothing too fancy. 

I love fall. It's my favorite time of year. 

Stop in my house for some tea and cookies and chat with me...see the stuff in person! 


Saturday, September 20, 2014

Halloween wreath from DT goodies!


I was on vacation at the beach and got bored! I know, crazy but I don't relax easily. So I went to the local Outer Banks Dollar Tree. They had these awesome Halloween paper straws. I bought 6 packs. I cut the stripped ones in half.  I got two craft glues and one styrofoam wreath. It wouldn't have been my first choice for wreath backing but I used what the DT had. 



I went around the foam circle and glued down straws. 

Because the straws needed something to hold them down I used plastic water bottles. I was on vacation---supplies were limited!! 


I let it dry overnight. 

The next day I added more straws to overlap. 


Then I realized the foam back was way too thick so I grabbed a knife and chopped that sucker down! 

By the way... I totally packed that other half of styrofoam in my suitcase and hauled it home!! 

Added more straws. 

At this point the wreath sat on the table at vacation for the remainder of the week. 
Then I photoed it on wall...

Then it got packed and hauled back to Pennsylvania. 

It just seemed like it was missing something. The green styrofoam was showing in middle. 
So I pondered!!

I decided to add ribbon border to middle to cover ends of straw and wreath


Then the middle looked empty so I added a little pumpkin and called it done!! 
Total cost: $10.00


Inspirational pic dump