elisalou designs

Ok obviously we need something good to talk about since our poor Buckeyes got crushed.

So here we go.

My mother-in-law send me the best book for Christmas called Garden Spells.  This is the kind of book that I want to read super slow and enjoy every minute.  I don’t want it to end.  You know how certain books are good at certain times?  Like when you are at the beach you need a good mindless book, and when you are winding down from the holidays and a house remodel you need a book that wraps you up like a favorite quilt!

Speaking of quilts, we have had such warm weather lately and last night Austin and I sat out on the balcony, me wrapped in my favorite Amy Butler quilt, and him in a camo fleece thingy, reading our favorite books.  Perfect.  Until the wind started whipping up and he was sure a tornado was coming, oh and he also thought Zoey was going to squeeze under the rail and fall off.

The other great thing I did yesterday which I need to do more often is talk to one of my good friends that lives out of state. I miss you Amber!

I took Austin’s ipod to the gym today since mine likes to play tricks on me and delete songs by itself.  In order to get into the mood today (which isn’t hard since it is almost 70 degrees outside and there are people everywhere dressed in red) anyway

he has the Saving Jane version of Hang on Sloopy on his ipod so I played it but almost fell off the ellipitical at the end of the song.  They cut that part when they play it on the radio.  Too funny.  You can hear it on their Myspace page, just click on Hang on Sloopy.

Go Bucks!

Oh and I read in the paper over the weekend that Jim Tressel has two dogs, Scarlett and Gracie.  Love that.

Even though my boys have told me that moms don’t play guitar hero I would have to disagree. I would say that some moms (me) don’t play Guitar Hero very well. But I am trying. So far I haven’t ventured much past the Slow Ride song but I do love Smashing Pumpkins so I have tried my hand at Cherub Rock a couple of times. I am wondering why there is no Green Day on there, now that would be fun.

the shark ate a dog

Yesterday Cole asked me to put his shark tent back up, the dogs love it.

One of the things I missed most when I had no kitchen was making fresh food.  This is one of my favorites.

One of my friends gave me this recipe a while back and it is perfect.  It’s supposed to be a bean dip (eaten with chips) but Andy and I eat it for dinner, scoop style chips work best.

Here is the recipe

Texas Caviar (ok love this name)

3/4 cup cider vinegar

1 tsp. water

1/2 cup oil

1 cup sugar

1 tsp salt and pepper

Boil until sugar dissolves

15 oz can garbanzo beans

15 oz can black beans

can of black eyed peas

2 cans white corn

2 cans chopped green chilis

1 diced red pepper

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped red onion

Combine and drain- I actually drain and rinse before I mix

Mix it all up and put in fridge.  It makes a ton so share!

Oh and my picture looks heavy on the celery, I just hadn’t mixed it up good yet.

YUM!

Baby it’s cold outside.  So Cole and I are camped out by the fire, watching a little tv, playing computer games, taking pictures of pooches….such a change from the past few months when we had workers at the door at 8am every morning and we had to find a place to go.  The only person that has come to the door today, besides the mailman, is a friend of mine that is now starting her own remodel and all the workers are now at HER house.

Pooch pictures

Hmmm I think Barley has the right idea.

Yesterday was the last day of break for all three boys.  The two older ones are going back today so it will just be me and Cole today.

Boys had fun playing in the snow, as did Zoey

And after prompting from a friend of mine I finally made a couple of pillows for one of the window seats

Yesterday Austin started his first “job” which involved shoveling the snow out of the driveway of one of our neighbors that went to Florida for the next three months.  So far so good.  Now we just need him to do ours…..

I have the best neighbors, a blend of old and young.  My older neighbors were so nice about our remodeling project.  Even when there were a bajillion trucks and cars lining both sides of the streets making it hard for them to get into their driveways, they still had only nice things to say.  Yesterday my neighbor Kitty Jo called and offered to watch our dogs while we got to Florida- I just love her.  We had plans to take them down to the farm (except for Zoey who is staying with my good friend Aimee) but when Kitty Jo found out that they have to stay in the garage there she insisted on letting her take care of them.  She worries about our 15 year old, and quite honestly so was I so we are going to take her up on her offer.   Yay.  We are so lucky to have a neighbor like her.

Many of you have noticed that we have put the “design your own” bags back up.  For now we are only offering to pick one fabric (for the exterior) and we will pick the inside (usually a solid cord) but if there is something that you really want on the inside, shoot me an email and we can work it out.

Lot of pictures of our little downtown at night, Zoey dogs, front porch ideas, craft rooms, Granville, lots of color….

Love Flickr

Here