Depression Decorating

I could start off with excuses as to where I have been and why I haven't been blogging...but what would that prove? Instead let me tell you why now I have decided to blog. I have been inspired. The economy, my last short subject, has let's say, taken a turn for the worst. We all feel it. It's unavoidable. In the mean time we wait. We sit in our McMansions worth McMuffin's and wonder...what does the future hold? What good will that do? I have decided to use this moment as a time to take an inventory of what matters. What's always mattered. There is a silver lining in this time we are living in. It's forcing us to get back to basics. What's the worse thing that can happen while we wait? We could get reaquainted with our family. We could rediscover a faith that maybe wasn't so present or needed in the good times. We could find beauty in nature and in everything that is without monetary value.

As we hopefully emerge from this long, cold midwestern winter I have been renewed by my love for creating beautiful things with what I have or what I find in my bargain hunts. I have been helping a few friends with some decorating projects. I jokingly told my friend I have a company named Depression Decorating...a non-for-profit! I have been making some changes around our home. For me its therapeutic. It lets me use some of my creative side and also operate in a role other than Mom for a bit. Soo...what I am hoping to do here is inspire you, to share ideas, and see your creations in return. I have been so inspired by The Nester's blog. I will be the first to tell you I am not dreaming all of this up. I am mostly finding ideas from others and trying them on my own. They won't all be perfect so Martha Stewart types need not check back. There will be no tests, no judgement, just a peek into my world and the world I am trying to create for my family.

Root Street Economics

The recent headlines about the financial meltdown occuring on wall street and main street have started me thinking about my earliest lessons in economics. My parents were born in the 30's during depression times. Their experiences and the values and experiences of their own parents were passed on to me during my childhood. I think it would have served many Americans who now find themselves in financial ruins to have been raised by my parents or in any house on Root Street, the street I grew up on. We were part of the working middle class. We were the people that got up everyday in the dark to start their day and punched a clock or filled out a time card. We lived in a nice quiet neighborhood. When you had the money you were able to become a homeowner. The ability to own a home was not a right. It was and should still be a privledge that only comes to fruition by earning it.

My parents were cash people. We did not carry credit card debt. You either had the money or you didn't need the item. If a major appliance or car repair came up my dad walked into their bedroom into some secret spot and came out with the money to buy that new wash machine or get that transmission fixed. They had saved for rainy days. There were no bailouts in those days. There was something called pride and responsibility for your own family.

On Root Street people washed their own cars and their own floors. And oh yeah, the cars they were paid for too. People waited to buy things until they could. Isn't that a concept that is sorely lacking today? I could barely leave a room and my dad was around the corner turning the light off and scolding me that the electric company had plenty of money. For fun, my dad made homemade sausages, fishing jigs, grew seedlings in the basement under growing lights to later be transplanted into our garden outside and crushed aluminum cans to sell back for cash. These were simple hobbies with valuable output that also provided contentment. Today people drive around searching for what they can buy next to fill that emptiness and whatever they find will only be a temporary fix. Coffee came out of a can, there were no $6 lattes. There were no disposable diapers for that matter. Your days were filled with the work that comes with a simple life. There was not a lot of downtime. Weekends were for yard work, house work, changing your oil and church. Vacations meant a trip to the Wisconsin Dells or the Saint Louis Arch.

When you became a teenage in my family you got a job. A work permit could be obtained at age 15, prior to that you were already babysitting for spending money. If you wanted a college education you studied hard and hoped for a scholarship. If not you took a student loan, and you paid it back on time upon graduation. You got a job, then you got your first new car...this was age 22, not 16 as most spoiled teens now expect.

Somewhere along the line, and probably near an election, politicians decided that the American dream was a given right, simply by being a citizen (or having some paperwork that claimed you were anyhow) you now deserved a home, cars, furniture all bought on credit. The banker, the broker, the builder, the salesperson all knew these loans would probably never be recouped as they shook hands on the deal. It didn't matter, once the deal closed and they made their money no one worried about the outcome...until now.

I am so thankful this was the way I was raised. It will go along way at getting me and my family through the tough times ahead. I am down right disgusted at the fact that now I am expected to bailout people who should not have had what they were given in the first place. I am sickened by the greed of banks whose CEO's walked away with hundreds of millions and will not feel the effects of this bailout. I am dismayed by the politicians who even in the face of this upheaval only have time to continue to position themselves for the next election. I am shocked at how little our leaders know about the economy and how instead of tapping into the wealth of knowledge available to them in academia and beyond they feel they can throw something like this package together and jam it down our throats like they know better.

In the meantime, I will continue to cut coupons, avoid buying what I can't afford and hope that there is something for my kids to strive for when they grow, and I will teach them what my parents taught me just in case...

Close At Hand

My new favorite thing is my mother's ring. I had seen an ad for one of these rings by nelleandlizzy in Jan. 2007's issue of Parents magazine. I tore out the blurb and stuck it in a folder. I looked at it a few times since then, and a few weeks ago I decided to order it. My mom has a traditional birthstone mother's ring. My girl's have the same birthstone, and a ring with 2 of the same birthstones didn't really excite me. The thought of having their names in individual bands that are intertwined seemed like a simple and precious way to always keep them "with me". It isn't fussy or expensive, but now that I have it, I value it greatly for what it represents.

The one pictured is obviously not mine...my camera, despite many attempts could not capture it so I stole this from their site. They will forgive me when you all order yours. Another similar option, untraditional, but with a little different flair is by Carved Creations

Job Security

I don't know about you but my laundry has skyrocketed as we have gotten into summer. The girls go through about 3 outfits a day. I have been going through a few myself + work out clothes for me, add in swimsuits, towels...and I have job security for a good long while. This picture captures what summer and childhood is all about.

It's always better to get dirty and enjoy the fun times!!!

Our Club

We belong to a private beach/boating/camping club. It is close to our new house, so we spend a lot of summer weekend days there. It is a huge club with acres of mature trees, a ski lake, plenty of lake for boat fishing, a beach, snack bar, and camp grounds. There are several pavillions where you can hold large parties/cookouts.

I camped once...haha not for me, I love the whole experience minus the sleeping outdoors on the ground in a tent. I told Tony I will stay and do everything with him and the kids, get them to bed, cruise home into my 300 threadcount sheets and then come back for breakfast!

Anyway, the girls love the beach, here are a few shots from this past Sunday.

Some shots from the 4th...

a little late I know, we are busy having summer fun!!!

My Stand By Recipe...

Everyone has something that they are known for making. You know the thing people expect you to bring to the annual family reunion, cook out...for me my tried and true recipe is Apricot Squares.

Here's what you need to make these delicious bits of heaven.

flour, sugar, lemon juice, 1 jar (18 oz) apricot preserves, 1 lb of butter (yep, the whole pound)

and eggs (4 yolks), powdered sugar (not pictured but recommended: chopped pecans )

I use my stoneware jelly roll pan, but any jelly roll size pan will do.

Start with 4 sticks of softened butter.

Add 4 egg yolks and mix like below.

slowly begin adding 2 cups of sugar, mix mix mix

once that is finished, begin adding 4 cups of flour, one at a time, mixing after each

ideally, your mixture will look like this, it works best when it forms this crumbly sort of dough

makes it much easier when you are putting it together later.

In a seperate bowl, add 1 jar of apricot preserves.

Add 1 tbsp lemon juice, and mix

Get your dough, apricot mixture and pan ready to assemble.

Start by putting about two thirds of your dough into your pan and pressing to cover the bottom, like so...

Next pour your apricot mixture on top, I like to use a small spreading trowel to get it evenly distributed.

There's my ever present and helpful assitant!

Next, this is where your crumbl dough makes it super easy...just sprinkle your remaining dough on top. *Typically I add chopped pecans to the top before baking, I didn't have any the day I made these, but highly recommend you add some to yours.

Bake in a 325 degree oven for approx. 1 hr or until golden brown. Allow to cool.

After they are cooled, I top with powdered sugar. Cut into squares and serve.

These freeze well too.