Maggie Michael

Smoothie Talker

2012-02-12T12:25:00.001-08:00

Cold and flu season is attacking my throat. So I have been fighting back with VITAMINS and a touch of healthy paranoia after watching Contagion. On top of fresh kale, carrot, apple and ginger juice, and 3 squirts of Zicam every three hours, I have added this tasty treat, which is my take on the Green Monster Smoothie:

Grab your blender or Magic Bullet (two thumbs up on this single serving product!) and mash everything together.

One Banana
Two handfuls of Baby Spinach
1/2 cup of Greek Yogurt. Greek yogurt is super rich and full of 11g of protein. I like to use plain yogurt in this one because the fruit is naturally sweet (ps. like Dannon's Greek brand the best.)
1/2 cup of frozen blueberries and strawberries
1/4 cup of milk

Blend until smooth and enjoy.

Hopefully my self prescribed concoctions will do the job!

Ps. I don't recommend Contagion. Being star studded doesn't mean much.

A Day to Remember

2012-02-05T11:56:00.000-08:00

I am trying to get back in tune with my crafty side. She went into hiding after college ended. Life huh?

Well because of this great website called Pinterest my craftiness is coming back out.

For this project you need:
1. A basic sewing machine (a product every household needs.) Mine was a cheap Kenmore from Sears. (Suggested and appreciated from my cousin Sarah)
2. A set of large stamps (or stencils.)
3. Plaid Paint (Made in the USA)
4. One yard of tan burlap (On sale today!)
5. Pillow Stuffing
6. A date that rocked your world. The one on here is our wedding date.

Homemade Chalkboard Paint

2011-10-04T16:33:00.000-07:00

I have been looking at these amazing glasses in Southern Living and Country Living... They are just tumblers with chalkboard paint. You can write who is drinking what... So cute! But I am not able to pay the price that they were asking. So I decided to research how to make them myself. Long story short... I didn't make them. I just made Homemade chalkboard paint. Everyone from Martha to every other crafty blogger had the same recipe. "FOOL PROOF," I proclaimed and went to work

Step 1. Find a surface you would like to turn into a chalkboard. Then head to your local home improvement store and purchase Unsanded Tile Grout. Pick out a paint (you can even use leftover paint that you are storing in the basement. I suggest that you use semi-gloss paint) Clean the surface that you are painting. In a party cup mix 1 cup of paint to 2 tablespoons of grout. Mix well. (Plastic forks are great for mixing)

Step 2: Using a roller (Not a brush... yeah I know one is displayed above) coat the surface with paint and let dry. Repeat this step 3 or 4 times

Step 3: Lightly sand the surface with fine sandpaper until it is smooth.

Step 4: Decorate it and write on it! Then hang it up somewhere!

FYI: This stuff is pretty durable. I dropped the board twice and it didn't chip and it erases like a regular chalkboard.

Total Project Costs:

Board: Free it was laying in the basement

Grout (10 lb bag): 11$

Paint: 3$

Frame: Just some hotglue, twine and sticks from the yard.

Total: 14$ with a ton of grout left over for more projects.

Next project: Homemade Chalkboard Paint on Tumblers!!!

Old Timer

2010-08-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

I walked into the house today to see my dinning room table covered in Chicago Cutlery. These knives were given to me by my grandmother. They were given to her as a wedding present 60 some odd years ago. I picked the knives that were dangerously sitting around and put them in the sink to wash them.

I created a scene of my Grandfather sitting at his dinning room table sharpening those same knives for my grandmother, just like Mike had done earlier today. Dale Price was a manly man. He had strong hands, even though they always shook. He treated ladies like ladies. And he knew how to sharpen knives. We all know that real men know how to sharpen knives.

I saw Granddaddy Dale tonight as I looked at those knives in my sink. I could see his white hair, liver spots, bruised hands and lanky figure. I could smell him, his soap, the hardware store and the sent of his car.

It was nice seeing him tonight.

Greater Things

2010-07-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

So, it has been a while.

Sorry.

I would post some pictures... but I sent my camera swimming in the New River!

Mike and I splurged majorly for our 5th year of marriage (WILD HUH?)... We bought kyaks. And within 30 minutes of our maiden voyage I flipped .... right after I opened the dry bag. Wamp Wa.

Good Grief! 5 (count 'em ... 5) Years. It has been a crazy ride too. and fast.

I wish someone would have warned me about that. It just flew by. I feel like yesterday I was attending his Bootcamp Graduation.

Any who. I love Mike and I hope that I love him still 5 years from now. That is my prayer!

Everybody is in Love Today

2010-02-15T18:52:00.000-08:00

Soul Mates:

I don't buy it. Mike is mine. I love him. I have no plans on divoricing him.

But his soul is not my soul's mate.

WHAT!?

We are night and day different. We are living proof that opposites do infact attract.

I am:
pushy, hot headed, silly, compassionate yet judgmental, artsy and ADD.

He Is:
relaxed, brilliant, stern, unemotional, nerdy and conservative.

Our souls have different passions besides Jesus.

From our favorite cars to the way we want to raise our future kids (He thinks that a mercedes suv looks like a tracker! What the heck!?)

So here's to valentines day: Soul Mates is a silly term. Our Souls are so different, by the grace of God they work together! And our Souls and minds will change as we grow, and we will learn to work together again.

In Your Wedding Dress

2010-01-12T19:52:00.000-08:00

... To have and to hold ...

I am not sure if I have shared this quote with you. Mike and I had this recited at our wedding.

"Here is the stuff of which fairy tales are made, the prince and princess on their wedding day. But fairy tales usually end at this point with the simple phrase, 'They lived happily ever after.' This may be because fairy tales regard marriage as an anticlimax after the romance of courtship. This is not the Christian view. Our faith sees the wedding day not as a place of arrival but the place where the adventure begins."~ The Archbishop of Canterbury

It isn't about the pretty dress.

The table chart

The bachelor party

Whether or not to serve wine vs champagne

French-tip or hot pink nails

Heels, flip flops or Converses

It is about you, your husband and God looking forward together. You take what is behind you, what is with you and go, all three of you. And you don't stop.

I am going to have to remind myself that when Mike gets home. True Story.

You can't lie, I looked pretty smokin' with my french tip nails, flip flops and amazing dress (with no vail GASP)

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-19T22:16:00.001-08:00

Let it Snow...

2009-12-06T19:25:00.000-08:00

We had our first snow here this weekend. What a view everywhere! For those of you who don't know me well. I love snow... alot. The only down side to it that I can think of is that it sticks to the bottom of your jeans. That is kinda gross.

It melts and then your jeans stick to your ankles and it is wet and cold. That is why you should tuck your jeans into your socks, because you can remove the wet socks and get a new pair.... but you look like a dork with jeans tucking into your thick winter socks. There is just no winning.

AAHHhhhh...

2009-10-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

I tried to help...

... But it was too late...

I'm at Home When I am with You

2009-10-12T21:29:00.001-07:00

Can you get much more beautiful than this?

I love this place.

Wild and Wonderful

2009-08-31T10:37:00.000-07:00

West Virginia

I was a chaperon for a college trip yesterday (How funny is that?!) We went whitewater rafting with Rivermen in Fayetville, WV. It was a fantastic trip and our guide Jay Jay was awesome!

Time sure does fly. When did I become old enough to drive a rental van and have the lives of 6 college freshmen and sophomores put into my hands?! It feels like yesterday when I was a freshman signing up for fun adventure trips with the college. And talking about the CUTE upperclassmen boys with my chaperon.

Pretty Fly For a White Guy

2009-04-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

Ok a bit inappropriate for a title, I know. But I couldn't think of another title more appropriate for this entry... well I could, but you will see... This is something that I have been thinking about alot lately due to some stuff going on, and I want to share. You can learn alot in just 4 years of marriage!

White Mike is the kid I dated in college. (no joke, that was his "given" name) He had a smile that was so huge, toothy and beautiful. That smile warmed my heart every day. His hands always warmed my hands. So as long as we were holding hands and he was smiling, I was warm and tingly all over. I was in love, flat out head over heels.

Fast forward 3 years. I was married to fresh out of Boot Camp and SOI Marine Mike. He had a warm smile and warm hands. But he wasn't White Mike any longer and I did not have that tingley ooy gooy feeling. I, for the first time, had to consciously make the decision to continue to love my husband.

I am sure that I will have to make that decision over and over when there is Returned from Deployment Mike, Papa Mike, Midlife Crisis Mike, Bird Watching Enthusiast Mike, Grandpa Mike, Cancer Survivor Mike.

He makes that decision too. And I can assure you something: we would not be making that decision so easily if we did not have God as our foundation. I will not say that we are perfect and have the best marriage in the world. But we have God, and if we rely on him, then bring on all the Mikes.

Happily, there are traces of White Mike in my new and improved Marine/Civilian/Prepping for Deployment Mike. Gosh I love that goofy red head!

I'm Too Sexy For My:

2009-04-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

Fiber. Too Sexy for my Fiber. Oh so sexy.

Since when is fiber sexy? I was watching a Benifiber Commercial and it was selling the sex. The girls in the commercial were prancing around and dressed like modest Pussy Cat Dolls.

Tell it how it is: I am constipated, bloated, my skin it tight and water logged. I have to crop dust Wal*Mart due to my sudden, uncontrollable gas pains. Praying to God that an audible squeeker won't creep out. I stand around the Fiber Isle with the other ladies with stomach protruding out a few inches than what is their normal, trying to figure out which fiber suppilement is less disgusting.

Let me tell you something, my need for fiber is not sexy. I don't wear my undies, posing in provocative positions while I down my fiber drink. Do you?

We're Done!

2009-03-05T20:17:00.001-08:00

We are finally finished with the Kitchen (minus a few pieces of trim)

What do ya think?

Hey!

2009-01-26T17:42:00.000-08:00

"Hey!"

Tearin' Down the House

2008-12-21T11:25:00.000-08:00

So Here is the Rockstar picture. It really is my, I AM GONNA TEAR THIS KITCHEN UP picture, but I think it is rather Rockstaresque.

Anywho... We are in the middle of remodeling our Kitchen. Anyone who has been to our house walks in and says "Oh what a pretty house, what a great patio etc." THEN when they see our kitchen they say "Oh..." You know what I mean when I say "Oh." It is the same reaction you make when you meet the world's ugliest baby, "Oh *hesitate* what a cutie." (Don't deny it! We have all had that experience.)

This is our Ceiling before: We think it is shower surround.

The walk is chunky plaster/cardboard mix. We really don't know. Not to forget, before there was an apartment sized stove.

This one explains its self.

So we tore everything out and started working on the walks. I know, WHAT ARE WE THINKING? PANELING? Mike and I have a vision and we're are going to see it through. If it doesn't work then we have paneling in our kitchen YEY!

Hopefully by late Winter when people walk in our kitchen they will say "Oh" like when you see a gorgeous engagement ring and wish it was yours. (Once again, we all have thought that)

Love me, love me, say that you love me

2008-09-10T08:03:00.001-07:00

So do you love me or what? Cause I love you! You can tell that I love you because when you meet me, I will pee on your feet! It is true. Note to the wise: don't wear flip flops when you meet me.

So what is new in Gray's world? I love to play tug-o-war. I have an AWESOME new dog house with green shingles and it is painted gray/brown (so was I for a while because I wanted to help.) I have a new friend named Lola. She lives up the road from me and she is WILD (she knocks down our fence when she visits. It is very funny.) Maggie is traveling this week and next week and I miss her. Mike leaves me this weekend. So that is sad. But when
Maggie comes in this weekend we are going to go hiking alot! I am a good trail dog!

Things are good in Bluefield, the weather is starting to change and I am sure I will enjoy chasing the leaves that will be falling in a few weeks! So EXCITING this thing called Fall! That is all folks.

Later tators.

Give Me That Hot Stuff

2008-08-24T16:11:00.000-07:00

Raku Firing is probably one of my top 10 favorite things to do. For those who don't know raku is a low firing pottery. You use low fire Clay and Glazes. You place your bisque fired and glazed pieces in the the kiln and light her up! It takes about 30-45 minutes to fire. Then you take the pieces out and place them in a trashcan. (As you can see in the two pictures below.) You let them reduce in the trashcans which are filled with sawdust, pine needles, newspaper and straw. Wait about an hour and remove them. You let them cool and then clean them off.

In my opinion the pieces turn out amazing eveytime. You never know what they will look like! For example the piece below was supposed to be WHITE. It is more amber than white!

And sometimes you get these beautiful copper pieces!

This is our Raku Firing Crew. Me, Walter and Brian.

They Call It Puppy Love

2008-08-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

Hi! My name is Grayson, but you can call me Gray. I like to sleep, eat, and play. I like to play more than anything else. I especially like to play with Mike and Maggie. I am super cute and cuddly, but I am a puppy so I might nip your hand or nose or foot or pants or (you get the point.) I am learning to eat "easy" out of your hand, walk on a leash, and I kinda understand "no". My birthday is June 23rd. Did you know that my birthday is the same day that Mary and Wayne got married! Cool huh!?

I am tuckered out so I am going to go sleep in my GINORMOUS dog bed! Night.

This is the way I feel...

2008-06-13T17:16:00.000-07:00

I feel like this sometimes

When I look at this

But that means I am moving and I feel like THIS!

Turtleman is Excited Too

She's a Brick House

2008-05-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

So, here are some pictures of the house that Mike and I will be puchasing in the near future. We are super excited.

Our Living Room

The most amazing Patio EVER, it reminds me of a Secret Garden

If I were Young and Beautiful

2008-05-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

Flip that House

2008-05-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

I thought I would Share the Before and After pictures of the Flip that we did with our College Friends.

Main Bath

The Kitchen

The Living Room

The Den with Camo Carpet

Its a bitter sweet symphony

2008-04-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

It is a beautiful Spring day. The temperature is high enough to make you thaw out from a chilly, wet winter. But it isn’t so hot that you think the sun is in route to impacting the Earth. There is a perfect breeze and enough pollen in the air to make you almost sneeze, but not have a full on asthma attack. I love pollen, even though it takes its toll on me, because it means life is about to burst out of brown dull plants.

Arbeit Macht Frei ~ Work Shall Set You Free

Bluefield College is hosting a Holocaust Symposium all the month of April. The month of life. There are speakers almost daily, the theatre department preformed The Diary of Anne Frank, the music department is doing a Holocaust Cantata and there are photographs of horror and sadness lining our halls. It is really hard to swallow all the events that are being hosted through out the campus. It takes me back to my trip to Poland when I visited Auschwitz and Birkenau. I just don’t understand humanity then and I don’t understand humanity now.

The Killing Wall~ Standing against the wall you could see a beautiful view of the Poland's Country side through the gate. Freedom.

After visiting Poland I began to become a little bit more aware of the Holocaust and began to study it a bit. I was shocked to find out that some people don’t believe it happened! Think about what you love, what you are convicted of, what you live for. Now say someone said, “Let’s a mockery of what you believe. Starve yourself, castrate yourself, beat yourself and then kill yourself.” Would you do it? Not for a million dollars! How do you explain the disappearance of an entire country, the disappearance of 6 million Jews?

I am very proud of Bluefield College for taking a month to memorialize this infamous time.