Mrs. C Does Stuff

This is one of the major projects we have been working on the past few weeks.  Since moving into our house, we have discussed this patio.  We have spent a great deal of time planning the entire outdoor living space.  This space will be done in stages.   The first stage is laying a patio with pavers.  The second stage will consist of us building an overhead cover.  We are still working out the design elements and a plan of execution for that stage.  The third and final stage will be to build an outdoor kitchen area.  Because there is a pond behind our house, we would like to create a place where we can not only barbecue, but also clean and cook any fish we catch.  About a month ago we finally began working on phase one of the backyard, the patio.  The hardest part of this project is leveling the ground.  The first thing we did was mark the area with stakes. Then, we had to dig up the sod.  At first, Mr. C thought he could get the sod up by shoveling.  He was right, you can, it just take

I have been having a difficult time finding maternity dress pants.  I would like to not pay a fortune for them.  Additionally, I was already an in between size before pregnancy.  Plus size close are usually too big, but some of the misses clothes were too tight and ill fitting.  I am also short, so finding dress pants that fit well and that do not requeire hemming is also a challenge.    I bought these pants from New York and Company about two years ago.  I wore them three times before the zipper broke.  I was pretty disappointed because I loved the way these pants fit.  I considered bringing them to a tailor, and put them off to the side to do so.  However, as with a few other pieces I have in need of altering, I forgot about them.  Now, I am glad I never brought them to the tailor because I decided to turn them into maternity pants.   The key to turning regular pants into maternity pants is to make sure they fit you through the hips and legs.  The first step is to remove t

Fall is upon us, the weather is finally starting to get a little bit cooler.  It is time to usher in the warm broths.  One of my favorites is shrimp and corn soup.  There are a few local restaurants that make great versions.  I have tried to replicate those.  I prefer a creamier broth, as opposed to a tomato based broth, although recipes for both are out there.  Here, I will show you how I made mine. Ingredients: 1 onion, finely chopped 1 bell pepper, finely chopped 2 tablespoons minced garlic 3 bunches of green onions 1 stick of butter Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 1/2 cups dry sherry 2 lbs peeled and deveined shrimp (can be frozen) 1 pint of heavy whipping cream 1 16 ounce package of Velveeta cheese In a large stock pot, cook down the onion, bell pepper, garlic, green onions, butter and dry seasonings.  Cook the seasoning mixtures until translucent, stirring occasionally.   While the seasonings are still cooking, you can add in the dr

So, in my last post I mentioned that a lot was going on in our world.  We are working on several projects around the house.  We have a new found sense of urgency for these projects because we are expecting our first child in March.  Mr. C and I are truly excited! What does this news mean for the blog?   Well, most likely my postings will decrease.  Although, I would like to maintain a minimum of one weekly post.  It also means I have more new and exciting ideas for projects now related to babies.  I will be making all kinds of things for my new baby.  I will also do a nursery reveal once we finish it.  In addition to these new ideas, I will still post about cooking, sewing, building and refinishing furniture. We still have a list of projects we wanted to work on before we knew we were having a baby.  Our goal is to accomplish as much as we can on that list.  Obviously, we may not get a chance to finish them all.  We know we will have to incorporate the new baby prep projects.  Hope