April 23, 2015


Beautiful bouquet given to me by my wonderful sister


Italian Visquitte


Italian Easter pie Cazole
so delicous, egg, cheese, ham and our homemade sausage and crust

Easter


Easter at our home this year..


 Table set for 8
Menu: Roast of lamb, ham, scalloped potatoes, salad, asparagus
and of course angel food cake with strawberries and whip creme.
These little pink bunnies in a bowl, looks like they are in a hot tub!


all of our old decorations from the past put out each year.

Spring flowers and the Los Banos Mayday Fair



My first BIG bouquet of roses that got saved from the remodel, simply beautiful this time of year!


The Los Banos Fair chaity quilt I donated to be auctioned at the Kickoff dinner raising $ 1,500.00.
The grand marshall is a Ford dealership owner, so this quilt had to have FORD in it, and many things you would see at the fair. Celebrating 125 years of the Los Banos, Merced County Spring Fair!!

Board members gathered to decorate the hall.


Hello, Spring of 2015..

 In 2013 we decided to remodel our home..
What an endeavor it was... we have lived in this house 28 years... raised our two boys, now married and on their own.  There was this sudden "want" to do something for ourselves ( my husband & I).  I have been wanting to remodel for a very long time, but waiting for the "right" time.. with both the kids on their way we jumped in!! Tear down started in October. But the rebuilding didn't start till Jan. of 2014.  We knew we picked the right contractor, after all his dad built our house over 40years ago..
This is a picture of the sunroom that was just an enclosed patio. As you can see it didn't take long for it to come down... The hardest thing during this remodel was always what to do with my two dogs,  going thru a winter, rain, mud and all was pretty demanding.. Early to rise, and taking care of Easton & Roscoe.  The crew learned quick what to do if they had to be moved without escaping from the back yard...
     The packing started back in 2013, so no Christmas went up that year. I just kept saving boxes, and packing.  The kitchen got totally remodeled as well. Cooking and washing in the garage was quite an experience, but I was quite a trooper being a farm girl from way back I just kept moving forward. I still had my  microwave which I had plugged into the garage, worked off the top of my washer and dryer and had a utility sink in the garage as well.. I was good to go. Over all it was a great experience, I loved watching the tear down, take out, and the re-building of the new structure I called "the bones", like raising a barn.
                                                            
The crew even dug up my roses and replanted them.  Watching all the subcontractors come in and each do their specific thing was so fun.  Sometimes I would come home for a lunch break to make them all a snack, after all they were all working so hard. Check on my dogs, and head back to work.
The new   addition, family room, and laundry/sewing,
yes a new sewing room and indoor laundry!! 
                                         
 
 
 
With a porch the whole length of the addition where the old was...
Old kitchen coming out, my beautiful blue cupboards... going....bye bye...
kitchen wall being revamped, sheetrock, reinforced.
 
 

 Getting there, cabinets in, granite, floors coming..
My beautiful kitchen, once kitchen/dining, now ALL kitchen, I love it, decorated for Christmas 2014.
 
I love how one side of room is my bake area, with everything I need, and the other is the cooktop area with all that I need on that side. I can finally now see what I have, the only new thing I bought were the barstools, 3 for this center island and 3 for the backside of the sink/bar area...
 
 Family room/ dining room, decorated for Christmas...
Laundry room/ Sewing room
I loved working in my new space getting ready for Christmas this year.. even decorated it!
Christmas cookies baked.......
          
My favorite Queen Anne cookies... and the Cuccidati ones too, and of course I made biscotti too!

 
Lovin' my new kitchen especially the double oven!!
 
 
Hope all had a Merry Christmas this past 2014.. mine was very busy with re-decorating the house, my job at the hospital with all my volunteers (my sunshine everyday). Enjoying getting back into my crafting, sewing, and cooking.. create something everyday, it is good for your soul!!
 
Happy New Year 2015
 
Batch of Italian Sapala