2011

Silhouette

sil·hou·ette 

[sil-oo-et]

noun, verb, -et·ted, -et·ting.

–noun

1.

a two-dimensional representation of the outline of an object,as a cutout or configurational drawing, uniformly filled in withblack, esp. a black-paper, miniature cutout of the outlines ofa famous person's face.

2.

the outline or general shape of something: the slim silhouetteof a skyscraper.

3.

a dark image outlined against a lighter background.

–verb (used with object)

4.

to show in or as if in a silhouette.

5.

Printing . to remove the background details from (a halftonecut) so as to produce an outline effect.

My Personal Definition:  Super cool!!! At the top of my Christmas gift wish list!

Here she is...

I first saw this machine when I was researching other die cutters.  After comparing the various die cutters this was the most versatile, most compact machine, hands down!  I've owned other die cutters but this seems more up my alley. Versatile because I can use my computer and make everything in the world. I'm not limited to paper either! This baby cuts vinyl and so much more, check it out here. Compact, love it! With the limited amount of space in our cozy Hawaiian townhouse, compact is what I need! No more looking for shape cartridges and pulling out that heavy machine.  Silhouette where have you been all my crafting life?

OK, so here's the thing, I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY  want to own one of these. So I'm entering a giveaway by one of the coolest blogs I've stumbled on The Idea Room.  This gal is so creative! The Idea Room, if you're reading this, a special Aloha to you sistah!!

****UPDATE*****

These other ladies are giving away one too!!! Can you believe it? I can hardly contain my excitement!!!

Thrifty Decor Chick

Kara's Party Ideas

Grossgrain Fabulous

OH....MY!!! This is going to be fun!!

BTW, all these blogs are my type of blogs! Love the creativity flowing through my screen!

Gingerbread

Saw this here and thought, this is perfect for Hawaii! We've got little critters all over the island so it's a bad idea to leave any kind of food out. But this cute thing is just perfect! Wonder if I can make one???

Frugal Friday: "OK...I got nothing."

Sorry folks...I got nothing this week.  I've been kinda of busy getting the kids ready to transition from homeschooling to public school.  But I do want to make sure I say something....


Hi Mom!!! 

I found out that my mom does read my blogs!! So...

a big ALOHA to you Nana!!

Frugal Fridays: Ant Spray

Prior to moving to Hawaii we were informed of the many bugs that we'll be introduced to. I completely underestimated these little critters! The ants....oh...let me tell you about these ants. There are at least 3 different species of ants that I've seen, I'm sure there's many more. You've got your regular ants, ants with giant heads and super tiny little ants.  We've managed to keep the other bugs out, PRAISE GOD!! But these ants, they just keep coming back!

We're not foreign to ant problems so I've had a few tricks that I've tried before. I suppose you can just go out to the store and buy some ant spray but why do that when you've got everything you need in your house.  Here are a few things you can try to rid your home of these ants or at least keep them under control:

• Don't leave food out (Basic common sense, I know! But we forget sometimes, right?)
• Don't leave open food containers...open. Put them in sealable containers or large ziploc bags. (This may be extreme for some, but to me I'd rather be safe than sorry.)
• Chalk:  I didn't know why ants don't cross over chalk lines but here's what I found "Chalk is made of of calcium carbonate, a nontoxic substance. It doesn't repel ants or immediately kill them. Ants would prefer to avoid crossing chalk if possible, because the chalk particles can puncture their skin and SLOWLY kill them by dehydration."
• Baby Powder: Works like the chalk but I found that if the ants are super desperate they'll cross them.
• Cayenne Pepper: Make a paste of cayenne pepper and water then smear it where the ants are. (Caution: wear gloves!!)
• Vinegar: Along with the many uses of vinegar, can you believe it repells ants too!!! I pour it into a spray bottle and spray the critters. And it's safe to use around your food! Thanks to my friend Anne L. for this super cool trick!

So there you have it! My favorite thing to use is definately the vinegar. Works like a charm!

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***UPDATE: (FREE FRIDAYS: Intro) now FRUGAL FRIDAYS

After much thought, "Free Fridays" will become "Frugal Fridays" since there aren't too many things for free anymore. Granted there are "no-strings-attached-free" things but for the most part there's a little bit of money that has to be put down. Let's just go ahead and call it FRUGAL FRIDAYS!! Yay!

************************************************

I do my best to be as frugal as I possibly can.  If I can find something FREE (or close to free) it puts a huge smile on my face and on our bank account.  Yes I know bank accounts can't smile but you get what I mean.

So I wanted to start a new series on my blog called "FREE FRIDAYS" where I'll post things that are for FREE or at least close to FREE! If you find something free you'd like to share, feel FREE (hahaha) to comment or message me, I'd love to post it : D

HAPPY FREE FRIDAY!

Foam Soap

I AM SO VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS!!

I was purusing through my sister in law's blog when I saw this really cool blog.  This gal is my kind of gal! She can take something "normal" and make it into something spectacular!  I got this idea from her and I've been wanting to try for sometime now.  Our soap bottles were finally empty and I jumped right in on the opportunity.

Is it weird that I get really excited about things like this? [long pause].....maybe...but I don't care! It's cool!

So, in our household we like to use foam soap simply because we have small kids, they like foam and they don't waste it like they do with regular liquid soap.  BUT foam soap is a bit more expensive than regular liquid soap.  I finally found this solution to make it last:

STEP 1: Gather your "ingredients" and "tools"
-Empty FOAM soap dispenser

-Your favorite liquid soap. We bought ours at our local Bed, Bath & Beyond for $1 each!

-WARM water

-Measuring cup

-Plastic spoon

STEP 2: Measure

You want to do 90% WARM water to 10% soap (see how long your soap can last!!!).

STEP 3: Stir
With your plastic spoon (or whatever stirring tool you have) stir SLOWLY and carefully.

STEP 4: Carefully pour it into your empty bottle.
**Sorry no picture. I couldn't take a picture and pour it at the same time :) **

STEP 5: Pump it up!
Give it a couple of pumps and you've got foam soap!!

STEP 6: Enjoy the foam soap that you just made! Better yet, SMILE, because you just saved some money!

Foam soap...for pennies on the dollar!! LOVE IT!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

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Ottoman Redo

Look what I found that someone decided to toss out...



Isn't she puurrty?? I can't wait to start this redo project. I'd keep the fabric the way it is but it's a bit dingy and I wanted to reupolster it to something more our taste.

Please excuse that nerf bullet underneath. LOL!

Purpose of Keeper of Her Home

I've been thinking about the purpose this blog. I'm going to start using it to journal new or new to me ideas, creations, tips on keeping my home. Being a homemaker I have tons of ideas that filter through my brain, I need to put them in order somehow. So this blog will do just that become my digital binder, if you will. Because we all know how much I love binders!!!

BTW, I'll be posting about my relocation binder that helped me during our move to Hawaii.  I'll also start a post about the Life Binder that I've used and redone for years.

Take care blogging friends!

Moving

That's what we've been doing.  Moving! Moving from our home in CA to the beautiful island of Oahu.  For more information on that move visit our other blog Island Diaries.

Summer...Summer...Summer Time

It's the middle of July and it goes without saying that we've been busy.  Busy with family,  weddings (we have 5 weddings to go to by the end of summer!), baby showers, bridal showers, birthdays, going away parties, volleyball outreach ministry, summer camp and of course preparing to leave for Hawaii.  I have so many things to share but I've got to limit it to just this...

New Blog

With the many changes that our family will be going through in the next few months, I decided to start a new blog to document our journey.

"A new blog in the middle of a move?! Are you nuts?!" I said to myself.

I must be!  I know it seems so low on the priority pole but, I NEED to write down God's many, many blessings during this time! So I hope that you'll visit us at Island Diaries.

Aloha!

Uncle Nick

This post is in honor of our beloved Uncle Nick who passed away on Monday, April 12, 2010 after his battle with cancer.  We love you Uncle Nick!

Isagani “Nick” M. (last name hidden for privacy)

Sept. 10, 1962 — April 12, 2010
Isagani “Nick” Boncato peacefully passed away on Monday, April 12, 2010, in his home surrounded by his family, after a courageous battle with cancer.
Isagani “Nick” was born in the Philippines to Rodolfo and Eumelia Boncato. He resided in Solano County for 32 years. He was an active member of The Church of Christ (Iglesia ni Cristo).
His passion was cooking and entertaining for all his friends and family. He was well known in his circle of family and friends as a person who always went above and beyond to help anybody.
He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Nga “Nani” N. Boncato; sons, Nicholas, Isagani Jr., and Michael Boncato; and mother-in-law, Kim K. Nguyen, all of Fairfield. He is also survived by his eight siblings and eight siblings on his wife’s side. Mr. Boncato’s family also includes many more brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, uncles, and aunts, who live throughout the state.
A visitation will be held from 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday, April 17, and from 4 to 9 p.m., Sunday, April 18, at Bryan-Braker Funeral Home, 1850 West Texas St., Fairfield. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Monday, April 19, also at Bryan-Braker Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Suisun-Fairfield Cemetery, 1707 Union Ave., Fairfield.
Arrangements are entrusted to Bryan-Braker Funeral Home, 425-4697. 

27 on the 27th

In March we celebrated my sister-in-law's 27th birthday. We had dinner at Bottega in Yountville. I have to say, the Risotto del Giorno was absolutely divine! I had the best scallops I've ever had that night!  Here a re few pictures from the evening. Enjoy...

Happy Birthday, Star!

Beist Mommy

A little gift from my Princess...

Love it!

To her, I'm the "Beist Mommy".

"She started learning how to write music notes."

Thank you, Princess!!

UPDATE ***All I want for Christmas is my...

You guessed it! A few days later, the other tooth came out! Way to go, Coco!!

...two front teeth.

OK, I know it's almost Spring but that's the song that came to my head.

We've got some news...Princess lost her 3rd tooth today! Yay! Poor girl has been trying to get it out for some time now.  After weeks of waiting, praying and pulling it's out.

Hooray! Praise God!

This experience of hers got me thinking about a certain situation that God has put us in  lately.  We've been waiting and praying for God to answer some prayers of ours.  Because I'm so inpatient and wanting things done my way rather than waiting patiently on the Lord (yes, I'm willing to admit that for the sake of sanctification), I end up hurting myself.  Maybe not like the physical pain that Princess felt while she waited for her tooth to fall out but something close to it.

Anxiety and worry...they only lead to distrust in what God is doing.  I need to just wait and allow God to "pull and tug" on me so that His good and perfect will can be accomplished in my life.

1 Peter 1:6-9 comes to mind,

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."


I'm thankful that even though there is suffering in our trials, He can still make me full "with an inexpressible and glorious joy" as I wait for Him to answer my prayers in His perfect time.  Praise the Lord!


BTW, did I mention that her other front tooth is loose too?

Much Tribulation

One of the "books" I've been reading for my times with God is Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon. I have books in quotations because I actually was able to find it online here.  I've been so blessed reading Spurgeon's words of encouragement.  One of the entries that I was greatly comforted with was on March 8 (morning).  All of us at one point or another will go through some sort of trial.  I know that my beloved and I have had our share.

Instead of me trying to retype what Spurgeon wrote, I'll just paste it.  I hope that it will encourage you as it did me.  So here it goes...

Acts 14:22

 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, 
"Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."

God’s people have their trials. It was never designed by God, when he chose his people, that they should be an untried people. They were chosen in the furnace of affliction; they were never chosen to worldly peace and earthly joy. Freedom from sickness and the pains of mortality was never promised them; but when their Lord drew up the charter of privileges, he included chastisements amongst the things to which they should inevitably be heirs. Trials are a part of our lot; they were predestinated for us in Christ’s last legacy. So surely as the stars are fashioned by his hands, and their orbits fixed by him, so surely are our trials allotted to us: he has ordained their season and their place, their intensity and the effect they shall have upon us. Good men must never expect to escape troubles; if they do, they will be disappointed, for none of their predecessors have been without them. Mark the patience of Job; remember Abraham, for he had his trials, and by his faith under them, he became the “Father of the faithful.” Note well the biographies of all the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and you shall discover none of those whom God made vessels of mercy, who were not made to pass through the fire of affliction. It is ordained of old that the cross of trouble should be engraved on every vessel of mercy, as the royal mark whereby the King’s vessels of honour are distinguished. But although tribulation is thus the path of God’s children, they have the comfort of knowing that their Master has traversed it before them; they have his presence and sympathy to cheer them, his grace to support them, and his example to teach them how to endure; and when they reach “the kingdom,” it will more than make amends for the “much tribulation” through which they passed to enter it.

Permission Granted

In the next few days, I'll be setting my blog to private. For those of you interested in keeping up with "Keeper of Her Home", just leave a comment or send me a message and I'll be glad to add you.

(photo courtesy of Stoke & Staffordshire)