Who Me?......

Most of you already know my friend Amy from the Maisy Report, but if you have never had the pleasure of reading her blog, today is the day my friends! Why you ask? Because this sweet and thoughtful friend of mine asked to do an interview with me about my store! I was honored to say the least that she thought of me to interview when in the company of so many WONDERFUL bloggers to choose from. I had to show some pics of Amy, cause I just think she's the bees knees! Yes, I did say the bees knees! :)

So hurry and head on over to http://www.themaisyreport.blogspot.com/ and check out her blog, and I almost forgot the best part! She's having a giveaway for a 16oz. candle, from the Backyard Candle Co. of course! Thanks Amy, I love ya girl!

Down Memory Lane....

This is seriously the most fun I have ever had preparing for a post! When I was growing up, I had a serious, and I do mean serious love of all things barbie. It was so bad, that I had an entire room growing up, appropriately called the "barbie room" FILLED to the brim with barbie stuff! That is pretty much all I ever asked for at Christmas or for birthdays. All my family and friends if asked today, would all tell you the very same thing. I did grow out of this obsession but have never understood why girls today dont like barbie! I have all nieces and none of them ever got into it. :( Anyway, I found some of the barbies that I had growing up, while searching google and I really wanted to take you, my blog friends down memory lane with me. PLEASE someone out there tell me you had growing up skipper too! I seriously thought I dreamt about her cause anyone that I ever told about this doll, never believed me! Get this, when you rotate her arm , her boobs grow and then rotated back, they shrink!!! I KNOW RIGHT!!!

This is the oldest barbie I had. She is the original skipper. I had the blonde beauty and still have her to this day in the original box and clothes. My mom got her for me at an auction when I was little.

This is the Barbie dream cottage. I knew I was getting this for Christmas cause I found it in a cupboard. Yup, it came with all that awesome furniture. I remember the BBQ grill had little mini hamburgers and hot dogs.

This is the barbie dream house. I LOVED this thing! My mom worked for a carpet store in our town and would bring me home carpet samples and wallpaper books they did'nt want anymore and I would spend HOURS decorating it. I guess I loved to do it way back then. See the little ken doll, in the corner I had him too!

I know these are'nt considered "barbies", but I had these and remember thinking Marie's dress was so beautiful.

This is the peaches and cream barbie. How I remembered her name is beyond me, but I thought she was the prettiest barbie ever made! When I boxed all of them up cause I figured I was to old to keep playing with them, most of them still had their original dresses on. Not that I never changed their clothes, cause I had a mini trunk FULL of clothes and was always putting them in different outfits. I just remembered what dress came with each one. Like I said, I really LOVED barbie!

I also remember the name of her, she was crystal barbie.

I had to show Todd because I remember getting him along with his bride, Tracy, (who I couldnt find a picture of) for my birthday. I was so excited that the next day, I rode my bike to my friend Renee's house, cause she loved barbies too, with Todd and Tracy in a bag. He got to her house just fine, we played and then I rode home. It was MAYBE a block and a half between our houses and somewhere along the way, I lost Todds head. Dont ask me how, cause to this day we dont know, we think it must have got stuck in the spokes of the bike. I laugh as I sit here typing this, but I remember it like it was yesterday and I think I cried for days. We looked, and looked, and looked, but we never found poor Todds head.

My parents saved all of my barbies for years after I moved out then made me come and get them cause they were tired of storing them. I have two boys, and knew I would'nt be having any girls so I gave EVERYTHING to my friend Jolynn's daughter Sarah. I knew she would love them as much as I did and I will never forget the look on her face when I took them to her. They had found their new home!

Thanks for letting me share this with you cause it really was a big part of who I was growing up. If you made it to the end and were'nt completely bored, then tell me what toys you loved growing up, I would love to know!!

This is how I feel we all need to be approaching this whole (dare I say because I live on a hog farm) swine flu, which has now been labeled the H1N1 virus. It just seems like the media is really freaking everyone out. We all just need to be smart and do all the things we SHOULD be doing anyway to prevent illness. I'm not one that usually expresses my opinion to often as not to offend anyone, but I really feel that maybe everyone needs to take a deep breath and as my boys would say, chillax. I think maybe I will be watching less of the news media too. I have prayed and will continue to pray for the people who have this flu and for my family and friends to remain healthy and then I will just carry on!

I had a few requests to show a bigger pic of this calender. It comes with the magnetic squares to mark the day and month. If you have anymore questions, just let me know! :) *SOLD OUT

Goodies.......

Wanted to share some pics of the new goods we have in the store. As always, if you see something you like, convo with me at www.backyardtricia@hotmail.com I do accept paypal now and can email you an invoice. Also in my etsy shop, we have our new black raspberry vanilla candle available. It is AMAZING!!! If you like the bath and body works scent, you are gonna LOVE this one! LOVE this lantern! So sweet!

Metal french perpetual calender. This is really cool!

The newest style of floor mats. Brings to mind vintage wallpaper.

I also wanted to just say that this is also my 100th post! Horray!!!!! Since there are so many of my blog friends that are celebrating their 100th post this week too, I thought I would wait and celebrate with a give away on my 150th post. It will be a goodie, I promise!

*All pics courtesy peacock park

The Trampoline Saga.......

I wanted to show you how we spent our Sunday afternoon. I know, I know, this looks a little odd. Yes, we reall did bury our tramploine. You see, this is our SECOND trampoline. The first one ended up across the road in our horse pasture all mangled like a pretzel thanks to a major wind storm. Then this one spent ALL winter across the road in a corn field. It literally was picked up by the wind and set down perfectly in the field. The only damage was the net. We have become the joke of our neighbors when they drive by and see if our trampoline made it through the latest storm. My husband was sharing all of this with Karen, a friend of ours from our church and she told us that some friends of theirs, who also live in the country, had the same problem, so they buried it.
Hubby loved the idea so today was the day that it got done. Now we never have to worry about it blowing away and its ground level.

As you can see, we need to finish with the dirt work and plant grass and such but I am just glad that it is safe and secure in the ground. My boys love this thing and use it ALOT and were quite upset each time a storm came up and we realized it was gone when the storm passed.

We tried countless times to secure it down with this or that but I'm tellin' ya when the wind came up out here, there was no telling where this thing might end up. The best part for my hubby was he was able to use his uni-loader. He might love this thing more than me! No, not really but he does cherish this baby! I am afraid this might look a little country bumpkinish, but I am willing to accept that label if it means it will stay put.

I hope you had a fabulous weekend and got something done you had been wanting to! Now next weekend its building a retaining wall out by our walk out basement. Who am I kidding, I watch why the guys work! :)

p.s. If you happen to click on these to enlarge, please remember that my boys need haircuts desperately and they, like their mother have naturally curly hair and it is VERY humid here today, thus meaning our hair turns into a major puff ball! We are a walking barometer.

Crisp, Clean, Pretty and Lived in......

I was tagged by my good friend Heather at The Mezzanine to show one photo that expresses my style. I love this idea! I always enjoy looking at magazines and to search the web for cool decorating ideas, so I was on board right away. I know I am only suppose to show 1 picture, but I could'nt stop there. I just kept going, so forgive me for not following the rules. I love the lived in feel of this living room. All the books, vintage goodies and of course the slipcover. and just a touch of "pretty" in the floral pillow.

I LOVE white furniture and woodwork. The dark floor softened by the rug and lots of light coming through the windows. Love, love, love!

This kitchen hutch, is me to a "T". I love everything about it! Mostly I love that it is white though. I dont think I would like it nearly as much if it were wood.

Old architectural pieces like the headboard hold a soft spot in my heart! I also love the white linens on the bed with a touch of color in the throw pillows and comforter. I would say that my style is crisp white painted furniture, a touch of pretty in a lived in country cottage!

Now I'm going to tag:

-Tracy, at Loving Pretty Things

-Nora, at Faithful Days

-Lissa, at A Dash of Humble Pie

*All photos courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Bellini Bar.....

On Easter Sunday, when most of my mom's side of the family came over for lunch, I thought it would be fun to have a bellini bar. I found the recipe in Giada De Laurentiis cookbook, Giadia's Family Dinners. They were a BIG hit and thought you might enjoy this recipe so you can make them at your next gathering.....
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen peaches, thawed
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen strawberries, thawed
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen blueberries or blackberries, thawed
4 to 6 (750-ml) bottles Prosecco or other sparkling wine, chilled
Fresh strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, for garnish
Orange peel twists, for garnish
Directions
Stir the sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.
Puree the peaches and orange peel in a blender with 1/2 cup of the sugar syrup until smooth. Strain through a fine-meshed strainer and into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate. In a clean blender puree the strawberries with 1/3 cup of the sugar syrup until smooth. Strain through a clean fine-meshed strainer and into another bowl. Discard the seeds. Puree the blueberries in a clean blender with 1/3 cup of the sugar syrup until smooth. Strain through a clean fine-meshed strainer and into a third bowl. Discard the seeds and solids. Pour each of the purees into clear glass bowls or small pitchers.
For each serving, pour 2 to 4 tablespoons of the desired fruit puree into a Champagne flute. Slowly pour enough Prosecco into the flute to fill. Gently stir to blend. Garnish with the whole berries, as desired, and serve.
Do-Ahead Tip: The fruit purees can each be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.

*just a little note, make sure you use a fine mesh strainer because I did'nt and the seeds from the strawberries were in the drink.

photo and recipe, courtesy of Food Network

Help Us Fight The Fight.....

Many, many posts back, I told you about our American Cancer Society candle that we created for the store. It has a cool chandelier graphic on the lid and a very appropriate "merci"on the jar. We have sold SO many of these candles and the best part is $6 of each candle goes directly to the ACS to help fight cancer. It is sad to me that it took my mom getting cancer for me to step up and do something to help but that is how it is sometimes I guess. Until something hits you smack dab in the face, its not something you think about. This candles scent is called "welcome home". It is an amazing blend of cinnamon graham crackers, vanilla frosting and a bit of spice. It is such a homey scent that has become a best seller. We sell this candle for $20 and guess what, I have them available in the etsy shop now! So if you would like to do your part to help fight the fight, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Merci!

Tour of Homes Tuesday....

I thought for this weeks tour of homes, I would take you through a few more rooms from my home. So grap your coffee, have a seat and enjoy... This is the entry way /mudroom. This is the first thing you see when you walk through the front door.

This is also in the mudroom. Everyone has their own basket to put shoes, hats, etc..

Sorry the lighting is so horrible in this one. This is on the way down the stairs to the basement from the mudroom.

My laundry room, which is right off of the mudroom.

Our washer broke a few months back and my hubby bought me this front loader and I LOVE it. Maybe eventually I will have the matching dryer. :)

This is my bathroom which is part of the master bedroom. We added this room on during the remodel and I am so glad we did.

The claw foot tub is original to the house, only it was upstairs and we brought it down for my bathroom since I am the only one who takes a bath and not a shower.

This is Sawyers room. It was originally a HUGE bathroom upstairs where the claw foot tub came from, but It made more sense to make it a bedroom because of its size. As you can see this boy LOVES the Dallas Cowboys.

I really like the slanted ceilings in his room.

I had to post these of his room while it was clean from having company for Easter. He is not one who really cares if his room looks like a tornado went through.

I'm keepin' it a little short and sweet today, cause I am not feeling the greatest. Hope you enjoyed the tour and soon I will show you the rest of the house!

He is Risen.....

Check This Out.....

For a really great giveaway and a fabulous blog, go to www.lolabboutique.blogspot.com. Kasey has fabulous taste and style. She is one of my favorite blogs and always inspires me. So what are you waiting for, go check it out!!!!

Etsy, Here I Come.....

Well, It's official, I have opened my etsy store as of yesterday afternoon! Thank you all for inspiring me to do it. All of your kinds words have meant alot to me, and I sincerely appreciate each and every one. I'm starting slow, but eventually will have all three sizes of candles available to purchase. Right now, I'm starting with the 16 oz. and a few "hodge podge" candles as we like to call them. If you want to check out my etsy shop, go to www.backyardcandleco.etsy.com . If you ever have any questions about something you see, please don't hesitate to ask. Thanks again for all of your support! :)

Tour of Homes Tuesday........

We had lunch over at my parents house on Sunday and decided spur of the moment I would take some pictures of their home to show you. We moved to this house the summer before my senior year. It is such a cool old house with so much built in character. These are just a sampling of some of the things that stand out in my mind. So enjoy the tour... This is the fireplace in the living room. Love, love love the topiaries on the mantle.

This is the bathroom on the main level. I'm pretty sure this flooring is the original and this is one of two claw foot tubs that were original to the house as well.

Moms collection of old cutting boards hanging above the kitchen windows.

Here is a built in cabinet in the kitchen that was painted white, (I would have left it that way) that they stripped down to the wood. You can see the flooring is also in the kitchen. I think that is one of my favorite things of their house.

This is a built in buffet in the dining room. I think this piece right here is what sold my mom on the house years ago.

The windows in the dining room. My parents made the stain glass window themselves. They are pretty handy like that.

This is from the upstairs looking down onto the landing. I dont know if you can really see them that well but my mom took all the photos on the wall and made them into pictures.

Oops, I did'nt mean to post that one again!!!!

This is in the upstairs bathroom. Another cute little built in. When my sister and I lived at home, this was our bathroom.

I didnt show any of the bedrooms, but they have really cool big closets that connect to other rooms.


This picture is in the upstairs hallway. There are two bedrooms a bathroom and a laundry room upstairs.

So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed the little "tour of homes." Maybe I will start showing other peoples homes each Tuesday! I just thought of that, what do you think, Tour of homes Tuedsay? I think I like it!!

My Fav's.....

Several posts back, I showed you my kitchen island that we had gotten chairs for and I mentioned we were in the process of getting a new top made for it. Well, its done and I finally took the time to take some photos so I could show you. I am sooooo happy with how it turned out. Our good friend Brian made it for us. He does such good work! We use old architectural pieces that my grandpa gave me years ago, to add some character. I love anything old and chippy.

While I was at it, I took some pics of some of my favorite things in my kitchen. I found this vintage strainer at my favorite shop in the world, Sisters Garden and thought it would look so cute with all my food network cookbooks in it. And dont you love Clay's version of Chef Boyardee?! He made that a few years ago for me in art class and I just love it!

My favorite work of art by Sawyer, also done a while back. I love to have the boys art on display.

I found this coffee cup sign at a flea market about 5 years ago. The minute I saw it, I knew it would be mine! You see, I grew up in a little town and in it was one restaraunt and it was called....you guessed it The Coffee Cup! My mom, sister and I were all waitress there. It was my first job when I was 15 and I have lots of really fun memories. I sure miss the homemade cinnamon rolls and the coffee was only .25! Thanks for listening to my walk down memory lane, I hope you have a great Friday!