This Stop Willoughby

Over the past few months, Mr. Willoughby and I have tried to expand our culinary horizons and experiment with some new dishes that we can make together.   On weeknights, I usually start dinner before he gets home, but on weekends, when time isn't an issue, we can leisurely prepare a meal together.  There isn't much criteria for choosing a recipe.  It's generally just a matter of finding something that sounds good and doesn't require a major shopping trip.   We also try to choose something the kids will be likely to enjoy. One of our most popular dishes has been paella.  It's a great dish for two people to prepare because it involves quite a bit of prep work.  There are onions and peppers to chop, chicken and sausage to be sliced and shrimp to be cleaned.  It gives us a lot of time to talk, laugh and enjoy a glass of wine while we work.  The end result is pretty ...

I love this project because it's so versatile.  You can use them for a variety of different occasions and personalize them any way you want.  You can also make them in nearly any size you like.  I'm talking about pillowboxes. I learned to make these years ago, long before I had the convenience of computer software and a printer.  You can make them out of any heavy, sturdy paper.  I prefer to use cardstock because it scores easily and holds it's shape well.  Heavy scrapbooking and decorative papers (even wallpaper) work well, too. To begin, you need a template.  You could easily make your own with a piece of paper, a ruler and something to trace for the curves.  If you want to skip that part, I've scanned one of the templates that I used.  It is for a pair of pillowboxes.  Be sure to click on the image before saving to get the largest size. You can use this template as a guide to create your boxes ...

I grew up in the suburbs.  From the house I lived in, you never had to travel more than a mile to get to  shopping malls, restaurants, drug stores or gas stations.  We had multiple movie theaters, bowling alleys, golf courses and a water park. After Mr. Willoughby and I got married, we lived in an apartment in that same suburb for a few years. From there we moved to another suburban area, and then the city.  It was while we were living in the city that we started spending our weekends on country drives and shopping at flea markets and farm stands.   We found ourselves charmed by the small towns with their farmhouses and quaint shops. When it was time to get out of our house in the city, we decided that we wanted to live in the country. It was an adjustment at first.  The closest place to shop (other than Kmart or the supermarket) is 20 miles away.  We have no movie theaters and only a...

This is just a short post to let you know that I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.  I'm behind in posting, behind in commenting and behind in passing on the thoughtful awards I've been given.  I'm also behind in everything else.  I've been sick for a little over a week and I just can't seem to get my energy back.  On Halloween, I broke a toe.  A few days later my right ear drum ruptured.  Since then I've had a bad cold (or possibly the flu, I'm not really sure), laryngitis, and insomnia.  I'm trying my best to get healthy again, but in the mean time, I'm exhausted.  I hope to get back on track over the next few days.  I'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired!! Willoughby

When I was in elementary school, my mom was a volunteer at the school library. Every week she would bring home a few books for us to read together. Our favorites, by far, were the books in the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I think we read each one of them at least twice. We even checked out several biographies of Laura Ingalls Wilder so we could learn more about her and see what she and her family looked like.  When we heard the books were being made into a television series, we were ecstatic. On September 11, 1974, we watched the pilot episode of Little House On The Prairie .  It instantly became my favorite show on television.  I loved the way it brought the stories and the characters to life.  Everything about it was quaint and charming.  I remember wishing I could spend an afternoon in Walnut Grove with Laura and Mary and taste the homemade bread Ma baked. I was watching television a few days ago when I happened to see a commerc...

A five year old local boy will be celebrating his last Christmas this weekend.  Noah Biorkman is dying of Neuroblastoma and his parents don't think he will make it to Christmas (click here to read the article on MLive).  People all over the world are sending cards to him and you can, too. Cards can be sent to: Noah Biorkman 1141 Fountain View Circle South Lyon, MI 48178 May Noah and his family enjoy a wonderful Christmas together.  I would like to thank  Rook No. 17 for posting Noah's story.  Even though the Biorkman family live an hour from my home, I hadn't been aware of their story until I read it on her blog.  My daughter and I will be making a card for Noah tomorrow.  Willoughby

When I get up in the morning, I have the mental capacity of a slug.  On weekdays, I get up around 5:00 a.m., but I don't start processing information until at least 5:45.   I have only partial hearing in one ear and I sleep like the dead, so my husband has to wake me when the alarm goes off. While he heads to the kitchen to start the coffee, I stagger into the bathroom to brush my teeth and take a shower.  I have to stick to autopilot at this point.  I always shampoo and then condition my hair, but if I start thinking about it, I get confused and can't remember if I've completed both steps.  I'll remember putting something in my hair, I just can't remember which one it was.  The water temperature can be an issue, too.  At 5:00 a.m., I just can't seem to remember whether to turn the lever to the left or the right if the water is too cold.  As long as I remain only semi conscious, autopilot knows to turn it to the lef...

Welcome to Willoughby's Blog Style Cocktail Party. I hope you will find some new blogs to follow and expand your circle of blog friends. I know you're all anxious to mingle, so I'll get right to it. I'd like to introduce Elvira from Magical Places On Tuscany's Coast .  I know you'll enjoy her blog as much as I do. A WARM WELCOME Tuscany's hill towns and countryside have enthralled inhabitants and visitors for centuries:  The golden light in the afternoon, the grape arbors and the rolling hillsides dotted with rustic farmhouses and villas. The sea, the very heart of this part of Tuscany, the Etruscan Coast; it is always with you.  It lives in it's history and in its landscape. It lights up the sunset; it pervades the air and offers wonderful views from the hills and villages. Living in this beautiful place with my Tuscan husband and my two boys and writing now about :  Beach-Style-Hideaways-Countryliving-Lifestyle ......who knows ... maybe...

Today's post is quite long. It's practically a mini novel. However, it is a subject that is close to my heart and I couldn't bring myself to cut it short. ♥♥♥♥♥♥ Ten years ago today I received a very tiny, fragile gift. On November 5, 1999 my daughter was born. I didn't know until well into my second trimester that I was pregnant. Before this experience happened to me, I would have thought it impossible to be pregnant and not know it, but it isn't. My monthly cycle continued through all those weeks, so I had no reason to even suspect anything. It wasn't until I laid on my stomach one day and felt like I was laying on a lump that I became concerned. I was terrified I had a tumor. I got the soonest appointment available with my doctor. It was his feeling that we shouldn't jump to conclusions about anything and that I might be panicked over nothing. After a quick exam, though, he said "There's definitely something going on". Then he asked the nurs...

Welcome to Willoughby's Blog Style Cocktail Party. I hope you will find some new blogs to follow and expand your circle of blog friends. I know you're all anxious to mingle, so I'll get right to it. I'd like to introduce Deidra from Jumping Tandem .  I know you'll enjoy her blog as much as I do. Keeping It Real.... Deidra I'm an East Coast girl living in the midwest because I love my husband (I call him "H" around here) and his work brought us here. We have been blessed with two amazing children (currently in college) and an empty nest that I absolutely love! Don't get me wrong, I love my kids but they're destined to change the world and they can't do that living under my roof (although they're welcome back anytime for love, prayers, support, encouragement, and of course homecooked meals and clean laundry). Did I mention that H is a pastor? So that makes me the pastor's wife - but don't let that blur your vision. H is...

I'm a little under the weather today, so instead of snuggling up on the couch with a blanket and watching television (I'd surely fall asleep), I'm sitting in front of the computer. I've been nosing around the information in my Google Analytics report and now I'm wondering about a few things and I'd like your input. If you're not familiar with Google Analytics, it's an information gathering system that gives you detailed reports about how your blog is viewed. You can find out where your viewers are from (though not who they are specifically), what pages are most viewed, how viewers find your blog or link to your blog and a host of other things you never thought of. I saw that a number of viewers linked to my blog through other blogs I've never heard of. It turns out that I am listed on their blog rolls. That's great, I don't mind a bit, but I'm curious why they aren't on my list of followers. This brings me to question number one; do y...

Welcome to Willoughby's Blog Style Cocktail Party. I hope you will find some new blogs to follow and expand your circle of blog friends. I know you're all anxious to mingle, so I'll get right to it. I'd like to introduce Christine Forest, M.D. from Better Than Cured . I know you'll enjoy her blog as much as I do. About Me Christine Forest, M.D. Los Angeles, California Working as a psychiatrist for over ten years, last seven in private practice, I have constantly searched for better ways to help my patients. I designed BETTER THAN CURED PROGRAM with this thought in mind. The results exceed my highest expectations. My patients not only heal from anxiety, depression, bipolar or attention deficit, but they go on building successful, fulfilling and much happier lives. I decided to start this blog to share their success stories and help people who are suffering in silence, thinking they are doomed and there is no hope for them. WELCOME TO MY BLOG! I hope to...

I don't know if you noticed, but the regularly scheduled cocktail party post was never posted yesterday.  I also have some awards to catch up on.   I apologize.  I will get back on track tomorrow. We had a lot going on around here.  It was Halloween, of course, and we had a lot to do.  We had pumpkins to carve and some decorating to finish.  My daughter is fighting a bad cold, so she was too sick to go trick or treating.  I added some craft projects to the day's agenda so she could still enjoy a little Halloween fun. Thanks to the Graphics Fairy , we made some great flying bats.  We printed these awesome bats on cardstock, cut them out and glued them back to back on the end of a piece of fishing line.  We then hung them from the hooks where the hanging baskets hang in the summer.  The wind made them flutter and fly. We also printed these great vintage letters to make a "Boo" sign.  Again, they are glued back to...