Random

Ain't No Sunshine: A Survey

2010-02-01T09:44:00.000-06:00

It's (diagnosed by me) official: I am suffering from a severe case of SAD. When the sunshine hides, I find myself in a hard-to-shake funk. When Lady Sun comes back, the funk lifts - only to be hidden behind gray, rainy clouds a day or two later.

Today is one of those yucky, funky days. I'm sitting by one of the back windows, wishing for that beautiful golden glow. Instead, the only gold is the dead grass that is my lawn. It's in the 30s. And wet. And gray. I'd like to embrace Annie's enthusiasm, but I know that tomorrow is also going to be gray. And the day after that. And the day after that. It's pretty much going to be a gray week.

So, in honor of a gray day, I'm going to play along with Jennifer and Leigh's survey.

Outside my widow ...
It's a cold, wet, rainy day. I'm sitting in Paul's chair by the back windows, looking onto a yard full of dead grass, littered with outside toys that are begging for sunshine so the boys will come out to play. Our vegetable garden looks very, very dead ... but we've already planned our Spring plantings. The pumpkin plants from school are slowly wilting away in the terracotta pots the boys each decorated a few weeks ago. A few of our patio chairs are uncovered. I should have recovered them when I stepped out to take the trash. But, it was cold. And wet. So, instead, I went inside and had some more coffee.

I am missing ...
The carefree days of Summer. Running around in the green grass. Sipping wine on the patio after Paul gets home from work. Eating outside. Swinging, sliding and pretending the playscape is a pirate ship and that we can see Canada and Africa and Mexico just by looking through the telescope.

I am thankful ...
For having a wonderful family to distract me. For having a home that's a little too big that begs to be cleaned. For having too much when so many have too little. For my morning coffee. For Dulce de Leche coffee creamer. For "Lucky's Girlfriend" - my insulated Starbucks tumbler from which I sip my coffee every morning. For "Dinosaur Train" in the background.

From the kitchen ...
A quiet whisper to unload the dishwasher and sweep the floor. Later today, though, I think the boys and I will bake something. I have two bananas begging to become bread.

I am wearing ...
(Embarrassed to admit!) A brown t-shirt, a beige sweater (I just came in from dragging the trash to the curb), blue jammie pants with coffee cups and hearts on them. I just slipped off my black sparkly Fit Flops, which I wore to the curb. Oh, and my sports watch. I heard it dates me to wear a watch, but I feel compelled to keep one on.

I am creating ...
I'm still working on a scarf for Paul. It's Noro Kureyon No. 149 in a 2x2 rib. Nothing overly exciting, but it is nice and masculine. I'm also working on a ruffled bloomer to go under a dress I sewed the other day for a friend from high school. And, I'm supposed to be starting OrgJunkie's 28-day challenge today, tackling my sewing/craft room. I was inspired by Jen's before-and-afters over at Naughty Secretary Club. While my befores aren't quite as daunting as hers, I do hope my afters will be as fabulous!

I am going ...
Nowhere today. I hit HEB yesterday and picked up groceries to last a few days. I have no plans to leave the house today. I may not even change out of my jammie pants. (The boys have already decided they're staying jammied all day today.)

Around the house ...
There are areas to be tidied up, and I need to tackle the kitchen countertops again. They've disappeared under stacks of papers, mail, school folders and magazines. Again. Mitchell's new bedroom furniture is supposed to be delivered tomorrow, so I'll be starting the tasks of moving the baby furniture out of Noah's room, purging the boys' clothes, reloading the dressers, etc. It's exciting and sad all at once that Noah is moving out of his crib and into a big boy bed. I found his bedding the other day at Home Goods and need to zip back over and pick it up. (I got distracted by a phone call!) That store is awesome! The quilt is just $29.99! We're not sure what we'll do with the crib. The changing table is moving into my craft room. It will become my cutting table, I think.

One of my favorite things ...
Spending time with my boys. Noah randomly runs up to me and gives me a hug and kiss. Mitchell randomly tells me he loves me. (One of my not-so-favorite things right now: Attempting to potty train Noah. He has no desire! He was really eager a few months ago and has now decided that wearing a diaper isn't so bad. HELP!!!)

A few plans for the rest of the week ...
Cleaning house. Doctor appt. on Wednesday (just a regular check-up). MOPS on Friday. My mom and Larry are coming to visit Friday afternoon. Birthday party for one of Mitchell's friends on Saturday.

Creativity O' The Day: Scarf

2010-01-01T17:48:00.001-06:00

Today's Creative Feature is a scarf I just finished today. You can find more details on my craft blog: This Mama Sews.

Recent Craftiness

2009-12-22T12:46:00.000-06:00

I have been busily sewing, knitting, crafting and creating this month! Here's a brief run-down of what I've done since Dec. 1st.

7 Christmas-themed hostess aprons (plus a pending request for 3 more!!!)
4 Hostess aprons, including a mother-daughter set that turned out adorable - that I forgot to photograph before shipping out!
1 Birthday party for my favorite 5-year-old, including a racecar-themed variation of "Pin the Tail on the Donkey"
4 Gift cards purchased for our teachers (I'm the Teacher Appreciation Mom for both classes, so I spent a Wednesday driving all over town to pick up cards for their favorite restaurants)
4 Custom gift bags for those gift cards
2 Pillowcase dresses
1 Appliqued onesie
36 Reindeer candycanes for school friends
1 Cheeta-and-denim purse
Plus cookies for our MOPS cookie exchange, treats for our family, countless meals and snacks for our family ...

I've also attended the MOPS Steering Christmas party, my MOPS small-group Cookie Exchange (hosted at my house), the Women's Group dinner at church, Mitchell's Christmas program at school, Paul's company holiday party and my mom's annual get-together (in Baytown!). Tomorrow, Paul's parents and brother arrive for Christmas at our house.

'Tis the season!

A Few of My Favorite Things

2009-12-07T16:18:00.002-06:00

It's been a while since I've added anything here to my blog. I think the fact that Facebook is slowly taking over all online communications has lessened my need to post things here. (Sorry to my readers who aren't on Facebook, MOTHER!) And, I apologize for any misspellings. Blogger changed their layout, and I can't find the spell-check tool.

Anyhoo, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, so I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things. (That song, BTW, makes me cringe!)

Our Christmas Tree. This year, I let the boys do most of the tree decorating - and I didn't go back and redo any of it! I did snag a few ornaments to put closer to the top so it wasn't so bottom heavy. And, I've never found a topper I love, so I tied some huge bows.

Big Bows. The holidays are the chance for me to tie bows as big as Homecoming mums and hang them all over the house. I scored this great wired sheer ribbon with gold glittery snowflakes for half-off! The roll was huge, so these bows are all over the house.

My Nativity. The church I attended as a child had a ceramics guild who made these beautiful Nativity pieces for the children who attended Sunday School each year. I don't have the complete set - which includes things like camels and donkeys! - but I have the ones that matter most.

Our Stockings. My mom handmade each of these stockings for us. She applied all the tiny beads and sequins! So special.

Holiday Baking. Mitchell and I kicked off the holiday baking season with Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread. Mmm! Here he is sneaking a taste of the brown sugar as he measures. Tonight, I'm trying my hand at Snickerdoodles for a cookie exchange tomorrow morning.

Sentimental Ornaments. I love hanging ornaments from our childhood. The one on the right is a stocking ornament with a photo of Paul as a kid. The one on the left is a Christmas kitty that my uncle Benjamin gave me. The tag says 1978!

My Boys. My favorite-ist things of all are my wonderful guys! Mitchell, Noah and Paul are a blessing everyday!

Overheard in the Car Today

2009-10-07T22:43:00.000-05:00

N: Here, Mitchell. Fix my bicycle.

M: Why do you keep breaking it?

N: I don't know. Fix it!

Speed Racer!

2009-09-13T19:52:00.001-05:00

Tonight, the weather is perfect. We've enjoyed the last hour+ of
daylight on the patio, listening to music, drawing with chalk and
having tons of fun!

Big Bugs!

2009-09-12T12:08:00.000-05:00

On Labor Day, we headed down to the San Antonio Botanical Gardens to see the new Big Bugs! exhibit.

In addition to the spider, there were ants, a dragonfly, damselfly, assassin bug, grasshopper and praying mantis.

The boys got to release some ladybugs and make bug music.

Mitchell held a giant grub - and freaked out when it moved! The poor grub went flying through the air and landed on the sidewalk! The handler quickly scooped it up and put it away, telling us to keep quiet. Turns out, the grubs belong to the guy a few feet away and the handler was afraid he'd flip out if he saw what happened!!!

Going mobile?

2009-09-12T11:52:00.001-05:00

I've finally activated mobile and email posting, so maybe I can keep
things more up-to-date now.

We'll see!

Sent from my iPhone

SA Ink

2009-08-19T14:13:00.003-05:00

Noah's 2nd Birthday Party

2009-08-16T13:51:00.003-05:00

We celebrated Noah's second birthday yesterday with lots of family and friends! Here's just a few of the billions of photos!

The Barrel of Monkeys cake. The idea was that they were escaping from the barrel. You can't really see the ones hanging off the side that well. (And, a few kiddos had "played" with them!)

Paul carving up the brisket. He also smoked a pork shoulder for the party. MMMMmmmm!

Mommy and the birthday boy.

Happy Birthday bunting I made.

These were the pinata bags. Everyone also took home a barrel of monkeys.

Hot Day Fun

2009-08-05T18:30:00.003-05:00

How do you entertain four kids ages 4 and under when the temperature is 100+?

Bathtub Swimming!!!

My friend Tenley came over with her two adorable kiddos and we suited them up and threw them in my tub. Giggles and splashes ensued!

Family Vacation 2009

2009-08-01T10:07:00.008-05:00

We had a wonderful vacation with Paul's parents and brother at the Amelia Island Plantation. The week was spent in the sand, surf and sun. This was Noah's first trip to the beach, and he loved it as much as Mitchell.

Noah feeling the sand in his toes. The poor marshmallow had to be thrown away (you should have seen the sandy crust on it!).

Grandpa and Noah enjoying a walk on the beach our first night there.

As usual, Noah showed no fear of the waves.

Mitchell loves the ocean and asks daily when we'll go back!

Mitchell and Uncle Frank hanging out in the ocean. Those boys love their Uncle Frank!

Paul and Noah taking in some waves.

Mitchell trying not to smile at 29 South. Chef Scotty brought him some special ice cream.

Noah balancing a spoon on his nose at 29 South. Chef Scotty brought him the biggest spoon he could find. (I'll spare you the photo of him covered in the sorbet!)

Mitchell took this photo from our condo balcony.

One of the many turtles we saw snacking on grass outside our condo.

As always, we enjoyed some great food on our vacation. I'm not sure which was my favorite: 29 South, Joe's 2nd Street Bistro or PLAE.

At 29 South, we enjoyed the chef's table, just outside the kitchen. Chef Scotty Schwartz kept us entertained - and well fed! - throughout the entire meal. (And, the boys kept him entertained!)

Mitchell expanded his palette during this trip, enjoying almost half of Uncle Frank's Smokehouse Mussels at 29 South! He also devoured the calamari at PLAE. (Noah, too, enjoyed lots of new foods, including duck!)

Paul had the Shrimp and Grits, which was to die for. I had a fresh corn and shrimp bisque, followed by the Southern Barbeque Cobb Salad. Frank ordered the Sweet Tea Brined Pork Chop, which was genius. The macaroni gratin featured blackberry preserves, which sounds really bizarre but was delicious. (It wasn't mac-and-cheese with jelly!)

Be on the lookout for the recipe for the delicious "Coffee and Doughnuts" dessert. Chef Scotty says it will be published in Bon Appetit's RSVP column toward the end of the year! (And, if you are ever out that way, stop by 29 south and enjoy it yourself!)

Joe's 2nd Street Bistro was our favorite restaurant during our last visit to Amelia Island (in 2007, while I was pregnant with Noah!). Nothing has changed - it was as wonderful as we remembered.

Mitchell instantly made friends with the entire staff. He was on a first-name basis with our waiter within minutes! (He knows no strangers!)

I thoroughly enjoyed my Grouper wrapped in a Corn Husk. Mmm - I can taste the spices just thinking about it! Paul and his mom both enjoyed an elk special that was perfectly done.

We almost didn't eat at PLAE because the description made it sound like it was adults-only. And, when I made the reservation, they said they don't have high chairs. I'm so glad we decided to go!

The staff went above and beyond to make the boys feel special! And, we had a wonderful meal. Mom and I enjoyed the Duck Springrolls and the Open-Face Salmon Ravioli. Noah loved his Coconut Chicken, and Mitchell polished off his Calamari.

The always-good Verandah didn't disappoint on this trip either. They have a fantastic starter salad that includes crisped wontons and a yummy sesame dressing. The grouper with the blue crab crust was delicious too. (And, we ate way too much dessert there - it was too good to stop!)

And, we enjoyed some nice lunches too. Gourmet Gourmet, our favorite sandwich spot from the last trip, was still open. We even braved Marche Burette - which, I'm happy to report, now has changing stations in its restrooms.

Mom and I (and Noah) enjoyed a morning of shopping in historic Fernandina Beach. We stumbled into two great shops: Twisted Sisters and Twisted Kids. I came away with a gorgeous Viva Beads necklace (thanks Mom and Dad!) and tons of ideas for sewing.

Mitchell had an extra-special day of his own, attending the Kids Camp. It was Super Hero Training Camp, and he was the BMOC! He went fishing and caught a sun fish, went swimming and enjoyed a super drippy fudge pop.

There are lots of other great photos that Paul's parents took, but I can't seem to make the disk open on our computer. Boo! While Mom and I shopped, the big boys went fishing. Lots of time, too, was spent in the sand and the waves.

Sewing for a Super Hero

2009-06-17T13:57:00.002-05:00

Mitchell asked me to sew him something. I thought long and hard about what I could make for a boy. So, I whipped up a special cape. He offered his creative input (switching the flames fabric to be the lightning bolt and the oval to the yellow lightning bolt fabric). It took no time at all, and he's hardly taken it off since I finished.

Who Knew? Stridex and WD-40

2009-06-17T09:43:00.003-05:00

I picked up some great tips the past few days!

The Stridex Pedicure
While at the MOPS planning retreat this weekend at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort, Catherine mentioned a pedicure secret: Stridex.

Yep, Stridex. Apparently the same stuff that gets rid of teen boys' pimples also softens your feet. It has to do with the salicylic acid, I think.

Anyway, you clean your feet with Stridex then slather with Vaseline and put on a pair of socks. I must say, my feet haven't looked this good in a really long time. (BTW: I prepped mine with the PedEgg before the Stridex.)

WD-40 on my Stovetop
Monday night, I was making shrimp for supper and decided that orzo would be a nice side. When I was filling the pot at the sink, apparently one of those great brown scraper cleaning tool thingies from Pampered Chef stuck to the bottom of the pot.

Now, who checks the bottom of the pot before putting on your smooth-top range?! Obviously, not me. I kept hearing a popping noise and figured the bottom of the pot was wet, which happens all the time.

I went in to wiggle the pot a little and discovered the melted scraper ... all over my stovetop.

So much for the orzo!

I didn't know what to do so I Googled for some suggestions. The one I saw over and over again was to spray the plastic with WD-40 then let it sit for a minute and scrape it off.

Worked like a charm! I have a cleaning tool with a razor blade, which made it almost effortless to scrape off the gunk.

Unfortunately, my mind wasn't working when I decided to spray my cooktop with WD-40 before cooking super. That stuff is potently flammable, so I asked Paul to pick up supper. We had sushi. Yum!

Morning Jam Session

2009-06-05T09:40:00.001-05:00

Meet Bernie

2009-06-01T13:07:00.002-05:00

This month is "Sewing Machine Month" on Sew, Mama, Sew. To kick off the month, they're asking us "regulars" to answer a few questions about our own machines.

What brand and model do you have? Bernina Virtuosa 160

How long have you had it? At least four years. It sat unused in the closet until this January!

How much does that machine cost (approximately)? I don't know what it cost when it was new, but I've seen them online from $750 to $1,200 used.

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)? I'm still quite new to sewing, so I've tried a little of everything. I use it mostly for handbags and aprons.

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get? I try to sew a few hours each week, if possible. It varies, based on what we've got going on and when Noah naps (and how tired I am at night!) Before it was mine, the machine was used a lot by my MIL.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? I love my machine! I love the ease of use (since I read the manual and learned!). I love all the decorative stitches.

Does he/she have a name? Bernie (it's a boy)

What features does your machine have that work well for you? I like that the outside of the presser foot is 1/4 inch from the needle - and that the inside is 1/8 inch. Little things like that make it easy for me to know what I'm doing!

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine? Only when I wasn't confident using it did it drive me nuts - because I was doing stuff wrong!

Do you have a great story to share about your machine? We want to hear it! My MIL gave me my machine. She's an expert quilter and upgraded to a new machine (also a Bernina).

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why? Yes. It can do so much, and it's really easy to use (once you take the time to learn).

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine? Make sure it does what you want - and a little more. Once you start using it, you'll be amazed at how much you want to try new things!

Do you have a dream machine? I'd love to have an embroidery machine. I'd love to be able to add monograms and extra decorative special things to the aprons I sew.

Fantastic Day

2009-05-23T21:44:00.008-05:00

Today, I took the boys out for the morning to get out of Paul's hair.

(In praise of Paul: Thursday, he took off of work so I could spend most of the day at church doing planning for the coming year. How great is my husband?! And, Wednesday was our ninth anniversary, and he surprised me with a stunning gold necklace with pearl drops. Is this man great, or what?! I credit his jewelry shopping ability to genetics: His dad is an expert jewelry shopper!!!)

Anyhoo, back to our day.

The boys and I headed out around 8:45 this morning so Daddy could sleep in. We headed over to Benny's Bagels for breakfast. Yum-O! Mitchell had a Danish, Noah had a Screamerdog (breakfast sausage and cheese wrapped in bagel and baked), and I had an Asiago cheese bagel with chive-and-onion cream cheese topped with spinach and tomato. OMG. I could eat that every day and be a very, very happy woman!

Then, we headed down to the Pearl Farmers Market for some shopping. We scored with beets (never tried 'em - branching out!), carrots, mini yellow squash, peaches, pecans, olive twists from Biga on the Banks plus some sunflower plants. And, the plant guy was so nice he gave me a daylily plant as an added bonus.

The Pearl - quickly growing into a cultural hot spot in San Antonio.

We hung out around the Pearl Brewery and listened to some brewery retirees talk about the old days. Pearl has a special place in my heart: My PawPaw drank Pearl. It was one of the last beers to go to the pop top. The boys were more interested in the water feature and the brewery train (which the guys called "The Trolley") than their stories of a time gone by.

Pearl retirees telling stories of working at the brewery.

I, for one, couldn't think of a better way to spend my Saturday morning than spooking around the brewery, with all its history and its present and future ... all rolled into one today. Next weekend, the grand opening of the River Walk expansion will be held. Guess where it takes you now? The Pearl.

Longhorn artwork at The Pearl.

After we left The Pearl, we headed over to Fiesta on Main, one of my favorite local shops. I picked up some great embroidered shirts plus a skirt. The boys each picked out a little bag.

Inspired by the fantastic flowers at Fiesta, I came home and began working on my own paper flowers.

What a wonderful day!

Now Working: Paper Flowers

2009-05-23T18:07:00.001-05:00

Future Gold Medalist

2009-05-19T16:52:00.003-05:00

Mitchell goes to gymnastics every Tuesday morning and loves it!

Help with the Back Flip.

Perfecting his hand stand.

Forward roll.

Ta Da!

Viva Fiesta! Barrette

2009-05-08T16:34:00.002-05:00

Here's my first completed project using my vintage flower loom. I've decided to call them the Viva Fiesta! Barrettes. They remind me of fun and summmer and, of course, Fiesta!

I made the flower using lime green and hot pink raffia, then attached it to a snap clip. Wrapping the clip in hot pink made for a nice finish, I think. I'm going to make up a few more and add them to my Etsy shop. (I also have turquoise raffia, so I can make a few different combos.)

New Toys: Vintage Flower Looms

2009-05-07T08:10:00.003-05:00

They say that everything old is new again, and flower looming is no exception. This craft reached its heyday in the '60s and '70s, and thanks to craftinista Cathy of California, it's back in a big way! Cathy even taught Martha Stewart how to create flowers the other day!

Here's my flower loom kit plus two projects I played with yesterday. I used gift-wrap ribbon (aka, curly ribbon). I can tell you, it's a tedious task to loom a flower. With practice, though, I'm sure it will be lots of fun!

Here's a detail of the two flowers I loomed yesterday with gift-wrap ribbon. The purple one on the left was done on the larger pegs on the large square loom. I wrapped the ribbon 3-5 times around each peg then knotted it off in the middle. Once I removed it from the loom, I split the ribbons down the middle and then cut the loops to make a really pretty chrysanthemum.

The flower on the right was done on the double circular loom. I used lime green for the outside petals and turquoise for the inside. I backstitched around the center, like the instruction manual suggested.

I left long tails of ribbon on both of these so I can use them on gift packages. Bags of goodies have never looked so good!

(BTW: If you'd like a vintage flower loom set of your own, you can purchase it from Cathy's etsy shop.)

Swine Flu: What You Need to Know

2009-04-27T10:44:00.002-05:00

There have been multiple cases of swine flu reported in our area, and it has caused quite a bit of alarm. One local school district even closed all 14 of its schools for the week. Friends are Facebooking and Tweeting, seeking advice about keeping their kiddos home.

So, dear readers, I've put together this handy fact sheet about swine flu.

Can I get swine flu after holding one of those cute little animals at the Northgate Country Club Easter Brunch?
Luckily, no. swine flu is transmitted just like the regular flu - mostly through being sneezed on or coughed at.

A kid at a recent birthday party squealed like a pig when it was time to leave. Am I at risk?
Probably. You never know if that kid didn't want to leave or was part pig.

A guy at the grocery store smelled pretty bad. Was I exposed?
Probably. He could be part pig and, thus, a carrier.

We had some delicious pork sandwiches the other day. Should I be worried?
I may have sneezed and/or coughed while slicing the meat, so I'd see a doctor ASAP.

Is it OK to still eat pork?
Yes. Swine flu is transmitted through particulates in the air. As long as no one nearby is chewing with his/her mouth open, you're not at risk.

What is the best way to prevent spreading swine flu?
Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. You should cough or sneeze into the crook of your arm (then, don't rub the crook of your arm onto someone's face, unless of course you really don't like the person). Wash your hands often for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Recite "This Little Piggy" several times to ensure a thorough wash. Don't kiss any pigs, unless, of course, it looks like this. How could you resist?

In all seriousness, swine flu might mean I have to spend a few extra days with my kids at home because the powers that be might decide to cancel preschool. Or Kindermusik. Or MOPS. As long as HEB continues to sell wine, this too shall pass.

(For real info on swine flu, click here, here, here and here.)

Gina's Apron

2009-04-24T17:09:00.005-05:00

I just completed my latest sewing order - an apron for Gina. Years ago, she and I worked together and reconnected via Facebook. She asked if I'd sell her an apron.

Her requests were that it be brown and pink and that it have pockets.

I tried some new things with this one. I used D-rings at the neck so it can be easily adjusted for a comfortable fit. The waist tie is super long so it can be tied to the front - but it's still short enough that it didn't hang down too far when I tied it to the back.

Notice that kicky little ruffle at the bottom hem. Yep, that was a new technique as well. And, that little loop thingy at the waist is to hold your dish towel while you're cooking. (Paul pointed out that it could also holster a pair of tongs and asked if I'd make him a Man-Pron for when he's barbecuing. He said he'd let me know where to place things so his tools are handy.)

I also did some rousching on the waist band to give it some shape - and it goes up in the middle for definition.

All in all, I'm very, very, VERY pleased with this project. It was - hands down - the best binding job I've ever done, and I like all the extras.

Gina has already said she loves it based on the photos. Guess there's no chance of her changing her mind so I can keep it!

P.S., thanks to my fantastic photographer, Paul. Poor guy probably rolls his eyes when I ask him to take the photo of the finished item. Then again, wasn't that one of the vows? You know - in sickness and in health, in lameness and in coolness. I think I remember that one.

Next up is a mother-daughter hostess apron set - also an order via Facebook. This one is for my high school friend Mika to give to one of her college friends for her birthday in June. I can't wait - It will feature Alexander Henry's Spotted Owl in Green Tea. How cute is that?! I might try a new hostess apron pattern.

My Handsome Fellas

2009-04-24T17:03:00.003-05:00

The other morning, Mitchell woke up before Paul left for work and realized he, too, had a blue shirt. And so did Noah. So he asked if they could all wear the same color shirts, which they've dubbed the Strong Brothers Uniform. Aren't they handsome?

Black Widow

2009-04-24T16:55:00.003-05:00

Mitchell's class has been studying spiders, bugs and insects this month. The other day, they all made spiders. Mitchell's is a black widow. I am impressed (and a little creeped out by!) with his creativity!

Mitchell Likes to Move It Move It

2009-04-21T18:12:00.005-05:00

Warning: The music might be really loud - I think our windows were rattling!

Sometimes, ya just gotta dance! (Best of all, I don't think he had any clue I was recording him!)

Ale Has Landed

2009-04-20T14:32:00.003-05:00

Meet Ale, our new alien.

This afternoon, Mitchell asked me to make him an alien. I searched online for some alien graphics and then let Mitchell decide which he wanted. Then we hit my fabric stash, where I had this sort-of planet-y fabric. Mitchell picked out buttons for his eyes while I cut the fabric.

Mitchell hasn't put him down yet! Not bad for a few minutes and scraps of fabric! He's pretty wonky, but I couldn't imagine him crisp and perfect!!!

This was the alien clip art that was my inspiration for Ale.

BTW: Mitchell named him Ale. I think because it sounds like the first syllable of alien.

Bohemian Bag: Finished!

2009-04-16T14:52:00.005-05:00

After much cursing, several broken needles and probably too much stress, I finished my Bohemian Bag!

Drum roll please ...

I made Lila Tueller's Bohemian bag pattern with her Soiree fabric - my favorite!

I love how it came out, except next time I will start making my panels with the boring fabrics so the super cute ones don't end up on the sides. (I didn't even think about this when I was laying out the fabrics. As a result, my cute green and yellow floral fabrics are on the sides instead of the front.) I'll also make the pockets shorter on the inside - they were a little too close to the top so I kinda stitched them by accident when attaching the handles.

This was my first attempt to quilt and to use clear thread. I think my quilting came out pretty good, and the clear thread was a pain the you-know-what.

But, I was so proud when people commented on my bag yesterday, and I'd say "Thanks. I made it." (There were several who said it looked like a Vera Bradley! Yeah!!!)

And, on a somewhat related note: I commented on Lila Tueller's blog that I was frustrated with sewing the bag, and she so kindly responded with some tips and advice. How cool is that?! (Okay, I don't know that many people would think that's cool, but I did!)

Eggstra Fun Easter

2009-04-12T14:07:00.005-05:00

We enjoyed a fantastic Easter Brunch with Paul's parents and brother at the Northgate Country Club this morning. Of course the Easter Bunny was there, and there was also a petting zoo and egg hunt. The pouring rain moved everything indoors (and all the big animals went home but they kept the small, cuddly cute ones!), but no one seemed to mind!

This baby goat was so sweet. I held him forever and didn't want to give him back! (Mitchell liked him too. Noah only wanted a little fuzzy chick.)

I was amazed at how much Noah liked the Easter Bunny, especially since we were operating on no nap.

The Chef was nice enough to bring Mitchell out his own chef's hat.

Mitchell pet the Easter Bunny while at brunch. (Mitchell chowed down on shrimp cocktail, blue crab claws, lamb, tenderloin, green beans, roasted potatoes, two balls of butter, scrambled eggs, bacon and, of course, plenty of desserts!)

Eggstra Cute!

2009-04-09T12:18:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, Mitchell's preschool teacher presented each child with an adorable egg critter for Easter.

These "Eggimals" are super easy, and the patterns are all available for free over at FamilyFun.com.

Mitchell received a blue puppy, his friend G got a mouse and K got a pink piggie. (We took K with us to run errands yesterday after school, and she carried her piggie all over Target. It was really cute!) Inside were some stickers and a mini container of Play Dough.

I love the extra care that Mitchell's teachers put into making each child feel special. We are so lucky to have him at such a wonderful preschool (and so lucky that Noah will start there in the fall!).

Just Hatched!

2009-04-07T16:14:00.007-05:00

Meet Chickie - the new member of my creative family!

I was getting a little frustrated with my Bohemian Bag, so I decided to take a little break. Those great gals at Sew, Mama, Sew! offered this mental vacation just at the right time. Yesterday evening, I started sewing up Chickie. I finished her up today and added a few touches of my own (notice her pink bows with the pearl centers?). I wanted to add some eyelashes, but I didn't have any black embroidery thread.

This is a great way to use up some scraps. For the comb and feet, I used some scraps from Lila Tueller's Soiree. Her body and wings are some fabrics I picked up to make the hostess aprons for Mitchell's school, and her beak is a scrap from Sandy Gervias's Celebrate Spring.

Mitchell named her Chickie, and we're debating whether she's a girl or a boy. I say Girl. I mean, hello - look at her! Mitchell keeps insisting that it's a boy.

Anyhoo, I think I'll use her as a pin cushion on my sewing table. She's so cheery and sort of matches my Chic Chick Boutique logo.

If you want to make your own spring chick, click here for the oh-so-easy instructions. Thanks Sew, Mama, Sew!

Now Working: Bohemian Bag

2009-04-03T17:09:00.007-05:00

I just started a new bag, this one from a pattern. I've chosen Lila Tueller's Bohemian Bag with her gorgeous Soiree fabrics.

Here's the bag in Lila's Woodland Bloom fabric (not the fabric I'm using).

I'm using these fabrics (from Lila's Soiree collection), plus the coordinating polka dots to transition between the pattern.

I'm really excited about this bag. It's too cute, and it uses some techniques I've not attempted before. Just today, in fact, I did a little freehand machine quilting using the walking foot and clear thread. I think it's coming along quite nice. Oh, and the seams are sewn to the top, and the fabrics are backed with fleece so you get a soft, shaggy edge between each piece. Cute!

I ran out of clear thread when I was half-finished with the quilting, so I'll need to pick up more before I can do anything else. As soon as I'm finished, I'll bore you all with photos!

(BTW: I'm sewing this bag as a "prototype" for a diaper bag for my little sister, Kimberly. If she'll ever choose some fabrics, I can get working on hers! Her little boy will be here mid August - I'd like to be able to give it to her as a shower gift. I thought it was best to try out the pattern once or twice before doing her bag, just in case I couldn't do it! Oh, and I bought some iron-on vinyl to coat the interior, because we all know how messy baby bags can get!)

Secret Garden

2009-03-24T09:45:00.002-05:00

Mitchell and Paul have planted a little garden in our backyard, and Mitchell is very, very proud. However, he won't tell anyone what's been planted, saying instead that it's a secret.

Several times a day, we have to go outside and check on the plants. I can't wait for them to produce some yummy veggies, including squash, several different peppers, tomatillos, green beans and even (though not a vegetable) tomatoes.

Awesomesauce

2009-03-24T09:38:00.003-05:00

Anytime Noah sees the pantry door open, he goes in and brings me a tub of applesauce and says "Sauce." And, nine times out of ten, I distract him with something else as I take it away and throw it back in the snack basket. Every now and then, though, you just have to pull off his shirt and let him enjoy a sweet treat.

It always starts out good, using the spoon and all.

Then, he gives up the spoon and goes for the two-handed dip.

I'm (sometimes) a smart mommy, as I pulled off his shirt before ever plopping him in the chair. I will note that I had to replace his pants after he finished, as they were splattered with apples. His hair somehow escaped the stickiness this time. (His belly - not so lucky!)

A is for Adorable

2009-03-24T09:31:00.002-05:00

For our friend Audrey's first birthday, I made her the tutu. I also made her a sweet little shirt with an A (for Adorable Audrey, of course!).

I used a scrap of fabric from another project then fused it on. Added a pink zigzag to enclose the edges. For a little more cuteness, I added little pearls to the centers of the flowers (the green centers on the fabric were a little too bright). The little pearl-centered pink bow at the neck was the perfect final touch.

Shop For a Cure

2009-03-19T10:46:00.004-05:00

I'm hosting a fund-raising shopping event to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. If you're unable to attend, you can shop online:

Silpada – Browse Julie’s on-line catalog then shoot me an email with what you’d like to order. I’ll total it all up for you and arrange payment.

Southern Living at Home – Check out Sally’s on-line catalog. Click “How to Purchase” in the upper right-hand corner of the virtual catalog. Then, enter Mary Gannon in the hostess search fields.

Pampered Chef – Peggy’s catalog is set up for on-line purchase. Please enter Mary Anna Gannon as the hostess.

If you're interested in attending and need driving directions, please let me know.

You can also make a donation to the LLS via my Team in Training page. Just click the TNT logo to the left over there or click here.

Tutu Cute!

2009-03-14T16:55:00.004-05:00

I finished a tutu for our friend's Audrey's first birthday. I hope she loves it! It was lots of fun to make, and I think I'll add them to my etsy shop.

Audrey's tutu is pale pink and white tulle with pink satin bows tied around the waist plus pearl-centered tiny satin bows sprinkled in.

To complete her first birthday gift, I'm appliqueing an A on a onesie. I have some cute scraps of pink and white floral fabric that I'm using.

Beautiful Artwork

2009-03-13T09:30:00.009-05:00

Yesterday, Mitchell attended an art class at Artworks. Here are some of the paintings he created, with his own words to tell the story of the paintings. The last image is one of a leaf he took with my camera a while back (that I never got around to posting). Since this is all about his art, I thought it was a nice addition.

The cat jumped all the way up to the moon. The cat that jumped on the
moon had no problem. Someone was going to cook the cat and eat the cat.
Isn't that rude? So it jumped up to the moon. That's a black cat and that's for Halloween.

That picture has a little crack and then it has a door for an invisible castle.
That's all about that one.

This tree has a bendy branch. The gold glitter is the wind. The tree is
starting to lose its leaves. It's because the wind is blowing.

Two brown tire tracks. Someone else did the colored part.
Someone took away mine (tire track print) so I decided to add tracks to theirs.

The leaf fell into a hole.

This was the first time I've left Mitchell somewhere other than preschool. I was a little nervous when I dropped him off. But, he charged right in, grabbed a smock and brought it to me to put it on. He was "jumping right in" (his words for trying something new).

All was well until it came time to go and he couldn't find his tire track print. Apparently they were all hanging on a wall to dry and another child took his by mistake. The fantastic staff searched high and low for Mitchell's print but to no avail. Miss Lisa, who runs Artworks, sprung to the rescue and grabbed a stack of left artwork and encouraged Mitchell to add his tracks to it. He did it reluctantly, but he cried about his missing artwork for almost an hour.

Purse for Stefani

2009-03-04T17:26:00.003-06:00

Stefani (my step-sister and very, very longtime friend) said she'd love to have a camo purse. So, I scoured Hancock and picked out the prettiest camo I could find. Right near it was some denim, and I thought the two would work well together.

I added a little gimp and some rhinestones for sparkle - and voila! A chic camo handbag.

The back and inside are all camo, and the straps are camo on one side and denim on the other. After a little (HUGE!) snafu, I think it turned out quite nice.

It's fun to step outside your "comfort zone" sometimes and work with something you wouldn't normally. (Camo isn't really my thing, but Stefani tells me "it's the new black." She may be on to something!)

The Things We Do

2009-03-03T21:11:00.003-06:00

Mother is the one we count on for the things that matter most of all.
- Katherine Butler Hathaway
"The Journals and Letters of the Little Locksmith"

I am a mother. Aside from having two gorgeous boys to remind me of this day after day, I am reminded of this when I do the absurd.

For instance, just a few minutes ago ...

Paul takes Mitchell up to bed then rushes down asking if I know where Mr. Silly is.

(Mr. Silly is a rubbery gecko toy that Mitchell received in a goodie bag at a birthday party this weekend.)

Apparently, Mitchell decided that Mr. Silly needed to join us for tea in the backyard this afternoon, and Mitchell forgot to bring him back inside and tuck him safely into his bed.

So, at approximately 9:10 tonight, I grabbed a flashlight, turned on the outside lights, slipped on some shoes and began the search for Mr. Silly.

Yes, I searched the grass around the area where we had our tea party. I checked the chairs and tables on the patio. I even looked in the sandbox. In a moment of desperation, I climbed to the top of the playscape and looked all around before sliding down again.

(Note to self: You should really work on that Sir Mixx a Lot booty if you want to go down that slide much more.)

Then I remembered the struggle I had with Mitchell during the tea party when he insisted that Mr. Silly needed to take a bath. In the backyard. At that moment. With the water hose.

I walked over to the hose and found poor Mr. Silly with his head stuck inside.

I picked him up and whisked him away to Mitchell's room. We all bid him goodnight, and Paul tucked him into his little tissue bed which he fashioned on Sunday night.

Ah, the things we do for our children!

TNT Update

2009-03-02T16:39:00.003-06:00

I'm really getting into the groove of running.

This past Saturday, I ran 4 miles in Brackenridge Park, around the zoo, down by the Witte Museum, down Avenue B past Walden Pond and The Acorn then up by the public golf course, turning in front of Joseph's to head past Bombay Bicycle Club and back to the zoo parking lot - and back to the corner and back again to make my last mile.

My pace group ran at a 2:1 pace, which means we'd run for 2 minutes then walk for 1. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

The coaches all say you should be able to run and comfortably carry on a conversation, and that's just what we did. It's so nice to get to know new people!

Afterward, a few of us headed to Joseph's to pick up breakfast. I had the most unbelievable kolache with homestyle sausage and hash browns inside. OH. MY. GOD. I could eat that everyday! I also brought home one with veggies inside - carrots, spinach and cheese - plus a humongous cinnamon roll for the boys to split. (Luckily they just picked off the icing, leaving the good, gooey stuff for Paul and me to pick at!)

I was amazed at how good I felt after the run. I was happily tired but not exhausted. I probably could have run the second leg of the training run, but since I'm training for the half marathon, I got to cut out early and cheer on the other runners and walkers as they finished.

Paisley and Dots purse

2009-02-27T17:50:00.005-06:00

Last night, I needed a little sewing therapy so I whipped up this cute purse. It starts as three fat quarters (which I have tons of now!), so I picked three browns. I love this paisley fabric, so I made it the main one for the bag.

You start by cutting strips of different widths then sewing them all together to make the front. The shape is accomplished by trimming a triangle off both sides then creating a box bottom at the end.

Here's the back. I like the shape enough that I think it's really cute even in a single fabric. Maybe a Swiss dot fabric with a funky ribbon sewn across as an accent? Or, ribbon and a bow to make it a really girlie look? Or denim with a wide pink ribbon and some rhinestones? I could think of a million variations!

Here's a detail of the front fabrics. I didn't look at the big circles before cutting or I would have left room above and below on the top piece. Live and learn, right? (This is a detail that probably no one would notice but me! Also, I would have centered the big dots on the skinny strip so they looked better. There was quite a bit of this fabric left over, which means I could have tailored it to be just right.)

Here's a shot of the interior. I added a pocket at the last minute (dummy!) and placed it too high. Next time, I'll plan ahead and sew in the pocket before I start assembling the purse. Also, I did a magnetic closure instead of the flap and button suggested in the pattern. (That's too much of a hassle when you need to dig around!) And, I made the straps longer - the suggested length was awkward.

BTW: These fabrics were cheapy fat quarters that I picked up at Hancock Fabrics. I bought the paisley and the big dots to make an eye pillow, which turned out so cute that I went back to buy more. I bought the small dots to make into a burp cloth - but then I decided it complemented these really well.

Mother-Daughter Hostess Apron Set

2009-02-26T18:23:00.002-06:00

Today I was able to finish the mother-daughter hostess apron set I promised Mitchell's preschool for their silent auction (next week!).

I combined details and elements from several different apron patterns to make these. (I love that I'm confident enough with sewing now to buck the rules every now and then!)

I added two pleats to each apron for a little kick. The fabrics are the same but just opposite for the body and trim, just to make it fun.

What daughter wouldn't love to have an apron just for her that's so much like mommy's?

(As I always tell Paul: It's a good thing we don't have girls!!!)

Found!

2009-02-21T12:55:00.004-06:00

What do these things all have in common?

I found them all in one of my chairs in the living room. My iPhone fell into the chair and I had to fish it out. As I was digging (site unseen), I kept feeling strange stuff. So, I shook the chair and found some interesting stuff:

Number 1 and 9 puzzle pieces
Hot Wheels truck and motorcycle
Plastic dinosaur
3 Keep This Coupons
a Stylus to an unknown device (maybe it belongs to Paul's dad?)
a blue tape measure

We have another chair just like this one on the other side of the room. I wonder what treasures it hides?

Orange Purse

2009-02-19T18:00:00.007-06:00

I sewed my first purse today. I'm quite proud, if I say so myself!

This month, Sew, Mama, Sew! is featuring fat quarter projects. This little cutie began life as two fat quarters. The exterior fabric is Petal Party Autumn from Sandi Henderson's Farmer's Market line. Side note: I won this fabric as part of an orange mix fat quarter pack on SMS!

You can get the instructions on the SMS blog.

The purse's lining is Lila Tueller's Soiree Sun Party Favors. I just got a huge stack of fat quarters from this line and am in love!!!

You all know that I love learning new things, and boy did I learn lots of new stuff with this project! I'm most proud that I did the flat bottom variation. I also modified the size of the project to be more my style. The leather button and faux tortoise shell handles came from Hancock Fabric.

Noah totally agreed that the bag is fab. He quickly snatched it up during my photo shoot, checked out the inside then took off running with it while shouting "Bye."

TNT: Day 1

2009-02-02T09:54:00.003-06:00

Watch that first step, it’s a duhooooozy. - Stephen Tobolowsky as Ned Ryerson in "Groundhog Day"

Today is my first "official" training day for Team in Training. My little calendar said that I'm to run 1 mile today.

So, before the sun was even up this morning, I was awake, doing some warm-up and stretches.

I filled the water bottles on my fuel belt, grabbed my iPhone and headed upstairs to hit the elliptical.

I did my first mile and am so happy! I focused on keeping pace and being comfortable instead of seeing how fast I could go. It helped that I had some fun music on shuffle keeping me going:

Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice - Even though it started with "Alright, stop," I kept going.
Think It Over One Time by Robert Earl Keen - Was there a message there?
Rebel Yell by Billy Idol - How could you not cry more, more, more???
Baby Got Back by Sir Mixx A Lot - My theme song, you know
Mickey by Tony Basil - The beat really keeps you moving

It felt good to accomplish my goal for the day so I gave myself a sticker on my training calendar. (Whatever keeps you going, right?!)

Now, we're headed to Target to pick up some socks (I haven't bought socks in longer than I can remember!) then down to Roger Solers to get some new running shoes (I won't even admit when I bought my current pair!).

BTW: Puxatawney Phil saw his shadow this morning. I guess that means six more weeks of fabulous weather!

Red, White & Blue Apron

2009-01-27T14:26:00.005-06:00

Ta-Da! I finished my first real sewing project today. (By real, I mean that it wasn't a kit and I had to cut and use a pattern.) I love aprons and wanted a new one, so I decided to make one!

I made the "Full Contact Apron" from Anna Marie Horner's beautiful new book Seams to Me: 24 New Reasons to Love Sewing. The instructions were so well written that even my novice self was able to make an apron I'm proud to show off!

I loved working on this apron because it was like a hands-on lesson. I had to select three different fabrics - and I love the three I chose. I had to cut the pattern pieces out then had to cut the fabrics, modifying them to my specific size. I had to make bias strips and buttons, two things I've not done before.

I didn't have to make button holes because I can slip it off easily, but I learned how to make them anyway. I also learned how to make an inverted pleat (on the bib) and gathers (at the waist). The hostess aprons I've been making have a continuous waistband, but this one has a decorative front and ties that I had to sew and pull through in the sides.

I'd like to make another soon because I can already see ways to improve what I did (wrong!). I would make the waistband taller. I sewed it backwards and had to rip it off and do it again; then I realized that I didn't flatten out my edge so I sewed it about an inch shorter than it should have been. Then, I had to modify the ties to match the smaller waistband.

I'd also do the pocket in a different fabric. It was supposed to have been the same as the neck ties, but I cut the other fabric by mistake and didn't realize it until I had it sewn into place.

I did make a few modifications to make it "me." For instance, I love zig-zag stitches, so I used them to edge the pockets and waistband.

For a first big project, I'm pretty pleased. Of course, I'll forever look at it and notice that I sewed the binding in the wrong place, that I put a little tear in the waist tie when I was turning it right side out ... you know, all the stuff no one else would notice!

(Please don't make fun of me in the photo. Yes, I took it in our powder bath. It was the only room with a mirror so I could see the reflection in the camera screen that I had it in the right place. Usually I make Paul photograph me with my head chopped off, but he won't be home until tomorrow night and I'm too excited to wait! And, no, the pocket and bib aren't off center - it's an illusion because of the way I'm standing with my hands on my hips.)

They'd Get My Vote

2009-01-22T07:56:00.003-06:00

Make your own Obamicon.

Overheard ...

2009-01-21T13:03:00.002-06:00

My kids say some silly stuff. Okay, mostly Mitchell says silly stuff because Noah's vocabulary is very limited right now. But, Noah apparently knows more than we think!

Here are some things Mitchell has said lately:

This store is damn cool, Mommy. (While at Hancock Fabrics. I squatted down and quietly explained that we don't say that word.)
I'll never eat as much or as fast as Noah. (Said through tears as he was totally upset after I said that no one is perfect. He was upset that he's not perfect - and he equates Noah's affinity for food as perfection.)
This butterfly is bigger when compared to that one. (Wow! Compared to - and he used it right!)
Gosh darnnit. (Overhead while he was playing "Mario Kart" on the Wii.)
Z. likes to collect the money. He must be Mormon. (Z. is a child in his Sunday school class who must always ask to pass the collection plate. How the love of money equates to being Mormon I just don't know!)

Also, Mitchell's favorite songs lately are "Say" by John Mayer and "Ice Ice Baby." He instructs me not to sing along with Vanilla Ice because he wants to "hear the pound of bacon part."

Noah's verbal abilities are growing everyday. Some of my favorites are:

Yum (See comment above re: food.)
Baby (He even says this to the lady at preschool who covers her baby with a blanket while in the Bjorn. How does he remember there's a baby under there?!)
Bobby (His doll - and he says it distinctly from Baby.)
Two (When he hears us say "one," he loudly says "two." We're so in trouble!)

This morning at Mitchell's preschool, Noah noticed a picture of pigs. He pointed to them and woofed. I felt silly saying, "No sweetie - those are pigs, not dogs" in front of the other parents.

Run, Girl!

2009-01-20T14:36:00.004-06:00

It's official! (Yes, I'm crazy, but we already knew that!)

I'm training for a half marathon with Team in Training, benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I've wanted to be a runner for a while now and have had dreams of running in a marathon. I'll be training for the half leg of the Rock N Roll Marathon, to be held May 31st in San Diego.

Our good friend, Glenn, was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in October. At the TNT information meeting this weekend, I learned that myeloma is one of the cancers that LLS supports with their funds.

So, I'm going to train and run in honor of Glenn and all those other husbands, wives, brothers, sisters and friends who face the C-word.

As I train, I'll post my progress, triumphs and tribulations.

Please consider supporting the cause. You can make donations online by visiting my page. Remember, every penny helps! (And, all donations are tax-deductible.)

Buttoned Up and Ready to Go

2009-01-18T18:17:00.004-06:00

My fab-o Bloggy Friend Tova Darling does these amazing pendants, necklaces and brooches out of antique buttons. (Why didn't I think of that, I know!)

Anyhoo, my Darling Miss Tova is giving away one of her vintage funky creations. All you have to do is leave her a comment stating which is your favorite and also stating that you came via my site. Then, she'll randomly choose a winner on Monday and put the others in her Etsy shop.

Side note: Tova and I hooked up via SITS. If you're not a SITSa or a BITS yet, you need to hop over and jump on board.

Side note's Side note: I've considered posting some of my creations on Etsy. Should I?

Caught! (And two more cute pics)

2009-01-15T16:29:00.003-06:00

I heard a series of weird sounds coming from the dining room and knew Noah must be up to no good.

I sneak in and find this ...

Noah had climbed up into a chair and pulled a container of mini muffins down. I caught him snacking on them. He'd taken at least one bite out of six of the eight that were in the container!

Ever the silly boy, Noah discovered yesterday that he could fit into my large Tupperware bowl.

I just thought this was a really cute pic.

In Search of a 12-Step Program

2009-01-14T16:18:00.003-06:00

Hello, my name is Mary Anna and I'm a craftaholic. I've been sober for about 2 hours (if you don't count my scouring the internets for my next fabric finds).

Seriously, folks, I could have an addiction to making stuff. Just today, I made a burp cloth - from scratch! You know, the ones with the super awesome soft dotty fabric in the middle? Yeah, I made one in a yummy butter yellow. I now know that you can buy the cloth diaper fabric at Hancock for way less than you can buy the diapers at Babies R Us.

(Note: There won't be a photo of the burp cloth I made today because I did something really dumb and sewed my yummy yellow minky on really crooked That's why there are seam rippers.)

Here's what I'm currently coveting:

Amy Butler's new Daisy Chain in Basil. Those are my colors!
Amy Butler's Midwest Modern 2. Okay, I want at least a yard of every single one of these!
Anything of Heather Bailey's! Dare I say I love her more than Amy these days?! My first apron (as in, the one I did just the other day) was created with the Paisley (Ivory) and Tiled Primrose (blue) fabrics from her Pop Garden line.
Tanya Whelan's entire Darla line. Have you seen anything so sweet?

It's a really good thing that Jona lives in Arizona and that her fantastic store, Fabritopia, is there too! (It's also a good thing she has a website and ships to San Antonio!) Oh, and she's got the Pop Garden line on sale through the end of the month. Might need to stop by!

The hubbies don't know it yet, but my girlfriend Ashley and I are scheming to do some online fabric shopping here on Saturday and some sewing projects. Between the two of us, they stand no chance! (It's a good thing I got my Wii Fit today!)

Seriously, Folks, I'm Not Making This Up!

2009-01-12T17:15:00.002-06:00

I oftentimes joke that my life is so nuts that you can't make this $h!t up. This morning was yet another example.

I decided to "shine my sink" so I filled it with hot, soapy water to let it soak for a little while. I came into the living room to sit down and check email when I hear water gushing in the kitchen.

I thought that maybe a pipe burst - but the water was off. Does a pipe burst if the water is off? I don't know.

So, I went running into the kitchen to find that MY SINK HAD FALLEN DOWN INTO THE CABINET BELOW!

Yes, folks, my sink collapsed! I have Silestone countertops with an undermount sink (fancy talk for the countertop sits on top of the sink so there's no lip around the sink).

I called the builder, to be told that this has happened quite a bit recently. Seems the plumber who did the installation had some had adhesive.

A few minutes after hanging up, Jimmy, my wonderful warranty guy, was here checking it out. He called the countertop people and then the handyman.

Rex, the fantastic handyman, called a little later and said he'd be there soon.

(Side note here: I absolutely adore Rex. He's one of those guys you'd never give a second look - an overweight biker dude with full facial hair and a ponytail down to his bottom. Spend 30 seconds with him, though, and you'll love him forever. He has the biggest heart and would do anything to help anyone. He started a biker ministry and does volunteer work in prisons on weekends. His heart belongs to God and his spirit belongs to everyone around him.)

Rex came and ensured that all the water had been cleaned up and that my cabinets wouldn't have to be ripped out. Thank goodness!

Then, the countertop people call at 2:45 and say they can't come until tomorrow morning sometime. I was not really nice when I said that if they'd called back around 9:30 when Jimmy stood in my kitchen and called them that I might have a sink to use today.

So, I have no kitchen sink until it's fixed! I'm not a happy camper!

My First (& Second!) Sewing Projects

2009-01-11T16:47:00.003-06:00

One of my goals for this year is to learn to use my sewing machine. So, I decided to make a rag quilt for my girlfriend Kristen's baby shower. I didn't take a photo of it after I washed it, so the photo below has big fringe. The finished blanket (after washing it) has nice, fuzzy seams around each square. Very cute and very soft!

And, today, I made an apron for myself this afternoon. I found this "Apron in an Hour" pattern and was so excited to get my fabric in the mail today (didn't pick up my mail yesterday!). I love how it came out!

Bernie, my machine, and I are very well acquainted now!

Now Playing: "Say"

2009-01-06T10:18:00.002-06:00

I've always secretly loved John Mayer.

The past few days, I've heard his song "Say" on the radio a lot. I just picked up the chorus until this morning. I turned it up when it started, and I really listened to the lyrics.

How empowering!

Take all of your wasted honor
Every little past frustration
Take all of your so-called problems
Better put them in quotations

Say what you need to say

Walking like a one man army
Fighting with the shadows in your head
Living out the same old moment
Knowing you’d be better off instead
If you could only

Say what you need to say

Have no fear for giving in
Have no fear for giving over
You better know that in the end
It’s better to say too much
Than never to say what you need to say again

Even if your hands are shaking
And your faith is broken
Even as the eyes are closing
Do it with a heart wide open

Say what you need to say

What would our lives be like if we just could open up and say what we need to say? As I listened to the lyrics, I couldn't help but think that this could be a song about prayer.

I'm not one to push religion on anyone, but I am very prayerful. I think these lyrics are a great invitation to pray. "Have no fear for giving over, Have no fear for giving in." So true. So many people say they're afraid to pray because they think they're not doing it right.

We took a class at our church called "The Signs of Servanthood." One sign is pray. Our pastor used the word pray an acronym for the anatomy of prayer:

P: Praise
R: Repent
A: Ask
Y: Yahweh

So, my song for the week is "Say." It may end up being my song for the month or quarter or who knows. (It can't be my song of the year because I've already given that honor to the first John I loved - Mellencamp, that is.)

May you all take the time to say what you need to say.

Lyrics source: sing365.com.

Current Craftiness

2009-01-05T09:36:00.003-06:00

Here are some photos of what I've been up to lately.

I'm hosting a baby shower on Saturday, so I made this banner for the buffet. I cut out the letters on different patterned papers and strung them together with brown ribbon. (Yes, I hand-cut the letters with an Xacto knife, my weapon of choice.) It didn't hang how I wanted, so I used painter's tape to get it just right!

(Note to self: put away the Christmas decorations in the formal dining room
before Saturday - and don't forget the Santa upstairs.)

As promised, here's a close-up of the bramble scarf, which is still a UFO (unfinished object). The color in the photo still isn't quite reality, but it's closer.

I'm also working on a ribbed scarf for Paul out of a charcoal gray merino blend. He has to travel for work sometimes, and everywhere he has to go is very cold this time of year. And, I've never made him anything, so I thought I'd do something for him. Mitchell is upset that I'm not making it for him.

Here's a close-up of Paul's scarf. The first photo looks like it's blue, but it's really a dark gray.

And, here's an altered folder I created. I adopted the word now as my word for 2009. I'm very good at procrastinating, and that's something I need to stop! Inside the folder is what I want to do now. It currently contains the notes from a workshop I took about clutter control. I need to get things back under control. It's amazing how the holidays wreck your home, your waistline and your routine!

BTW: The "Quick & Simple Clutter Control" workshop is online at Simplify 101. It was a great workshop, broken down into four weekly sessions. When I did the workshop before, I didn't devote to it the way I should, so I've pulled out the notes and am starting over. I'm also doing the "Organizing 101" workshop that starts Jan. 13th. Hopefully it will be just what I need to start the year off right!

I'm Saucy!

2009-01-04T13:57:00.003-06:00

Today was the first day back for teaching Sunday School, so I dashed off to church like a mad woman with Mitchell in tow.

Imagine my surprise when, after lunch at a red light, I checked my email with my iPhone and had all these nice comments from my SITSas!

That's right - I'm Saucy! I'm featured today in the Sunday Shout-Out as a Saucy Blog!

Yippee!

If you don't know about SITS - it's The Secret is in the Sauce, and it's a haven for us blogging mavens. Every day, the ladies over at SITS feature different bloggers, and each Sunday a list of Saucy Blogs is put up.

You should really check it out. Oh yeah, and they always have cool contests and give-aways.

So, thank you SITSas for visiting and commenting. I have to run - I have tons of blogs to visit and comments to post!!!

On the Needles: Bramble Scarf

2008-12-31T10:16:00.001-06:00

I'm currently working on this bramble scarf. I'm using a merino blend in a color called "Spice House." The camera doesn't do the color justice.

I took a close-up of the bramble, but it looked like ground beef! I'll try again later.

YogaToes - Who Knows?

2008-12-27T21:59:00.002-06:00

Confession: I secretly want a pair of YogaToes.

Well, not so secret now. I showed Paul a picture of them, and he made fun of me in the requisite manner. (That kinda makes me want them more!)

I went to the company's website, YogaToes.com. These magical toe stretchers cost a whopping $50! I'm not sure I want to spend that kind of money, but if they eliminate toe cramps and foot pain, it may be worth it. I'm wondering how to secretly smuggle them into the house now that I've voiced my wants to Paul!

After scouring the internets, I want them even more! Everyone had glowing reviews and said they eliminated a host of worries, including leg bruises. If you know me, you know that I very rarely wear shorts or skirts because I look like someone beat me with a sock full of pennies.

Let me tell you - I'm no stranger to gimmicks. I own a PedEgg and love it. I bought a Finishing Touch Hair Remover and have not had much luck keeping my Brooke Shieldses under control.

I'm totally of the I'll-try-just-about-anything mentality. Heck, I've found relief from a sinus infection thanks to my netti pot, I've stopped a hacking cough in its tracks with my pal Umcka. All those "ask-your-doctor" commercials are total target marketing. (I'm totally their target!) I've asked my doctor for Nasacort, Nasonex, Patanol, Zocor, Seasonale and a slew of other designer prescriptions.

Just this past week, my MIL and I were watching "The View" (which is something I very rarely - very rarely - watch) and we saw a fantastic hair styling product, the InStyler. We both looked at each other with that look that women recognize - you know, the one that makes men think "Oh crap! What's she buying now?" I grabbed the laptop, went to their website and scored us each one on a two-fer offer!

Now think about it: If everyone out there was a Negative Nelly and refused to try something because someone else said it was good, where would we be?

I can tell you this: If we were all Nellies, we'd never eat lobster or oysters (honestly - look at those things!), we'd never pour premeasured packets of salt into a little tea pot to rinse out our noses and we'd never have relaxed feet and straight toes!

I'm Not Good at These Things

2008-12-27T21:25:00.002-06:00

My friend's mother passed away on Christmas Eve. You may recall me mentioning my friend Stace the other day. Her mother suffered from emphysema and COPD.

I told Paul I want to go to the funeral. I never met Lainie, Stace's mom, but I know that this is not an easy time to go through for anyone and to see familiar faces can bring some peace.

The last funeral I attended was back in 2005. My step-grandfather passed away. Mitchell was about 8 months old. The two of us flew to Houston for a quick trip so we could be at the funeral.

I'm never good at visitations and funerals. I never know what to say, where to stand or what to do with my hands. It's a little easier when you're surrounded by family; you know where to stand and with whom to sit.

Please say a prayer of peace for Stace and her family. She said that Christmas Eve was her mother's favorite day - and that she passed away on Christmas Eve. Stace included this little prayer in her email. I'm going to hang it in my medicine cabinet so I see it everyday. It really says it all:

Prayer for Protection
The light of God surrounds you,
The love of God enfolds you,
The power of God watches over you,
Wherever you are, God is.
And all is well (as her Mom would say)

Facebook: The Bounty Hunter

2008-12-27T19:30:00.002-06:00

So I joined this little site called Facebook a while back. It was fun to find old friends and people I sort of knew a long time ago.

Then, it became like an addiction! All of a sudden, I'm reconnecting with people I've not heard from in years (decades!), and I'm constantly checking to see if someone commented on my status or has invited me to be their friend.

And, it's really strange, too. There's people you swore you'd never see again, and there they are on your computer everyday. There's people you've wondered about for a while, and there they are with their families in their Christmas jammies or lamenting about pink eye.

Then, there's the people you had hoped you wouldn't see again. And yet, you feel compelled to accept their friend request. (Do they find out if you say "No?")

It's amazing to have a tool out there to find old friends - and foes - and to learn that we're all past high school now and all that junk back then really doesn't matter in our real worlds.

Happy Birthday Mitchell (Sorry it's Late!)

2008-12-22T16:24:00.003-06:00

Mitchell turned 4 last week, and I totally forgot to post about it! Sorry, sweet boy!

Mitchell was so tiny when he was born (5 lbs., 12 ozs.). Here he is holding Paul's finger just seconds after he was born.

Our first family Christmas photo. He was one week old. I bought this sweater a few days he was born, just in case he came early. I left the tags on, since he wasn't due for four more weeks. It was huge on him! Glad I had it, though!!!

This photo shows just how tiny he was when he should have been plumping up. We were pretty worried.

This has always made me laugh! Tigger loved Mitchell, and Mitchell still loves Tigger.

First birthday. Mmm, cake!

He tried to get Noah to open his eyes when they first met. He's loved him from the get-go.

Happy Birthday, Big Boy.

Some of Mitchell's favorite things:

"Apparently ..."
Chocolate
Math (he can fill the hours asking "What's 4 + 3? What's 2 + 2?"
Chocolate
Spelling
Chocolate
Wii boxing
Hot Wheels
Chocolate
Shrimp
Chocolate
"Goosebumps" books (he has an extensive collection, and Paul reads them to him every night before bed)

Class & Teacher Gifts

2008-12-19T12:29:00.002-06:00

Yesterday afternoon, it hit me that I didn't have a little gift for Mitchell's classmates or his teachers. Nothing like the last minute! We had an electrician out in the morning to install a new outlet for our new TV, then it was off to Mitchell's 4-year-old check-up then back home to meet the Geek Squad guys to install our new TV. Once all that was behind us, we jetted off to Hobby Lobby.

For the teachers, I made French Memo Boards. I let Mitchell choose the fabrics for his teachers, and I bought coordinating ribbon and gimp for them. I had not done this project before - nothing like the last minute to try something new! (Thank you, Tara, for the inspiration!)

This is the board I did for Mrs. LeChance. It was my first attempt, and I was really pleased with the results. And, I love the fabric. I used a really dark brown ribbon and gimp.

This is Mrs. A's board. The fabric is cute, and I used black ribbon and gimp. I wasn't really pleased with how it turned out - and it was too late to start over!

For Mitchell's classmates, I made jars of "Magical Reindeer Food" (oatmeal and glitter to us grown-ups). I printed out a little tag and tied it to each jar with a ribbon. Very cute. The tag reads

Be sure to take this magical food & sprinkle it on the lawn. Santa’s reindeer travel many miles before the early dawn. The smell of oats & the glitter path will guide them on their way, & you’ll wake up to Santa’s gifts on Christmas day!

For our crazy deer (who eat everything), we're putting sugar sprinkles in with the oatmeal. I'd hate to know that I gave the herd all tummy aches from the glitter!

My Latest Scarf

2008-12-16T15:20:00.004-06:00

I finished my latest scarf last night. That's two since Thanksgiving. If I keep up at this pace, I can make one for each of my girlfriends for Christmas next year.

The yarn I selected for this one is a hand-tied collection of different browns and turquoise with a little orange added to the mix. Since there are so many different textures, I decided to just knit this one.

I made the fringe from a section of the ribbon included with the yarn.

Here's that same ribbon knitted up.

Stitch detail - see all the different yarns?

If the weather continues to be as cold as it's been the past few days, I'll wear it to MOPS on Friday. I think it would look great with my orange cashmere sweater.

Scenes from a Birthday Party

2008-12-16T15:16:00.002-06:00

We celebrated Mitchell's fourth birthday (which is tomorrow) with a Transformers themed party on Saturday. He loved his ice cream cake, which I think turned out super cool. Who cares that there was blue frosting all over everything in my kitchen after the party?

During the pinata, someone asked "Where's Noah?" I found him at the kids' picnic table, helping himself to the slices of cake some of the kiddos left behind. And, I have no clue whose juice box he's enjoying! (That face says it all!)

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2008-12-16T15:09:00.003-06:00

I've finally begun decorating for Christmas. (Actually, I had most of it done before Mitchell's birthday party this past weekend.)

I really like how my mantle turned out. I've since added stockings plus an angel figurine next to those jars on the left - there is an awkward hole in the picture above. I need to take a photo of my formal dining room - the swag I made for the stairs in our old home was too short to use here, so I used it on my hutch. Looks very good. I'll post a photo of it once my dining chairs come in.

Mitchell and I decorated the Christmas tree ...

most of it anyway! The lower third is ornament-free because of Noah. I had all the unbreakable ones down there, but I was finding them all over the house. So, I just moved everything out of his reach!

No Rest for the Girl Who Can't Say "No"

2008-12-15T21:05:00.004-06:00

So, this week is the last week before the final countdown to Christmas.

Am I ready? No.

Have I finished shopping? Not hardly.

Do I know what I'm serving for Christmas dinner? Yes, and lunch and Christmas Eve dinner, too. (Though, I don't remember revising the menu over the weekend after several glasses of wine with my mother-in-law.)

So, in this season of hectic frenzy, I've decided to push aside the need for a Martha Stewart-like family celebration and instead focus on what matters most: Being surrounded by the people you love and helping those who need more than you (even if it's a hug and a kind word).

- - -

My friend Stace sends me an email yesterday that her mother has been admitted to the cardiac ICU due to complications related to emphysema and COPD. I instantly have flash backs to the summer I turned 16 and my grandmother was in the hospital, suffering along these same lines. I have known Stace for a few months now, and I am her assistant in coordinating crafts for our MOPS group. Her youngest daughter is a few months younger than Noah, so I instantly volunteered to look after her so Stace can spend more quality time with her mother (instead of chasing a toddler around a hospital room). Her older two children are in elementary school, so she has just Sarah to worry about during the day.

I still haven't even started shopping for Noah. I have no idea what to get this textbook second child. I mean, the kid has everything - because his older brother had everything at that age. I feel bad for Noah lots of times, especially considering that he doesn't even have a pair of jammies that aren't hand-me-downs. Guess I can add PJs to the list! One gift down ...

During a wine-filled evening the other day, apparently I revised my original menu for the Christmas break (with the help of my mother-in-law). Now I'm making creamed spinach. Yum-o! I had wanted to include this on the original menu but had scratched it in favor of creamed onions, a Gannon family tradition. I may have remembered one of us uttering that they got them at Thanksgiving so we could make what we want at Christmas.

I have done no shopping for my in-laws for Christmas. I don't even know where to start! We agreed with Frank that we wouldn't exchange gifts, but I know he picked up something for the boys - and he's flying down to be with us for Christmas. I can't let him go without something under the tree. I did pick up a little something for him back in October at Ole, but I don't feel it's enough. And, honestly, what do I possibly give to my in-laws, who've given us so much?

I have given no real thought to what to get Mitchell's teachers and the front-office ladies. He'll go to school on Wednesday and Friday of this week and that's it until after the new year. I've thought about making some fancy clipboards for his teachers, as they have to carry one with them anytime they leave their classroom. (It should be noted that this is a project I've never attempted! No time like crunch time to try something new!!!) Our class as a whole collected money to purchase gift cards for the teachers, but I feel like I need to give them something more. After all, they give us so much.

Luckily, Paul and I have decided not to buy each other gifts this year. Instead, we bought a Wii as a family gift. He already hooked it up, and we're wasting entirely too much time playing on it! Finally, our game room has a purpose. (It had been my refuge while nursing, but since those days are behind me, it only got used when we had company.)

Oh yeah, tomorrow is usually my grocery shopping day. I may have an extra toddler in the morning, and the cable company is supposed to send someone out to install a high-def package so everything will be ready to roll when our new LCD TV arrives on New Year's Eve. Yippee! (For the new TV, not for the lack of grocery shopping - I stress at the idea of running out of bread or boy cheese or yummy flavored coffee creamer - of which I'm already out!)

I'm beginning to feel like I'm down to the wire but can't seem to make a loop to hang on. And, I just remembered that I have to do some reading for our MOPS group on Friday and create an outline for my Sunday School class, which will resume after the New Year.

And, that reminds me that it's our week to coordinate a craft for MOPS. Stace and I had talked about doing some beaded ornaments, but then with her mother falling ill, she had contacted someone outside our group to come in and lead a craft. It sounds like a really neat project, but I'm eagerly awaiting a phone call or some direction so I can ensure we have something. I guess it's not the end of the world to not have a craft this month.

Let's not even bring up the friend of mine who is facing the decision to have surgery or ride out the tumors in his lungs, the friend who has cancer and is figuring out how to keep things together since he lost his job too, the friend whose daughter is less than a year old and is facing another surgery, the friend who will face the first Christmas without her husband who was unfaithful to their marriage and chose the other woman over their family ... makes all my stresses seem like nothing at all.

I think I'll pour (another!) glass of wine and knit for a few minutes while I wait for Paul to come down from putting Mitchell to bed. I can hear him reading stories right now - and I always wait to start "Chuck" so he can watch it with me.

Special Delivery

2008-12-10T16:48:00.002-06:00

Mitchell has been out of school since the Friday before Thanksgiving. And, I know that his friends miss him - their mommies have told me so.

Yesterday, Mitchell got a very special card in the mail.

I like that the teachers took time to write each child's name so we'd know what the letters represent.

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-10T07:26:00.002-06:00

Old Man Winter blew into our neighborhood last night, bringing howling wind and snow. It was amazing to wake up to a thin, white blanket this morning!

The wind blew off several chair covers, and you can really see the snow on them.

Mitchell was amazed at how soft the snow was. He touched it for about 4 seconds then wanted to go back inside because the wind was too cold.

Snapshots 2: Thanksgiving Edition

2008-12-06T13:45:00.006-06:00

I know, I know ... I'm way behind!

Here are some highlights from our Thanksgiving trip the Houston area.

My boys love cows. Yep, cows. My mother and her husband have two black Angus cows, and they think they're dogs (the people and the cows think the cows are dogs - the cows don't think my mom and her husband are dogs, as far as I know). Reba and T-Bone just loved our boys, and the boys loved them too. In fact, Noah started saying "Cow."

Noah talks a lot more now. In addition to saying "cow," Noah also says "cracker," "dog," "Pa-Pa," "ball," "book" (usually accompanied by him bringing me a book to read him!) ... His verbal ability is really taking off. I ~~blame it~~ attribute it to Uncle Frank. Something about Paul's brother brings out the need to advance. I remember him spurring on Mitchell to walk.

Mitchell "apparently likes cranberry sauce." He also "apparently likes onions" and olives and just about anything else that was served at our Thanksgiving dinners.

Noah also loves Thanksgiving food. Those two boys ate tons.

Mitchell is very complimentary. During the break, he announced that some people really make the best foods:

Nanny: cinnamon rolls
Uncle Jim: deep fried turkey vulture
Aunt Llana: cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes
Grandma: stuffing and regular turkey
Mommy: onions (a Gannon family tradition is creamed onions at holiday meals, and I'm now in charge of the onions). See note above about him liking onions.
Daddy: Guacamole (though he didn't make any over the break)

Mitchell had his tonsils and adenoids taken out on Wednesday. Today he's back 100 percent. He's as nutty as usual and full of energy. I guess four days of rest have built up the craziness!

Pink Christmas - Finished and in the Mail

2008-12-05T18:29:00.005-06:00

I finally finished my Pink Christmas gifts and got them in the mail today. I'm in love with everything I made, especially the scarf. I'm really excited that I have enough yarn and ribbons left over to make one for myself.

For the scarf, I knitted two different yarns together. One was a basic brown with a hint of blue in it. The other was one that went from a tiny strand of brown to nubby lenghts of orange, yellow, blue and pink. It came out gorgeous! I only knitted this time (no purling - I was being lazy, even though I love purling). When I finished, I tied on some ribbons at the ends to create a fringe. It really gave it a nice, finished look.

For the other items, I created a matching office set with a "Messages" chalkboard, file folders, pen cup and even a personalized journal. I chose coordinating scrapbook papers for all of the items.

The biggest challenge of this project was the message board letters. I Mod Podged the scrapbook paper to the letters first and then attempted to cut them out with an Xacto knife. Next time, I'll trace them onto my paper, cut them out then adhere them to the wood letters.

And, I love altered paper items, so of course I love the file folders, pen cup and journal. I even went as far as cutting out the recipient's name - Chris - in coordinating paper and adhering it to the journal.

I hope Chris enjoys the items I've created for her. (And, selfishly, I can't wait to see what someone created for me!)

A Quick Update

2008-12-03T12:43:00.003-06:00

Okay, I haven't posted anything in a while, and I have good reason!

First, we headed to Baytown and then Houston last week to celebrate Thanksgiving. (Photos to follow soon, I promise!)

We got home on Sunday afternoon then I got to work with "fall cleaning" and ended up going through the boys' closets and drawers, polishing all my wood in my house - even my cabinets - and really going overboard. Oh, but I didn't bother to put away any of the toys in the living room!

And, this morning, we took Mitchell for surgery to remove his tonsils and adenoids. He's back home now, sleeping in my bed - but not after two popsicles at the hospital and some chocolate ice cream here at home. In fact, he was so tired, he would fall asleep after almost each bite. Then, he asked if I'd help him eat the ice cream, so I sat in bed and scooped it into his mouth.

Once I know he's feeling better and life returns a little more close to normal (whatever that means!), then I'll pop up some photos from the break. Here's a sneak peek: COWS who think they're dogs and the children (mine!) who love them!

Dance Party

2008-11-24T21:09:00.004-06:00

"Ring, ring doorbell ring, it's house party time ..."

Dan didn't tell us it was time for a dance party, but I just knew that my crabby boys needed some sort of distraction. (I'm not sure who loves Dan more - Mitchell or me. My money is on me!)

So, I grabbed my iPhone, hooked it up to our stereo and started playing songs.

It started innocently enough with "Cecilia" by Simon and Garfunkel. Mitchell was playing the drums, and Noah was just happy being a part of all the noise.

Then it moved on and the dancing got underway. Before long, we were going around the living room, doing our best "Walk Like an Egyptian." Then we started to "Wang Chung." I'm still not even sure what that means, but it didn't hold us back!

There was "Big Yellow Taxi" at some point, because it's Mitchell's favorite (the Counting Crows cover, not the original). There was almost "Take a Chance on Me," but Mitchell has apparently outgrown his love of Abba.

At one point, I was tickling them every time it said "The eye of the tiger." I knew at that point that we were all really done!

So, we put our two exhausted boys to bed, hopefully to have good sleeps, as we prepare to drive 4+ hours tomorrow for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Happy Birthday, KimChee!

2008-11-24T20:51:00.002-06:00

First, let it be know that I've hit 200 posts! Chardonnay all around!

Now for the real post ...

Today is my baby sister's birthday. Happy, Happy, Kimberly!

Here are a few things about Kimberly that will embarrass her and make her tell me to "Shut up" while waving her hand at me ...

Kimberly can dance like Axl Rose like it's nobody's business. Seriously, this girl can swivel those hips and swing out those legs just like she's in the "Sweet Child O'Mine" video.
Kimberly is shorter than me but her legs are way longer than mine. It's really disgusting - my whole life, growing up with this little sister with these fantastic long legs (and no saddle bags - and her thighs don't rub when she walks).
Kimberly has gorgeous naturally blonde hair and blue eyes. Yeah, I was always the odd kid out - both sisters and my brother had blonde, wavy hair. Here I am with board-straight brown. Even when my mom got me a perm, you could tell it just wasn't right.
Kimberly can pass gas like it's nobody's business. No lie - this girl can share it with the whole room while spinning around. If that's not talent, I don't know what is!
Kimberly gets so easily embarrassed that I would never in a million years show her this post. She just may drive four hours, hunt me down and fart on me. Oh wait, I'm safe - she has the worst since of direction ever!
Kimberly can give you a really obnoxious nick name and you never complain. Just ask Paulie Pops.
Kimberly was convinced that all my high school and college boyfriends (and all our brother's girlfriends) were Chinese. For the record, none were.

So, happy birthday KimChee, Kimberfoo, Kimbulee ... I love you!

What's in a Name?

2008-11-24T11:42:00.001-06:00

Does this sound like me?

What MaryAnna Means

You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated.

You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want.

You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way!

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.

You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.

You have the classic “Type A” personality.

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.

You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.

You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in.

You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising.

You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.

You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.

You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Crafty Momma: The Inside of the Turkey Cards

2008-11-22T12:44:00.002-06:00

I finally got inspired for the inside of my turkey cards for Thanksgiving.

I like to mix typefaces, so here I used Trebuchet and Amelie. (You can purchase Amelie at myfonts.com.)

I distressed the edges, added some little snaps in the corners then signed our names. I prefer to hand-write the names in instead of printing them - makes it a little more personalized, I think.

(Oh, I took step-by-step photos of distressing the edges because I've had friends ask how to do it. If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll post them.)

Side note: I know I've got brass eyelets somewhere in my craft room, but since it's pure chaos in there, I figured I'd just use the snaps since I knew where to find them! It will forever bug me that they are shiny silver and not something that matches better with the feel of the card. I'm weird; I know!

Crafty Momma: Thanksgiving Cards

2008-11-21T16:44:00.005-06:00

I love to do crafty stuff, but combining kids and paint (and my furniture!) terrifies me! Today, though, I sucked it up and made handprint turkeys for Thanksgiving cards.

We have turkeys of all types, including one with a mohawk, ones that's missing a few tail feathers (poor guy!), one with a strange growth on his head (might want to see a doctor!) and a few that came out just adorable.

This one was my favorite!

Fun Fall Fotos

2008-11-21T16:38:00.002-06:00

We've been enjoying not-so-hot weather the past few weeks, so here are some photos of the fun we're having this fall.

You can't read it too well, but his shirt says "Captain Adorable."

Mitchell showing me his muscles.

More Mitchell muscles.

Noah likes to sit in his giant Tonka dump truck.

And, of course, Mitchell likes to dump him out!

I was Tagged (Again!)

2008-11-20T15:17:00.005-06:00

Jen tagged me for a photo tag. It was supposed to be something like the fourth picture in your fourth folder. That was too boring (especially since you've seen that picture already!).

So, I went to my Shutterfly account and pulled it from there.

This was Mitchell the day after he was born, just before we left the hospital. See how tiny he was? He weighed just 5 pounds, 12 ounces. He had all these wrinkles because his skin was so baggy! The outfit I brought to bring him home in hung off of him - and the socks just swallowed up his tiny feet.

After struggling with "failure to thrive" at the beginning, he pulled through and has always been a trooper. As you can see from the photos today, nothing has held this kid back!

Here's a photo taken just minutes after he was born. Look how tiny his fingers are as they're curled around Paul's finger!

And for grins, here's a photo of Noah, a few minutes after he was born. Notice how much chubbier he was! He was 6 pounds, 11 ounces - almost a full pound bigger than Mitchell. It's amazing the difference four weeks can make! (Mitchell was born four weeks early.)

Teachable Moments of Kindness

2008-11-16T15:43:00.003-06:00

Friday, I dropped off Mitchell at preschool, ran a few quick errands and came home to start cooking supper for our friends Glenn and Irene and their family.

You see, Glenn has Multiple Myeloma, a bone marrow cancer. Adding insult to injury, Glenn went into kidney failure and spent six days in the hospital. He's home now and had to undergo dialysis to help his kidneys. He's also going to chemo treatments twice a week. Next week, he starts rounds that will possibly cause him to lose his hair.

So, I came home and made salad, pork loin, fresh green beans and a pumpkin crisp. I also picked up some mashed potatoes (which I don't even make for my own family!). I picked up Mitchell from preschool, and we drove out to Glenn and Irene's home to drop off the supper. The boys played with their four kiddos for hours! It was great to spend time with them, even if it did take almost two hours to get home. Gotta love that rush hour traffic!

Saturday, Mitchell and I went to a birthday party and stopped on the way home to pick up a hamburger for Paul. I ordered a cheeseburger in case one of the boys saw Paul's and decided he needed a burger too.

As I was getting Mitchell secured in the car, I saw a homeless man walking through the parking lot. For an instant, our eyes met. I watched him walk around the corner from the burger joint and sit on the steps of a tire-change place.

I drove my car around the corner and rolled down my window and asked if he was waiting for someone. He said no. Then I asked if he'd like a cheeseburger. He lit up and walked over and accepted the cheeseburger from me. The weather was going to be cold Saturday night, so all I thought of the rest of the night was this gentle-looking man in his thin jacket, out in the cold.

This afternoon, after church, we went to lunch with a friend and their two kiddos. The restaurant was crowded and we couldn't find two tables close enough to push together. There was a dad there with his two teen-age sons. I asked if he'd be willing to move to another table so we could push his table together with an empty one so we could all sit together. He kindly said yes.

I hope that all three of these instances help teach Mitchell that we can be kind to people we know and people we don't know who need our help - and that people will be kind to us too.

Snapshots 1.5

2008-11-15T09:46:00.003-06:00

I completely forgot the one that inspired me to start my "Snapshots!"

When Noah hears the toaster ding (or the microwave beep or the can opener work), he comes running into the kitchen and eagerly waits for me to hand him something. If you don't give him something, he follows you around and gibbers something.

Snapshots 1

2008-11-15T09:29:00.006-06:00

My girlfriend Jen does a great job of documenting little snippets of the silly stuff her kids do throughout the day. She calls them "Bits and Pieces." I always love those glimpses.

So, I've decided I'm going to totally copy her but call mine "Snapshots."

Here goes:

We were at the grocery store the other day and parked next to a really sexy sports car. Mitchell said it was a Hot Wheels then asked what kind. I told him it was a 350Z. He gets down on his hands and knees and looks under the car and says "Yep, it's a Hot Wheels." (For those of you who don't know, Hot Wheels have the logo and the make on the bottom.)

Noah loves to help put things away. At Kindermusik, we sing a song about putting our toys away. While he's putting things away, he sings, "Thank you, thank you" in the tune of the song.

Noah also loves to throw things away. He'll take a few bites from his waffle then walk over to the trash and throw it away. What's worse is a few hours later when he's walking around with a waffle!

Mitchell likes to name things. Our fall and Halloween decorations all had names. For instance, there was Mr. Punks (our artificial Jack o'Lantern), Mr. Scare (the scarecrow), Mr. Seed (the weird thing on the scarecrow - I think it was supposed to be corn on the cob but I'm not sure) and Mr. Bones and Mr. Teeth (the skeleton decorations). I think it's odd that they're all misters.

Noah wants to draw and write really badly. If he finds a pencil around, he'll grab it up and then start looking for paper (and vice versa). I saw that he even drew on the bottom of one of my laundry baskets.

Mitchell likes to say goodbye to Max as we're pulling out of the driveway. He says "Goodbye sweet kitty girl. Have a good day." Now, Noah waves and says "byyyyeee" as we're backing out. So cute!

Silly Pics from the Weekend

2008-11-09T15:56:00.004-06:00

Noah hasn't felt well this weekend (fever, runny nose, congestion, screaming for hours at a time in the middle of the night), so it kinda scrapped our plans of going to Wurstfest yesterday. But, we make life fun wherever we are, so here are some silly pics of the boys from this weekend.

Mitchell won these goggles at a fall festival, and he has to wear them during baths. He also calls them his super hero mask and his new "Wrestle Mania" nickname is the Masked Avenger. (Yes, he even wore them while wrestling with Paul, the Spectacled Spudado.)

Death by pretzels. He may not feel well, but the boy sure can snack!

My little helper. Noah brought me my cup of tea and dripped some on the carpet (very little though, which was surprising). I grabbed a wipe and started to clean it up when he took the wipe from me and started cleaning. Then, I told him to throw it away, so he did!

Closing the lid.

Notice the "necklace" - it's a Halloween headband with devil horns. Like I said, these boys know how to make even the must mundane of tasks fun.

Things I Wonder (all in the last few minutes)

2008-11-05T16:07:00.003-06:00

Why on earth did I think I could have pillows with tassels on my sofa?
When did I stop being "mom" and start being "referee?"
Do they really not hear me say the same thing over and over and over again?
What did Mitchell do this time to make Noah cry?
Why do I even have sofa pillows if they spend most of the time on the floor?
When will my chocolate chip banana bread be ready?
How'd Noah get that bump on his head?
Where can I hide that damn wooden recorder?
How long until 5 o'clock?
Is it wrong to want a glass of wine at 4:10 on a Wednesday afternoon?
Does Mitchell ask everyone what their middle name is because I'm constantly calling him by his?
Why does it take me almost shouting "Stop It!" for them to finally stop it (for second anyway)?
Does Mitchell really think that whining and hugging me after I fuss at him is going to make me less agitated?
What's the worse that would happen if Noah fell off the coffee table?
When will my chocolate chip banana bread be ready?
Is it wrong to want a glass of wine at 4:13 on a Wednesday afternoon?

Halloween Pic (Finally!)

2008-11-05T13:24:00.002-06:00

The boys didn't cooperate too well, so I didn't get to take tons of photos on Halloween like I would have liked! Mitchell went as Batman, and Noah was a little monkey. (It's only appropriate that Noah was a monkey, given his jovial personality - he is our little monkey!)

Our neighborhood has houses with big yards that are spread out, so kiddos would be tuckered out after the third house. So, instead, we had a Boo Parade, where all the kids lined up and paraded down one street while the parents lined the curb and handed out candy. Then, we had a big neighborhood party, complete with pizza, all kinds of goodies and bounce houses for fun.

All in all, we had a great time. We're rationing out the candy, one piece at a time. (Though, Mitchell asks every 5-10 minutes!)

Rock the Vote!

2008-11-04T13:30:00.004-06:00

The last time I voted in a presidential election, I was pregnant with Mitchell. (In fact, I wrote thank-you notes for baby shower gifts while waiting in line.)

This time, it was fun to take the boys with me. It even got me bumped to the very front of the line as we early voted.

Mitchell and I have been talking about what it means to vote and how we choose who we'll vote for. So, now he has his own informed political message.

Three Things I Can Do Without Everyday

2008-11-03T16:18:00.003-06:00

Anna has inspired me to participate in her Monday List Posts. So, to start, my list is Three Things I Can Do Without Everyday, a photo list.

The whine

The digging through my cabinets
(especially the liquor cabinet and the china hutch, as pictured above)

The 3-year-old attitude.
(Here, he's instructing me to not take his photo.)

There is one thing I can't live without though, and that's my boys. I love them all.

Happy Birthday, Paul!

2008-11-01T09:41:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was my dear hubby's birthday. He'll agree that it's appropriate that this birthday wish is a day late, after the day we had yesterday.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

Paul has a great sense of humor. On the day we met, he tried to show me his underwear.
He's a wealth of (mostly) useless knowledge. Well, he has a lot of useful knowledge too. As a kid he had a book of amazing facts, and I think he still remembers every single detail. Mitchell can ask the most absurd question, and Paul has an answer!
He makes fun of me when I say something wrong. Believe it or not, this doesn't bother me. I know I say things wrong, and it's kinda funny. He giggles and corrects me. (You ought to hear me pronounce dinosaur names.)
He loves food almost as much as me. On our first date, neither of us touched our food. I was glad we got over that quickly! Paul is adventurous when it comes to food, which is a good thing, as I like to try new things too. Heck, on our honeymoon, we watched as our waiter went into the courtyard and killed a chicken for our lunch. And, today, he's going to cook cabrito for his birthday.
He cooks, cleans, does laundry and grocery shops. Yes, ladies, my man does it all. He also bathes kids, changes diapers, changes the litter box, takes out the trash, puts gas in my car ...
He loves our kiddos more than anything. When they hear the alarm beep as the door opens when he comes home, they run to greet him and get scooped up for hugs. He reads them stories (complete with voices), plays on the floor and even does "wrestle mania" with them almost daily.

Happy Birthday, Paul. I love you. Looking forward to many, many more.

More Than You Wanted to Know (Tag)

2008-10-31T13:09:00.002-05:00

I've been "tagged" by two friends. It's like chain letters when we were kids - or those emails that want you to send it to 50 friends in the next 50 seconds, only this one doesn't involve any hoo doo curses or anything.

One tag wants to know 7 random things about me, and the other wants to know 7 strange things about my first month as a mother. I don't know how to cleverly combine the two, so here are both.

Seven Random Things You Didn't Care to Know About Me:

I've never lived alone. And, I've only lived in two cities in my entire life (both in Texas).
My mother has told me I have sausage toes, ET fingers and a giraffe neck. Gotta love anyone who tells you like it is.
My first pet was a gray poodle named Pierre. He was my mother's dog as a teenager and died when I was in elementary school (very old!). Not surprisingly, my first word was "puppy."
I love to cook but hate to bake. But, my baking skills are getting better.
I cannot draw or sing to save my life. Yet, I sing to just about every song that comes on the radio. I was asked by a choir director to not sing during a musical - instead he encouraged me to lip sync my lines.
My first job was at the YMCA. I helped with daycamp finances and had to tell parents they couldn't bring their kids the following week because they didn't pay on time. Fun.
I've never worked retail or waited tables.

Now for Seven Things About My First Month as a Mother:

I was one of those hormonally crazy breastfeeding mothers who cried because the milk wouldn't come in, the baby wouldn't latch, the TV wasn't on the right channel ...
Mitchell came home from the hospital and spent the first night in the bassinet in the living room with me. Then, after that, he slept in his crib in his bedroom with his door shut. He never slept in our room.
Paul and I high-fived once after Mitchell pooped. He hadn't gone that day and we were worried, so it was a celebrated moment when that little rice-looking goo came out.
Mitchell passed billirubin crystals in his urine, so I panicked when I saw weird peachy stuff in his diaper.
I probably called the nurse line at least once a week!
I kept very precise feeding and pooping records to show to the doctors during our twice-a-week visits. I think I just recently threw them away when we moved into our current home.
"Failure to thrive" are possibly the scariest three words to tell a new mother.

There you have it - 14 things about me you probably could have lived without knowing. I saved all the nitty gritty for the follow-up emails I'll receive from my stalker fans (wink, wink).

Whitewater Adventure

2008-10-27T15:14:00.002-05:00

So Mitchell was going potty and had been in there a long time, which is nothing unusual. He also flushed over and over again, which is also nothing unusual.

Then, he comes running out of the bathroom in pure panic!

"I put a big ball of paper in the toilet and now water's running out of it!" he exclaims with pure fright.

So, I did what any good former homebuilder employee would do - I turned off the water to the toilet. Then, I quarantined the boys in my bedroom and started the oh-so-fun task of cleaning up all that water.

There must have been an inch or two on the floor!

As I was cleaning, I asked Mitchell how much paper he put in.

"It was a ball bigger than my head," he answered, kinda proudly but still with that tinge of fright.

I soaked up four big towels' worth of water then grabbed the mop and mopped up about a third of my mop bucket's worth.

Ah, motherhood. Never a dull - or dry - moment!

An aside: I knew this moment would come from the time he first noticed how the toilet worked. I'm amazed it's taken this long!

Pumpkin Patch Kids

2008-10-26T16:06:00.004-05:00

After church this afternoon, we loaded up the kiddos and headed to the Pumpkin Patch. This year, we went to Milberger's Landscape and Nursery, a wonderful local nursery. They had a nice selection of pumpkins - plus a few huge ones - and a hay maze. The boys had a blast (though it was hard to coax a smile out of Mitchell!).

Mitchell and Noah on a giant pumpkin

(Don't tell them - it's fake!)

Noah relaxing with some pumpkins.

He could have sat on that bench all day! (I love this photo!)

Mitchell on a giant Jack o'lantern.

(This was as close to a smile as we could get.)

Mitchell and a goblin guardian of the maze.

Noah heading into the hay maze.

Mitchell running through the hay maze.

Frick & Frack, Together Again

2008-10-26T15:50:00.003-05:00

Since I stopped working, Mitchell stopped going to his daycare everyday. And, he's missed his buddy Devin everyday! Yesterday, we went to the annual fall festival, hosted by the old daycare, and these two picked up where the left off, making silly faces, jumping all around and throwing out all the potty words in the 3-year-olds' dictionary!

And, Noah got to pet a bunny!

Potty Humor

2008-10-24T12:24:00.002-05:00

This morning, while brushing his teeth, Mitchell passed a little gas. Here's how the conversation shook down:

Mitchell: Did you hear that tooter, Mommy?
Me: Yes, it was loud.
Mitchell: Did you think Daddy was here?

I just cracked up and couldn't stop laughing! We laughed for what seemed like forever.

It was the (funny) start to a great day (I hope - we'll see what his teacher says when I pick him up this afternoon).

First There Was Evite ...

2008-10-21T09:57:00.005-05:00

I'm all for emailing people with information. I'd much rather type up an email than call 10 different girlfriends to set up a girls' night out.

So I saw this story on CNN.com. Seems that after you Evite someone for a great night out, you can warn them that the fun may have given them an STD.

This group, inSPOT (Internet Notification Service for Partners or Tricks), has created e-cards you can send anonymously, informing your friend that they might need to go to the doctor after your date.

I feel like Phoebe Buffet when she was possessed by that old lady - now I've seen it all.

I'm not sure which e-card is my favorite. I'm kinda partial to the "I got screwed while screwing, and you might have too." The "You're too hot to be out of action" features a nice, sexy back. But, I think my absolute favorite is this one:

I applaud inSPOT and organizations like it to encourage people to come clean with those they may have infected.

I know, I'm sort of poking fun at it - my inner conservative (no matter how small she is) kinda raised an eyebrow when I read the story's headline. Once I went to inSPOT's website, I realized that it really is a great idea and a great service. It's bad enough to try to break up with someone, but to drop that kind of bomb on them ... Glad to know there's an e-card for that. (Hallmark's probably kicking themselves for being beat to the punch!)

Pumpkin Crisp

2008-10-20T12:48:00.002-05:00

I know, I usually don't post recipes here - I try to save them for my Foodie Mommy blog, but this recipe is too good to not put here, where more of you will see it and maybe even make it! This recipe may have been in a Southern Living sometime ago. All I know is that my friend Kristen made it, it was delish and I hand-wrote a copy of the recipe on a piece of paper that I've been using for years.

Pumpkin Crisp

1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon, if you prefer) – I usually use way more!!!
1 package butter-flavored yellow cake mix (I use Betty Crocker Super Moist)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9 baking dish.

Stir together pumpkin, milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour into prepared dish.

Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle evenly with pecans. Drizzle butter over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Now Reading: When I Grow Up

2008-10-19T15:30:00.005-05:00

This morning at church, we were treated to something very special. Phil Simpkins, a member of our church, read his newly published children's book to the kiddos during the service!

When I Grow Up: P.J. Style is the story of little elephant P.J. who has big ideas about what he might want to be when he grows up. He tries on lots of different options, from a dentist to a teacher to a doctor and more.

Phil's sister, Linda Kay, was involved in a tragic motorcycle accident several years ago that caused severe brain damage. Phil said that he and Linda started the idea for P.J. about 10 years ago, with the notion that he'd write the book and she'd illustrate it. Since the accident, Linda has lived in assisted living while she makes strides to walk and talk again. Phil moved forward with the plans to write the book and turned to the publisher for an illustrator.

The result is a beautiful book with heart. Phil is donating all of his profits from the book to help defray his sister's rising medical bills.

I snatched up five copies this morning at church! We gave one as part of a gift at Mitchell's classmate's birthday party after church today, then he wanted to give one to some of his friends - triplets! - from school who were also at the party. We have a few copies earmarked for some other friends as well. And, it's a real hit - I just read it six times to Mitchell - and he's begging me to read it again.

Scanning the web, the book is available at all the major bookstores and other online outlets. If you need a great book for the younger crowd, then consider When I Grow Up: P.J. Style. It's guaranteed to make you - and your heart - smile!

Cool Beans

2008-10-19T08:32:00.004-05:00

I love when the weather begins to get a little cooler, and Starbucks introduces their special holiday flavors.

Pumpkin Pie Spice is the current offering, and I've been craning my neck to check out the drive-thru lines of every Starbucks I pass while driving around these days. And, Target has a Starbucks inside, conveniently right by one of the doors. Mitchell loves that Starbucks has the special flavors, too, because it means they'll make him a tiny chocolate milk. Hey, it's mother-son bonding!

I've bought the flavored coffee creamers, hoping to recreate the flavors at home, and I've mostly been disappointed. I mixed together the Pumpkin Pie Spice and Hazelnut creamers and enjoyed that combo.

Anyway, one of my SITSas has just started her own gourmet coffee company called Get the Bean, and she's giving away coffee every week to help launch her business! Stop by and drop her a line pointing out your faves - who knows, you might have a Starbucks in your own home in no time! (I'm trying to narrow down my choices - I have my eye on Creme Brulee of course, Eggnog, Gingerbread and Dulce de Leche.)

Cibolo Nature Center

2008-10-18T19:42:00.005-05:00

Today was one of those rare early Autumn days - crisp and not too warm but not too cool. The sun was so clear! We took a late afternoon trip to the Cibolo Nature Center in Boerne. My friend Mark, who lives in Boerne (and designed the Nature Center's website) has told me how beautiful it is there, and he was right! We can't wait to go back!!!

(Oh, I fixed my digital camera, so I took lots and lots and lots of photos. You can check out my Shutterfly album by clicking here. The flash forced on several photos, so some are washed out and overall lighter than I like. I realized what was happening and was able to get some with no flash. Those are always my favorites.)

NKOTB: Then & Now (Or, How I Spent my Friday Night)

2008-10-18T08:54:00.002-05:00

Last night, a group of us relived our youth and went to the NKOTB concert. (For those of you who’ve blocked those memories, that’s NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK!) The boys have reunited for a tour and should really be called the Back-Again Middle-Aged Men on the Block. Then again, BAMAMOTB just doesn’t have the same ring to it.)

As I drove to meet up with Ashley, Heather and Monica, I started to think about those five (yes, five!) NKOTB concerts I saw years (years!) ago and how things have changed.

Then: Taco Bell or a Happy Meal before the show.
Now: Fancy salad, soup and sandwiches at Panera.

Then: Listened to a NKOTB tape the whole way there.
Now: Listened to a NKOTB CD the whole way there. (Though, I had it tuned up on my iPhone, but Monica sprung for the CDs.)

Then: Went to concert in back seat of Shelbi Maxwell’s mom’s Mercury Cougar.
Now: Went to concert in back seat of Monica’s Acura (with Monica driving, of course! We didn’t need an adult chaperone.)

Then: Side ponytail, smiley face t-shirt, spandex shorts and Keds. + NKOTB button – probably a huge one! (Come on, that was in style!)
Now: Sassy short ’do, black tank, trouser jeans and leopard print horse hair flats. + NKOTB flair – the small one! (Come on, I was in style!)

Then: Excited about almost being old enough to babysit.
Now: Excited about almost holding Baby Jude – Ashley’s due at the end of the month, and Jude danced along all night long!

Then: Probably hadn’t kissed a boy.
Now: Have given birth to two boys.

Then: Sat on the lawn at the outdoor theatre at Astroworld.
Now: Sat in corporate box seats at AT&T Center. We had rafter seats and arrived to be upgraded to better seats. Then, Heather's friend called and said they had four seats in her husband's company box. So, we sat in awesome seats!

Then: Dr. Pepper.
Now: Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay. (Gotta love the fancy seats – they have good food and a full bar instead of hot dogs and beer!)

Then: $10-$20 spending money
Now: Debit or credit.

Then: No t-shirt – probably ran out of money on Dr. Peppers.
Now: Bought t-shirt after the show from guy in parking lot. (Also, slipped parking lot attendant a tip and got an up-front, reserved spot by the door. How grown-up am I?)

Then: NKOTB Rulz!
Now: NKOTB Rocks!

We agreed that the guys were way better now than they were then. They sang mostly the older stuff, as they looked at their middle-aged mommy audience and realized we were there for “Step by Step” and “Please Don’t Go Girl” (but, we all sang along to “Summertime” as well.)

Back then, the morning after the show, we probably slept in super late, ate something like donuts for breakfast and gabbed about how cute Donny was.

Today, I’m up early with kids, sucking down a cup of coffee, probably will have toast with peanut butter and a banana for breakfast and am blogging about how hot Jordan was! (I have a whole new ~~lust~~ respect for Jordan!