backyard love...

If you can get past the dirty fingernails....then by all means...stay a bit. I am not bathing the kids as much...



ya know....



just trying to save a buck or two...



cutting corners....



and i'll tell you why in a different post.



I don't know about you...but i am a lover of white pumpkins.



especially the little one's....



the babies.




I'm trying to get ready for Saturday.....and so these little guy's have made their way around my home and yard.

I went into Anthro yesterday...just to get a little inspiration.....and i walked out overwhelmed.

I loved how they have chopped wood everywhere....bundles and bundles of wood.....stacked

on tables.....under tables....

on chairs...

under chairs...

so i came home and asked "hottie" to go out and chop me some wood......

because i was on a mission......

i wanted that Anthro look...with chopped wood ....everywhere.

yup.....

this is what i got.

4 pieces of chopped wood.

"hottie".....got in the car....drove 2 blocks to the gas station and bought a little bundle of wood.

Hopefully we don't burn it all with the next smore's night...

seriously......

am i asking to much??

and don't look to fast.....

because you'll miss it completely....

Try not to be jealous......

oh...

and speaking of baby names..

i guess we weren't speaking of baby names...but we are now..

....my brother and his wife are narrowing down the boy names.....so if you still have some ideas....leave then on {this post}...but they really like Cuttler, Bennett, and Preston. And i love how so many of you love the name Finn....but i have one....and we spell it Fin....so chances are pretty slim that they are going to choose that name......just letting you know.

Those names are not official by any means....but they are in the top 5.

And i did not forget about the giveaway.....

nope....did not.

here are the winners:

Anthro: Christy Donoho

Lola b's package: Perfect Sentiment {erin}

Restaurant: Brenna Lapray {sorry shanna...you snooze ya lose}

Surprise gift: Melaine {my sweet savannah} you win one of my new creations! A jean baseball cap totally decked out from my new BEDAZZLER!

Does anyone else have a BEDAZZLER?? If not....you have to get one. I just BEDAZZLED my new pair of white keds....and a frayed jean jacket......and my new passion...jean baseball caps!

Oh!!!! one last thing...if you are the first 5 people to comment on this post....you will get one of my new BEDAZZLED creations!

or one of my music c.d.'s.......your choice.

xo

Hello monday...

Oh...why hello there.



I first wanted to just say a little "hello" and "how are you" to those of you who are new to my little world. Before you go any further......i just want to warn you......



This is NOT a decorating blog....



This is NOT a family blog....



I don't talk about religion here.....



and i don't talk politics......



I do like to talk though....



i have tongue in cheek humor......



and i love.love.love April Fools day.....which you can read about ...here.....



and i've had my fare share of parenting moments....here...












I took my little family ....actually....we are not so little.....we are 5 in number....for a little family photo shoot a few blocks from our home...
to the tracks...
and yes...this is an abandoned track......
i think.....
at least it was on Saturday.......
........... you will notice that i am not in the photo's.



ummmm....



because.....i am bloated......and just got home from a girls trip......in which i ate lots of cobbler......



so i decided that i would just stay behind the camera that day......



but i did have lola take a few photo's of me and that cute man i call my husband.......
ummmm......

he just read the word {cute} and asked that i change it.....
so i will use the word {hot}.....
he said babies are cute......not men.....
o.k....i got it.



and no photo shop on earth could edit the pounds off of me....



sorry....



it. was. the cobbler.






where was i.....



oh....



i'm just introducing you to the real me......



and my family.....






i was tagged with some awards this last week......



and i feel horrible.....because i do not really do the award thing....



but here you go....



10 things you do not know about me.









*I met my husband in a bar.



* I totally lied about everything when i met him.



* In high school i used to call home after my curfew...and when my



dad would answer...i would say...."I've got it dad..it's for me...sorry it's



so late".....



he would buy it....



*I didn't nurse my babies...they were bottle fed.....and you know what...



they turned out o.k.



*I love to microwave food on plastic dishes...even though i've read that



it is not good



*My favorite color is white....and it's not even a color according to some people



*I drive a mini van....and i love it



* I just lied....i don't really love it.....but it sure fits a lot of people....



* I have been known to re-run my washing matching because the



wet clothes have sat for to long.....



*I have also been known to leave my children outside of Trader Joe's.....but just for the



record.....that whole ordeal was thrown out of court.....



*I'm just kidding.....










Little Fin has the same disease i have.....OCD {obsessive collecting disorder}.....as you can see in the pic above...he is filling his pockets.....
yup....
full of broken glass.......
but i didn't know that till we got home and he cut his finger.....
just a little cut mind you....but still......
don't worry......
we are in therapy together.
I had a wonderful weekend....and hope you did also. My open house is this next Saturday...so if you live in the area and would like to come....just email me.
And i just wanted to say Holy moly.....you girls amaze me...i'm still reading all of your comments....

xo

three hundred...

I can't believe it. Today is my 300th post. I also talked with my accountant yesterday.....and unfortunately....the "soiree" that i wanted to throw.....and invite you all to......was nixed.

The accountant took a look at the bottom line and pretty much told me......

no.can.do.

I mean...can you imagine......all of us......mingling around my backyard.....

with pastries being handed around....

wine and chilled Bellini's being served.....

a small jazz band in the corner.....

yup......

it all got thrown out the door.

I even had all the invitations labeled and stamped...

all ready to be picked up by my famous mailman....

and i even had a babysitter all lined up for the wee one's....

but it all came down to....

the bottom line.


I am thankful.

I am thankful....for having a husband that let's me be myself....

that doesn't care that i'm always asking ...and talking....and let's the wheels in my head go

round and round....

he let's me make our home into a place that let's my creativity blossom...

a place where he drinks his beer on white slip covered sofa's.
{i won't mention the feet on my pretty white painted table...}

I am thankful......

i am thankful that i have a sensitive...beautiful ....smart...and pleasure seeking boy named Mason.






I am thankful..

i am thankful to have a beautiful...outgoing....strongwilled....girl named Lola....

i am thankful to have a ..stop you in your tracks.....smiling....loving.....could never do any wrong

little boy named Fin.

I am thankful.

I am also thankful to have you......

you....who tell me i'm normal when i'm pulling my hair out......

you....who listen to me talk nonstop about the little things....

you...who encourage me....

you....who shop with me....

you...and you....and you.

Well......

so we might not be having a huge backyard...wine drinking party......but we can have a little giveaway....

that, we can have.

The details.The scoop. The giveaway.

$150 gift card to Anthro....to buy your own pair of swanky shoe's. {one lucky winner}

$100 package from my little shop...Lola b's {one lucky winner}

$50 restaurant gift card {one lucky winner}

and a surprise little something for someone {oh..it'll be good..}

All you have to do....is leave a comment.

If you want to blog about this giveaway....i will double your name.

If you want to add yourself as a follower...i will double your name again.

you do not need to have a blog to enter....just comment with your email address.
Thank you girlies....
thank you.

{comments are CLOSED......winner will be picked the week of the 28th}

xo

Regrets...

When Fin was only a few months old....my very best friend lost her baby.

She was 7 mo pregnant when she started to complain that she just wasn't feeling very good...in fact...she had a bad feeling. She said the baby wasn't moving around as much and just didn't feel like herself.

So she made a doctors appointment and went in.

I got the call later that night from her mom telling me that indeed their was something wrong with the baby and they were inducing her.

The baby had a bad infection which resulted in the doctors telling her that the baby would not live once it was delivered.

As soon as Bryan got home from work...i headed to the hospital. I spent all evening there...watching and wishing there was something i could do....but could not.

When this sweet baby boy was born the next day...they got to hold him right away and held him tightly for his last few seconds on earth.

Over the next few months our friendship changed.

I was at home with a healthy baby boy....she was at home mourning the loss of her baby boy.

This once best friend of mine...i could no longer call every day and complain about such mundane things...

i couldn't talk.

she couldn't talk.

We drifted.

They had 2 healthy girls at home and i felt like her husband wasn't being as supportive as i though he should be at a time like this....and i was doing all i could to be the very best friend i could....and still.....we were drowning.

It wasn't till much later that she told me that she thought i wasn't as supportive as i could have been and i felt deflated.

I tried to be the best friend that i could to a girl who lost her baby.

All she really needed was someone to sweep down and take away her pain.....wrap their arms around her and make everything normal.

I couldn't do that.

Every time i would see her..i would have this happy baby boy....and all she had was a picture.

I lost a friend....who lost a baby.

I have no idea if she reads my blog or not....but i am making it a goal to reconnect......

to wrap her in my arms and tell her how very sorry i am ...

to tell her i wish i could have done more....

to rebuild a lost friendship.....

i don't want to live with regrets....

xo

girl who travels...

This is a story about a girl who travels.

and eats......

and shops....

and a girl who loves shoes....

and pretty things......

a girl who loves life....

and most importantly....

a girl who likes to have fun.


seriously...who doesn't need some french sheets? ......and {duh} we all need a spare as well for the guests....

a girl can always use some german glass glitter......in all colors.....for the many crafts and projects that fill our notebooks.....right?...

girl who travels.....needed new shoes.....especially when they happen upon an Anthro that has a shoe department.....even though girl who travels was completely out of cash and since husband of girl who travels took her credit card away.......

she had to rely upon her friend to help her out in a time of need...who also needed a pair of new shoes herself.

uh......

don't know how to quite explain this one.....other than.....

it.was.fun

hanging with other shop girls...and friends...............
and calling me the tooth fairy is not funny.

I realize that i love clothes.....and love the white skirt.....and ...

well......

o.k.......

go ahead...call me a dork.......

but do not send me a wand in the mail....

uh......

let me just say the ice cream was good......

real good.....

dang those french sheets........

all i have to say is that i got the last white skirt.......practically had to grab it out of someone's hands.....once again....

i apologize to the nice lady with the permed black high hair with lots and lots of aqua net......

but i just couldn't see you in a skirt like this......

....no comment....

girl who travels....came home with a nickname....

fatty.fatty.chicken.patty.

uhhh.......

yup.....

not cool.

I won't embarrass the FRIEND that gave me that name only because she's sitting next to me eating the

exact.same.thing.

I have lots more pics of the country living show....coming in due time girls....

but first i need to head to the gym.........

tell me...does anyone elso go to the gym and just hang out in the

suana and steam room?

certainly..i am not the only one......

Husband did just fine over the weekend......

so did the kids and the in-laws.....

and you girls rock.......

i can't wait to check out all the baby names you suggested....

xo

a name...

I got a call the other day from my brother and his wife........they had their ultasound and it looks like they are having a baby boy.


Well of course there goes the name i had picked out if it was a girl.......Plum.


Don't roll your eye's...not everyone likes basic names...and i am one of those girls that like a little variety in a name.


Neither does my friend Jen over at Windy Ridge. ...she just had her 9th baby..{gulp}...yes....her 9th baby.


Jen had a contest a while back....called......name the baby.


I'm going to do one also....except i don't have a clothing line that i can offer you.


Let's have some fun this weekend......and pick out a name for my brother Spencer and his wife Bonny's little guy.


*You can pick up to 3 names and leave them in a comment.


*No names like Tom...Dick....or Harry.{hmmmm}
....they...like me...like different but not abnormal...


If they end up picking one of your names that was chosen....I will come up with some pretty cool gift for you....and i promise it'll be cool.


have fun!

a journey....

I am officially as of now.....on the road....or almost on the road....heading to Ohio....and if you are not heading to the Country Living Fair....you can always follow along with me... {here}

These boots were made for walking....

and shopping....

and perusing...

and mingling.

First of all.....thanks for all the wonderful advice you girls gave....truly appreciated.

I was all geared up to get up wednesday morning and tell Lola that we were going to have a girls day.

BUT......

a little boy....who lives in my house.....and is 4 years old......{not naming any names.....} decided that he would come down with a fever in the wee hours of wednesday.
Does this happen to anyone else?
It seems like ONLY my kids get sick when i have something planned.


So...even though i dosed him up with motrin and gave him my drug of choice....
triaminic PM....
he still woke up and was hotter than hot with a nose like a faucet.

I got him dressed in the morning and was out the door on the way to drop him off at school ......

hoping the medicine would kick in on the way........

alright.....

i didn't really think about taking him to school with a fever......

alright....

i did .....but it was for a split fraction of a second.......

seriously....a split second.

Really.....i mean.....isn't it a good thing if the rest of the kids get it and everyone just gets it out of their system at once? Isn't that what preschool is all about....spreading germs?

no....

it's not.

I would never and have never sent a sick child to school.....

well.....

o.k....

i did...

used to...

isn't that what school nurses are for?


so.....

the sick child..who i am not naming........stayed home.

I told lola that morning that i wanted to do something special with just her and we will do it monday morning.

now she has something to look forward to.

oh...one more thing.....don't worry one teeny tiny bit about bryan holding down the fort by himself all weekend with the kids......

because after bryans mom read {this post}....she decided that she should probably be here to help for the weekend.
lucky man.


xo

reaching ....

Every once in a while it is O.K. to be a.... little ....naughty.

Tomorrow i am making a naughty decision....but it's in the best interest of my little girl.

You see.....i have a little girl who is wedged in between two boys...


you could call it....middle child complex......


we've been struggling for a while.....and i don't know if it is because we are

so similar in our ways.....we both are so strong willed . hard headed.

I am a firm believer in raising strong girls but lately .....with the way she speaks to me


......the way she is acting.....

something is going on in her little brain that i can't grasp.

Is she wanting to be heard.....is she overwhelmed.......is she unhappy......

And it's only with me.



It breaks my heart.....because i get mad............i get frustrated.....and i get angry with her.


I am sad.


sad that i get mad at her.


sad that she needs something that i'm not giving her.

So with me heading out of town on Friday for a long weekend away {girls trip to Ohio for the Country Living Fair..}.............

i have decided to pull Lola out of school tomorrow and spend it with just her and i.

I don't know what we will do yet....maybe breakfast....the park..... just a few hours while her brothers are



in school and it's just her and i......

i am going to be totally unselfish for the day and spend it with a little girl that is really in need of her mom.
{suggestions always welcome..because i realize while i'm not perfect...and no mother is...but women helping women is always appreciated.}

xo

{image from HERE}

oh..hello monday

oh...hello monday!




Yes...that is me.....gorging myself on an apple.....just like in the garden of Eden.......and like Eve....i broke the rules.....and ate an apple.


well....so did my kids.


darn those rules.....






this is our back yard.....i bet you didn't know that we had an apple orchard..did you?


I'm just kidding........


we actually drove about 35 minutes north of my home to apple orchard country.....home to more that 15 apple orchards.


There were a bunch that are huge.....and to me feel like tourist traps.....but i did my homework...and found a darling mom and pop place about 10 minutes off the beaten track.


It cost a bit more for a bushel but it was so nice to have the orchard to ourselves....


there were only 2 other families picking as well......which made it so nice.

we broke another rule here.

no. climbing. trees.

but my rule was........you can climb a tree in order for mom to get a picture....just don't fall out....because if you fall out...then i will deny that i let you climb the tree.

{seriously...what am i teaching these kids.....eeek}

I don't know about you....but Autumn is my element.....and i like the word autumn.....so much better than fall....

but that's just me i guess.

autumn

fall

autumn

I {heart} layers...i {heart} boots....i {heart} crisp temperatures.

You are probably wondering where the oldest child is......oh...and possibly the husband?

Yup...they decided to forgo the apple picking adventure and go to a golf tournament....naughty boys.

I also forgot to tell you about my date night on Saturday.....yes...date night.

We went into the city to see U2 {the band}......they played a sold out show at Soldier field......it was incredible. I won't lie....i'm not the biggest U2 fan....but Bryan is....and seeing them live was so much fun...even though the beer was so expensive.

Do you remember the first concert you ever went to? I do.

It was Madonna......her 'like a virgin' tour.......and i was about 10 or 11.

My dad worked security on the side at Dodger stadium in L.A........so whenever there was a cool concert..he would take me and a friend.

I think i was the popular girl in 5th grade.

sheesh.

A 5th grader and her friends at a tour called 'like a virgin'.

xo

oh.....just an fyi.....i sent out the invites for my "open house" on October 3rd.....so if you didn't get it or would like to be invited to come shopping......just email me.

I'm thinking of having Denisa {the famous french crepe lady} coming to set up as well.

breathless...

I am in awe of newborn babies......
the sweet smell of baby powder...
the pursed lips.....
the clenched fists.


my darling neighbors had this sweet baby girl last week...she is a mere 6 days old.
What is it about the birth of a new baby that makes our heart skip a beat?
{deep sigh}
but then i heard her little scream at midnight last night and as much as i love babies....
i was able to close my window and fall back asleep.....
{double sigh}

Baby Devin ....for your information.... has a plum colored room.....with mom & dad totally nixing my idea of naming her Plum....but i'll heal.....only because i get to babysit.

breathless...

sweetness...

have a lovely weekend.

xo

that i know....

I have to admit....i'm not the most creative girl in town.

put me in front of a sewing matching and i look at it like it's going to attack me.

no...i do not know how to sew.

I don't even know how to close a rip in my son's jeans.

my poor husband saves his things that need minor work till my mom comes to town.


put me in front of some glue and paper.....and i make a mess.....

i even glue my fingers together.....

it's quite dreadful actually.
I failed arts and crafts 101.


But.....put me in a shoe dept. ....and i'll find the cutest shoes that go with the cutest clothes.

and that i can do. .....
and the funny thing is....when i show up to dinner with my girlfriends...our style is ever similar.


I can style a picture......that i know.
I can make my home look good.....that i know....

I can take a good picture.....that i know.

I can throw one heck of a good soiree.....that i know.....

I can catch my kids doing something extraordinary....that i know.

I can pick out one heck of a good bottle of wine....that i know.

I can cook a mean pot of mac n cheese....that i know.

I can make someone giggle....that i know.

I can also....get out of my comfort zone....and by myself......

let my humor out....let you in to my life.....

that i know.

I can use the glue gun......that i know.

I can drive by my gym and straight to starbucks....that i know.

I can text while using the elliptical at the gym....that i know.

The search for creativity is an ever evolving event in my life....finding an outlet that works for me.

That i know.

We are all different in our creativity.....what is it that you know about yourself?

...

*yes..i will be at the country living fair....but i won't be selling this year...i will be perusing...

*I also have 9 pounds that i really need to lose....

*I will not be having a baby in 9 months

*I am almost to my 300th post....which is amazing.{i guess i like to write...}

xo

sincerely.......

I found this batch of love letters this last saturday...at the flea market.


uhhhh...nope...they are not French.


not even from England...or Europe for that matter.


they are from good ole Iowa.......i love Iowa....my mom is from there....


I love how they are addressed....


that lucile was a special lady.....


sounds like Homer was quite the man himself.






I sometimes sit back and think of one's names back then......like for instance....Homer.


Funny thing is......Bryan's grandfather was a homer......good thing bryan's mom nixed that idea...


because even in our most personal moments alone.....


i don't want to be screaming out the name ....HOMER too loud.....ya know.


sounds like a home run.......


my kids are still in school...so i can write this you know.


What is with names i ask?


My OB's name with my oldest was named Dr. Hoff.


not a bad name.....but his brother was named....Jack....


I swear it's the truth.


am i losing you? .....sorry...........i was really doing well posting some "inspiring posts" for you....and then somehow i got sidetracked with these love letters.
allright....back to story.....
Lucile and Homer had a few kids......named...
Grace {beautiful}
Franklin
Hubert {no comment}
Harold {still no comment}
Margaret {beautiful}
Durango {i actually think there is a town in colorado named after this one..}


sheeesh.


o.k. girlies.....can you believe i only have 9 more to go!


what????


can you guess ???


9 more to go. ......oh....9 more to go till i reach a huge goal.....what can it be.......





xo


oh....here are the starbucks card winners:

*Martha

*Kacey

*Mandiegirl

*Adrienne {flying bee}

*Julie
*Truly Blessed
{email me and i will get you your cards out...}