Ob La Di

NEW BLOG

2010-01-18T08:50:00.000-08:00

I have decided to combine both areas of my life into one blog. So Bodacious Bits, the new blog, is up and running. Go check it out here. Or type www.bodaciousbits.blogspot.com in your browser!!

Ghostly Gronola

2009-10-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

Landon was star student of the week last week and every day we had an "assignment" Friday's was to bring a snack to share. So in honor of halloween, I decided to make Ghostly Gronola aka puppy chow aka muddy munchies. It was super easy, pretty cute and very yummy. First, you'll need a few things.

To make the "gronola". Take 1 cup of chocolate chips, 1/2 cup peanut butter, and 1/4 cup butter and microwave until melted (about 1 minute)

Add 1 tsp of vanilla and stir until well blended. Next take 9 cups of chex mix cereal and pour into a large bowl. Pour the chocolate mixture over cereal and toss until evenly covered.

Finally, take 1 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and put in a large ziplock bag, add the cereal mixure and shake until covered. YUM!!!! ( FYI, I am pretty sure this recipe is also on the back of the chex mix box)

(Landon shaking)

Now your ready to make your ghosts. You will need this:

Take you googly eyes and hot glue the eyes directly on the bottom of your cellaphane bag.

Add 1 cup of your "gronola" Tie with a ribbon and your done!

...quick and easy Ghostly Gronola! Click here and check out my sister's blog for another cute ghostly idea!!

A Bit Batty

2009-10-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

We are in full force halloween mode now. I have bought all the costumes, bought or made halloween clothes, and have the house decorated as much as I can. I am still just trying to get our home put together and decorated for the every day so I can't say I have gone all out inside. But I did put some thought and effort into the outdoor decorations. A couple of weeks ago, I saw this in Country Living.

I decided I wanted my door to look similiar. So, I bought some orange mums for $12.00 at Lowes and stuck them in a pot that I discovered while moving. And, I bought an orange "Spooky" pick at Hobby Lobby for half off.

I bought a "Boo" door hanger at Hobby Lobby for half off of $8.00!

I made the bats out of black felt from this template here.

We grabbed some duck tape and started hanging while Lucy watched from the inside.

And voila...

Our house is now batty!!!! (yes, pun intended)

Spider Tee

2009-10-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

So, I have been scouring every childrens boutique and consignment store for a halloween outfit for Lucy. No, I don't like all black on my baby. No, I don't like orange either! No, I don't care for rhinestones! I cannot find anything really cute for her that is halloweenish. So, I decided I would make something myself. Did you know that I design children's clothing? If not, you do now. And thats exactly how it got started, except at the time, I wanted cute clothes for my little man, Landon (now 6). Anyhow, back on point. My very first season I designed a spider tee and it was my top seller by far. I recently just sold the last of the spider design through my liquidating companies. And, am now kicking myself for not keeping one for Lucy. But then again, I did come up with the design. So, I made a spider tee for Lucy this weekend. Its easy, inexpensive and the cutest Halloween design out there...trust me I have looked! :)

First you will need these items.

A tee, fabric stiffener, ribbon, wooden dowel, and fabric of your choice.

Next, you will make the corker ribbon. I know they sell corker ribbon already made, but I have yet to find it so heres how you make it yourself. Cut the dowel down to about 10 inches. And next, and this is VERY important, soak the dowel in water for about 30 minutes. This will prevent the dowel from burning and your ribbon from cooking to the dowel.

Next, dip your ribbon in the fabric stiffener...

wipe off any excess, and wrap around the dowel.

Bake in your oven for about 20 minutes on 200 degrees.

While your ribbon is cooking, cut your fabric into the shape of a spider like this. (I also used stablizer on the back of the fabric... its not required, but it does help while sewing.)

Once the ribbbon is done unwind from the dowel and cut into (8) 4 inch peices (for your spider legs) Take 4 legs each and sew them together like this.

Next, arrange your fabric body on your tee and put one set of legs underneath and start sewing around the edge. I used a zig zag stitch on my machines slowest and tightest stitch setting. When you get half way around, slip the other set of legs underneath the fabric and continue sewing until you have gone all the way around your spider.

Cut any excess fabric from the edges and cut your legs down to your preference.

Next take a fabric marker and make your eyes and a mouth.

Pair your new tee with some leggings and...

...Ta Da! The cutest halloween outfit!

That's even cuter on!

Quick Update

2009-09-17T20:46:00.000-07:00

I have had 4 people ask why I am not posting and to be perfectly honest I didn't know 4 people read this blog! :) Anyhow, I have been without my camera since this weekend, but now I have it back and will get to work tomorrow taking pictures and uploading. I have had a lot of fun with the house this week and can't wait to show some of it off!! It is finally starting to come together. I am hosting a trunk show on Monday so maybe I will pull a "Holley" and it will all get done by then. By the way, Holley is my sister who throws parties so that her house will get decorated and will go from contruction(literally) to done, decorated, accessorized and ready for guests in 24 hours. And, I am being dead serious! Anyhow, stay posted for more! But, in the meantime, I will share a recipe that is super easy and delicous and sorry - no pics.

Chicken Spaghetti Bake
1 can cream of muchroom
1 can cream of chicken
1 can canned chicken (all white)
1 tub sour creme
1 box spaghetti - cooked
1 bag chredded cheddar cheese
1 jar chopped peppers

Cook spaghetti noodles, mix with other ingredients, and bake 350 for 30 minutes. I loved it, Ash loved and both kids (even Lucy) loved it. I doubled the recipe and froze the other half. Awesome easy weeknight dinner!

Busy Making Other Plans

2009-09-03T19:27:00.001-07:00

My anniversary is on Monday which makes for a long weekend with Monday being Labor Day. So, about a month ago, I started making plans for Ashley and I to take a weekend trip to Charleston. Neither of us has been before and its on both of our lists. So, I arranged for my parents to take the kids for the weekend, I had Ashleys secretary block the day for appointments and I started making reservations. I had planned on surprising Ashley today and off we would go. Well, this was all before the TV drama. Our living room/great room has no walls and the only solution is to put a flat screen tv above the fireplace. (Ashley loves that this is the only solution) Well, we found an awesome deal on the TV. Little did I know that the wall mount would be nearly the amount of the television and the installation was more than the price of both. So, when the TV price more than trippled, it was either the trip or the TV. And, I picked the flat screen. I have to say though, I am very excited to not only be getting the tv/surround sound hooked up, but I am really excited to have a long weekend to tackle a bunch of projects. So, heres my list. It probably won't make a lot of sense right now, but I am hoping it will hold me accountable to get them done this weekend with lots of pictures to prove it.

1. Paint mirror silver
2. Spray paint patio furniture black
3. Hang drapery rods in great room & master
4. Make lined drapes for the great room
5. Install shades in bay window
6. paint basement coffee table
7. find lampshade
8. find plants for mirrored planters (this is going to look SO good)

Thats the list. I will post as I get things crossed off. Perhaps Charleston would be a good New Years trip!!?? Have a great weekend!

Its Been a While

2009-09-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

Hey friends! So, I knew I had taken the month of August off, but didn't realize that my last post was the beginning of July...its been longer than I thought. And there is so much to catch up on. I am not sure where to even start, but I think I will start with the house. We moved in the new house the end of July and are settling in slowly but surely.

I have been working very hard on getting the house deocrated and can't wait to show you before and after pics very soon. Here's a sneak peak at one. The fireplace before and after. This was done the day we closed. Immediatly after the closing, I went to Benjamin Moore for the paint and slapped some on before Ash could say "no". :)

Before...

After...

After moving in July, school started right after in early August. Landon started 1st grade at his new school and was a pro about it. He is already adjusted and we are loving his new teacher!

The tooth fairy has had her work cut out at our house. While Landon has been loosing teeth, (hilarious story that I will share later) Lucy has been getting them. She got 5 teeth at once and you would have never known. She never fussed or cried, there was no fever or ear aches, nothing!

And as if there wasn't enough going on, I got my fall shipment in for Mary Michael Children's Apparel. I have been working none stop getting the merchandise sized and priced, photographed, working on the website and selling like crazy. I am finally offering online sales through the website so go check it out at http://www.marymichael.net/ There are some CUTE things at awesome prices. Here's a little peak at what we have to offer...

Its good to be back and blogging! I have missed yall!

A Perfect Weekend

2009-07-07T19:59:00.000-07:00

Whew...its been a while! I am over two weeks since I last posted and now this post is almost a week late. This one has taken me all week to get done, so excuse any typos, I couldn't take it any more and had to publish it. I promise I will try to do better! :) We have been nonstop the past few weeks with our latest excursion being in Paris for the holiday weekend. And before you get too jealous, I am talking about Paris Tennessee. You can still get a little jealous because it was an awesome weekend. We drove up late Thursday night arriving around midnight to Ashley's dad's house that was ready for the weekend.

The festivities began on Friday with a bang...literally! Morning came early for everyone and when I say early I mean 5am. We woke up to breakfast and play time and made our way to the pool around noon. We swam and snacked the afternoon away. I for once got to lay by the pool as I had plenty of helpers with Lucy. I got to lay around so much, that I didn't take a single picture of the swimmers! After the pool, we went back to Ashley's dad to get ready for the Paris Country Club BBQ and fireworks. When we arrived we made our way straight to the food and enjoyed dinner and then spent the rest of the late afternoon socializing with friends and family.

Ashley, Uncle Jimmy and Ashley's dad, John David

Aunt Nancy and Thea Steph

Me and Ash

Jessica (Ashley's sister) and her boyfriend, Kenny

While we had our time, the kids were having theres. They had a kid carnival set up and Landon and his cousins had a blast!

Jordyn

Landon and his cousin, Jackson

Landon

The fireworks aka "Thunder Over Paris" was supposed to start at dark, so we rounded up the kiddos and waited...

and waited...

The wait was well worth it.

The pictures don't do them justice, but these were the BEST fireworks ever! I don't think the fireworks themselves were all that better, but all the lights were out, it was super dark outside and they were shooting them about 50 yeards away, so they were falling right over us. Do you want to know who enjoyed them more than anyone????

LUCY! She loved them and wasn't afraid one bit. In fact, when I tired to pick her up she would scream for me to put her back down. So funny! She was in this position the whole time.

Saturday came and was just as jampacked as Friday. The morning and early afternoon were spent recovering from the "festivities" the night before. I didn't mention, but after the fireworks, the CC hosted an adult only pool party that lasted well into the night errrr morning. Those pictures will not be posted on. Anyway, I would say around 2 on Saturday afternoon everyone had recovered. So we went to tour John David's (Ashely's dad) lumberyard. He has manufactured hardwood floors and moulding for years and has just added a pellet mill. So we all went for the tour...very interesting. (With the new Energy Bill about to pass in the Senate this may be the "new thing" as its considered to be green. Here's a link to learn more about it if your interested.) Anyhow, after the tour we went to get ready for that nights festivities which started with a birthday party for Jude!

Jude, the birthday boy

PaPau (sp?) and Gigi - proud grandparents

After the birthday party, we made our way to the Neese Family BBQ hosted by our own Billy Bob. Unfortunately it poured right when the BBQ was starting and I made my way inside with Lucy. I didn't get many pictures but I did manage to sneak a few of the kids playing in the rain.

Oh, and right before the rain started, I got this one...my favorite picture of the weekend!

Sunday was spent sleeping in and then packing up. We made a run to the store to get the fixins for burgers and we had a lunchtime cookout before everyone had to make their way home. We also got a few pics in front of the flag.

Ash, John David and Lucy

John David and Sue aka The Grandchildren Worshippers

The Cousins - Jordyn, Jude, Jackson, Landon, and Lucy

I absoluetly LOVE the 4th of July. Its my favorite holiday right after Christmas. There is something about it that makes me giddy. Whether it be the parties, festivities, family, middle of the summer heat and fireworks or perhaps I get to relive my childhood watching my children live theres. Whatever it is, I love the holiday and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect weekend!

Hope you all enjoyed a great 4th of July!!

Hot Fun in the Summertime

2009-06-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

We have had a fun jam packed summer so far. If we're not on vacation, we're at the pool, and if we're not at the pool, we're at the movie theatrr, library zoo, and if we're not there we bring a freind over to play with. Meet "P"! He is a doll and he and Landon always have the best time. We had him over for the day were we went swimming, had a picnic, and then played at the park until dark. These boys played and played hard. They were all over the place going and doing anything that they could. They even joined a game of frisbee with some college kids. Anyhow, I couldn't help but enjoy these two having so much fun with not a care in the world...ahhhhh.

And Miss Lucy got in a swing for the first time and loved everything about it...literally!!! We could not keep her from sucking on the darn thing and when her drool turned a orangy rusty color, we decided that was enough :)

Taste a Little of the Summer

2009-06-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

I have just discovered Alabama Farmers Market recently and I have nothing but great things to say about it. First of all, all of the produce above cost me only $19.50! Secondly, they are open all day every day! Thirdly, it makes me feel good supporting our local farmers. And most of all, I have had more fun cooking with all my fresh fruits and veggies this week. Anyhow, here is the link to their website with times, directions, etc. And here are a few recipes that I have cooked up this week...

Chicken Delight

Take 1 chicken breast and season with Janes Crazy Mixed Up Salt. Place chicken on a peice of aluminum foil. Next, cut up fresh squash and zucchini and put on top of chicken. Pour marina Sauce on top and sprinkle a generous amount of mozerella and paremsian cheese. Wrap it all up in the foil and bake 30-45 min on 350. So easy and way to good! This recipe is courtesy of Darby, one of my favorite bloggers.

Cheesy Tomatoe

Take 1 large garden tomatoe and hollow out a small crater in the middle. Mix cream cheese with blue cheese and fill tomatoe with mixture. Bake 10-20 min on 350 or until cheese has melted...yummy!

Peach Chutney

Melt 1Tb butter in small skillet and saute 1/2 c finely chopped onion for 2-3 min or until tender. Add 1 1/2 cup chopped fresh peaches, 3TB brown sugar, 2TB balsamic vinegar and 1/2 tsp Jamaican jerk seasoning and cook about 3 more minutes until the mixture is thoroughly heated. I served this with a peppered pork tenderloin and it was soooo good. Next time, I think I will try it with fish!

What have you been cooking up this summer? Do tell, I always need new recipes!

Back to the Island

2009-06-21T07:41:00.000-07:00

Which island you ask? Dauphin Island of course. I grew up on this island every summer. I love everything about this place and the older I get the more meaning it all has to me. My sister, Tiffany, couldn't have said it any better. See her blog about the Island here. Are you crying yet? OK, well I will go ahead and recap the weekend. My moms 60th birthday and Mothers day coincided this year, so my sisters and I decided to give her a week at the beach.

Every day was pretty much the same and went like this... After breakfast, my mom would have Vacation Bible School with the kids

where a bible passage was read

followed by a craft and a snack.

All the kids loved this. Next we would pack up and head to the beach for swimming and playing all day long.

At some point we would come in to eat...

And every day would end with kids crashing. (It was a 5 bedroom house for 4 couples plus my Paw-Paw and 8 children and a baby.) Kids slept everywhere!

Landon was in the water every second of every day so I really don't have a lot of pictures of him. And his little face was scalded the first day from the sun...shame on me for not reapplying sunscreen. When I say scalded it was first scarlett and then a purplish, and when it started to peel he looked like a burn victim...it was awful. He saw his face in the mirror and said "they should be ashamed of themselves" referring to Ash and I. And we were/are ashamed!

Lucy was a hit with all her cousins...

and this sweet face could pretty much sum up everyones feelings for the week...

Everything about the week was perfect and just as I remembered growing up maybe even a little better as I watch my own children creating their own memories on this beloved island!

YAY

2009-06-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

We got the house!! We went back and forth a few times but finally got it at the price we wanted. I highly recommend making your offer and then heading to the beach for the negotiating. I wasn't sitting by my phone waiting for it to ring or worrying that we would loose it to another offer, it was completely stress free. Anyhow, inspection is scheduled for Monday and Ashley's dad is planning on coming up early next week for his approval. The house is occupied but heres a sneak peak at the inside...

...more to come when inspection passes and we get my father-in-laws blessing.

On Our Way Home

2009-06-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

We have done it again! We just made an offer on another house...THE house!

I love this house way more than any other I have seen, and I have seen plenty. I was looking through all of the print outs and I have now seen 54 houses. But this is THE house! I love everything about it...the kitchen, great room, basement, all the windows and all the light, our patio and did I mention that the yard is huge !

And, oh how I love the courtyard!

Everything about it makes me so happy! We just met with the realtor and put in our initial offer. They have 24 hours to give us a response, so may the anxiety begin. We are on our way to the beach tomorrow so we will be doing all our negotiating from the surf and sand...can't beat that! Anyway, keep your fingers crossed and say a little prayer... I will keep y'all posted!

Its a Family Tradition

2009-06-01T20:24:00.001-07:00

For the past few years now, we have gotten together with my husbands family for a camping trip to the Smokey Mountains. This year was the third year so now its tradition. And this is a real camping trip: sleeping in tents, cooking on a campfire, no showers, etc. Anyone who knows me must be shocked that I go and will be even more shocked to know that I LOVE it! There is something really fun about having to get all prepared and hunkered down for a few days. There is no cell phone reception whatsoever and the nearest anything is 45 minutes away. So it is a true getaway. We arrived Friday afternoon to this...

The Elkmont Campground is located inside the Smokey Mountain park and is situated alongside a mountain stream. The water is freezing but very refreshing when you need it. And at night, there is nothing better than the sound of that stream as you drift asleep. I can say that I sleep very peacefully camping regardless of the black bear warnings posted everywhere! Of course, we had 2 protectors, Jetta and Dora that kept watch for us.

We awoke Saturday to a breakfast of fried eggs and bacon cooked on the campfire. Some friends of my sister in law came up for the day with their two girls and 10 week old baby, Kadyn...isn't he precious!?

After breakfast, we all decided to go on a hike. So 7 adults, 5 children and a baby made our way through one of the trails in the park. The trail was paved and it ran alongside the stream. So we got a decent workout with an incredible view and many many rests along the way.

On the last part of the hike, we saw a huge shadow that flew over and landed on this tree. I have NEVER seen an owl in the wild. I was just as thrilled if not more so than the kids were at the sight of it.

After the hike, the kids played hard, making mud pies, exploring, tubing, etc

And the adults relaxed...

Saturday ended with extreme hunger followed by exhaustion...

As much as I love the camping for the weekend, I am ALWAYS ready to go home on Sunday. I have reached my limit on no bathing, campfire smoke, etc. We pack up and head out but always stop somewhere for a big meal before making the long trip home. This year we stopped by the Back Porch Restaurant in Townsend and actually remembered to get a group photo minus a few of us.

Until next year...

Schools Out for the Summer

2009-06-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

Landon's first year of school ended last week with a bang. There was spirit day, kindergarten picnic with awards, and a year end party. Since, I have been so uninvolved as a classroom parent this year, I volunteered to help with the year end gifts. This past Christmas, I saw the cutest gift that was made for neighbors, teachers, friends, etc, so I decided to copy for the year end school gift.

First gather the following:

Then, buy gift certificates for ice cream and make up a poem. ( I am embarrassed to say this took me a long time to come up with)

Make balls out of the shredded paper like so...

Then place on top of the ice cream cone like this...

Place in a cellophane bag, tie with a ribbon and attach the gift certificate and poem

Landon thought it was "cool" (no pun intended) and said his friends "liked them a lot. " Thanks to Mountain Brook Creamery for giving me such a great deal on the gift certificates! I believe we will make a stop for ice cream tomorrow. Happy Summer everyone!

These are Days You'll Rememeber

2009-05-22T18:17:00.001-07:00

Oh my, last night my "big" little brothers, Bo & Rett, graduated from high school!!!!

And, YES, they are twins!! It's so crazy to think of them done with high school and moving out on their own in a matter of a few weeks!! My poor Landon is not going to know what hit him next fall when "the boys" are no longer a 10 minute drive away...poor bubba! Landon wasn't able to go the ceremony because of baseball, but I kid you not, the first thing he asked me when I got home "so, how was it?" I replied that it was pretty good and he replied "Boy, I sure wish I could have been there!" He meant it with all his heart too. However, Lucy did go and watched from her seat like a good girl!

They were seated alphabetically, so Bo and Rett sat together. As with every graduation program, we were all asked to "please save your applause until the end" however we couldn't resist. My sisters and I yelled "Thats my brother" when Rett's name was called, and after Rett came Bo, so we yelled "That's my brother too!" Unfortunately, their were faced away from us and I could not see their reaction (I am sure they loved it!)

Did I mention they are the youngest of six?! Perhaps my parents have some extra celebrating to do, two high school graduations and an empy nest after 40+ years!!!???

Anyhow, I know they are so excited to be done with that chapter and moving on to the next and I am so excited for them.

Congratulations Bo and Rett! And remember,

"If you want to walk the heavenly streets of gold,

you gotta know the password...

ROLL TIDE ROLL!" -Bear Bryant

Shrimp n Grits

2009-05-19T07:13:00.001-07:00

My in laws recently asked for a shrimp and grits recipe that I have. I cannot remember where the recipe came from, but it is very easy and oh so good! Since I was typing it up, I thought I would share with all.

1 cup of stone ground grits
chicken broth - optional
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne pepper to taste- optional
1/4 c butter
2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I prefer white vermont cheddar...yum!)
1 lb shrimp, peeled and devined
bacon (as much or as little as you like)
4 tsp lemon juice
1 c scallions or green onion
clove garlic minced

Prepare bacon in oven on 425 for 15-20 min or until brown and crispy...make sure to save the grease!

Prepare grits according to package instructions. I opt to use part water/part chicken broth. Once prepared, add butter, cheese, salt, and pepper and stir until melted, cover until later.

Add bacon grease to pan and heat on medium for 3-5 minutes until HOT. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp turns pink...about 3 minutes. Add lemon juice, cayenne pepper, scallions, and garlic and remove from heat.

Add shrimp mixture to grits, stir, and garnish with crumbled bacon.

Serve this with a salad and it becomes an easy weekday meal or fancy it up to your liking...enjoy!

Mama Mia

2009-05-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

I am over a week late blogging, but have so much stored up and finally have a little while to catch up. So, here is a recap of last weekend, Mothers Day. I was given the best gift ever...

No, its not mine, but I was given a day off that I spent at my friends lakehouse doing this...

and reading that, along with Amber, a labradoodle...isn't she the cutest dog?!

My sweet friend, Suzanne, invited me to go along with her to her mom's lake house at Smith Lake. We had the best time doing absolutely nothing and loving every minute of it! (By the way, The Shack was a great read, and although I wouldn't necessarily call it life changing, it will definately get you thinking.) Anyhow, I enjoyed an uniterrupted nights sleep and went home to my sweet kiddos...

(Can you believe I didn't get one picture of me and my kids the entire day...pitiful, I know!)

That afternoon, we headed over to my parents. My mom's 60th birthday happened to fall on Mother's Day this year so we had some extra celebrating to do!

All the mama's (minus one, our oldest sister couldn't make it.)

I hope everyone enjoyed a fabulous Mother's Day and Mimi, I hope you enjoyed a great 60th birthday. I cannot wait to go to the beach and celebrate even more!!

Soul Kitchen

2009-05-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

Our home inspection is scheduled for tomorrow. So, as we get closer and closer to owning the home, I get more excited and inspired by the day. The first thing I want to tackle is the kitchen. I went to Lowes yesterday to peak around and became very overwhelmed with all the information given to me. Redoing a kitchen is a HUGE task. I came home afterwards and looked at all my magazine cutouts of kitchens that I love, and I am renewed, inspired and once again excited to get it going. Here are the kitchens that inspire me. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! And, PLEASE, pass on any tips for kitchen makeovers if you have any!

I absolutely LOVE this, especially all the windows...I won't be able to get away with this in my kitchen, but I can dream!

I love these windows too and they are much more realistic for my kitchen. I definately will do the bamboo/sea grass shades as shown.

I really love everything about this, especially the faucet. Is that marble brick on the backsplash???

I really want a basin sink like this one. Two would be awesome but I don't have the room. I would pair it with the faucet from the picture before.

I am on the hunt for barstools that look like this...if you find any, let me know!

That backsplash would work great and would work even better with my budget!

Love this light fixture, but not sure if I will use it...at least in my kitchen...any thoughts??

I want my oven in the corner, like this one, only to the left of the sink. That design is supposed to free up a alot of space, which I always need more of!

Not exactly sure what it is I love about this kitchen...it seems perfectly modern and elegant.

Now that you have seen my inspiration(s), I will give you one guess as to what color will dominate my kitchen!? :)

Beautiful Boy

2009-05-04T15:24:00.001-07:00

After a rough week, we enjoyed a wonderful weekend, especially Landon. He was the first to get sick, the first to feel better and then was cooped up in the house while the rest of us recovered. But, by Saturday, we were all well and went to We Love Homewood Day at the park. Landon had a blast!

One Week

2009-05-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

What a week it has been!! For those of you wondering what happened to me this week, (OK, mainly my mom and sisters) I don't even know where to begin. Ash and I both left to go out of town last Friday on separate trips, so Landon stayed with my parents and Lucy came with me. Landon became sick Friday evening complaining of a sore throat and being tired. When I called Saturday to check on him, Mom said he was fine and was riding a bike with his cousin. It turns out, he was learning to ride a bike without training wheels (see the post below to see why I even mentioned that) Anyhow, when I returned home, Sunday afternoon, Landon was again complaining of a sore throat.

So, I called first thing Monday to make an appointment for later that afternoon. Sure enough Landon had strep and would have to miss another day of school. In addition to strep, the doctor also thought he had scabies aka mites...gross I know! The next morning (Tuesday) we woke up and I noticed Lucy felt hot, but I just figured she was hot from the heavy blanket she was sleeping with. We spent the day watching morning cartoons and having an indoor picnic and then remembered that we were scheduled to bring snacks to Landon's baseball game that night. At that point, Landon had been on antibiotics for 24 hours and was no longer contagious. So, we raced to the grocery to get enough snacks and drinks for the team, stopped by the house to put the drinks on ice, and I noticed again that Lucy was really hot. So, I took her temperature and she was burning up with a temp of 102.8. I called the doctor on the way to the ballgame with snacks in hand. Our pediatrician told us to come in first thing in the morning and to give Lucy Tylenol in the meantime. We also had the fun task of applying Landon's scabies lotion than night. This was Tuesday.

We woke up the next morning (Wednesday), got Landon off to school and called to make Lucy's appointment. Around noon, Lucy and I head to the pediatricians. They immediately did a strep test and it came back negative. (By the way, it is very uncommon for babies to get strep) They then decided to get a blood and urine sample. So they pricked my babies’ finger to get the blood and then had to use a catheter to collect a urine sample...poor Lucy! The urine sample ruled out a UTI and the blood sample came back with a white blood cell count that was "alarmingly" high. At that point, I was panicked. They then needed another blood sample from the arm. Lucy is a chunk so that proved to be a challenge. In fact, the nurse spent a good minute trying to get the needle in a vein. Lucy was hysterical at that point and threw up everywhere! I was then told that I will need to go to Children's to get the blood drawn for a blood culture. So, off we went to Children's. Lucy got the blood drawn from her little arm (on the first try) and we were told to return to the doctor’s office for a shot of antibiotics. So, back to the doctor’s office we went for a shot in her leg. We were told to make an appointment for the following day and then we were told go home. This was all on Wednesday.

Thursday rolled around and I woke up with a sore throat. Off to the doctor I went to find out I had strep...no joke! I not only woke up to a sore throat but news that the swine flu was in Birmingham! I am completely paranoid at that point that Lucy had swine flu. We went back to the pediatrician’s office that afternoon to check Lucy's blood again and to get another shot of antibiotics. Her white blood count was till very high, however it did drop slightly. I insisted on getting a flu test for her which turned out to be negative (at least I will be able to sleep that night!) However, she still had a fever near 104 and we still didn't know what was wrong with her. We were told to come back the next day to check her blood once again and to get the results from her blood culture.

Friday morning arrived and Lucy's fever had finally broken! That had to be good news. We went to the pediatricians around 3 and got the news that her cultures all came back negative and since she looks better and is no longer running a fever, it was ruled that she had some sort of virus, but NOT swine flu! So, the week ended with good news all around. We woke up this morning (Saturday) and Landon feels great, I am feeling better (and no longer contagious) and Lucy appears back to her sweet baby self! Oh yeah, and in between all of this we bought our first house this week! All's well that ends well! Sorry, for the novel above, but that is the shortest version I could come up with. Here’s to a much healthier and more enjoyable weekend!

The One

2009-04-28T19:56:00.001-07:00

After months of house searching, it looks like this will be the one. We made an offer yesterday and have gone back and forth a few times, but finally had our offer accepted this evening. Ash and I have looked and looked for the right house with no avail. Even in this market, it took some time to find what we needed and wanted for the right price. But here she is, and I love it! It is perfect for us. And though it needs some work, it is still move in ready and the work can wait for us...can't you just see all the potential it has!?? We got a steal of a deal, which makes me love it even more, mainly because I will actually get a decorating budget! The gears are already churning...but please don't tell my husband that! :)

Little Man

2009-04-21T16:31:00.001-07:00

So, Landon had a spill last Thursday that resulted in a buckle fracture of his right wrist. This is the third time he has had this exact injury...he is ALL boy! Here's the story. Ash got home from work fairly early around 5:30 and we decided to go for a walk around the neighborhood, as it was a beautiful afternoon. So, I got Lucy in the stroller and my walking shoes on and the family went on our way. Landon being the boy he is, wanted to bring his scooter to "ride really fast down all the hills" Mind you, my neighborhood is very hilly or you might even say mountainous! :) We made our way through the neighborhood with Landon taking his scooter down every hill and when he would start to go too fast he would jump off with his scooter still in hand and would have to sprint in order to slow down...is this making any sense?? Anyhow, these hills are steep, but he would make it down nearly every single one and would whoop and holler that he did it. He definitely had an adrenaline rush as I did just watching him...he had no fear! Landon continued to do this the entire walk, and as we made it back to our street he wanted one more try on what is probably the steepest hill of them all. So away he goes, full speed ahead, realizes he doesn't want to go any faster, jumps off of the scooter, holds on to the scooter as his little legs are just a running down the hill and trying to slow down. This time however the scooter flips around and gets under his feet and he trips and falls and well fractures his arm.

So of course, everyone he sees afterwards asks him what happened and Landon proceeds to tell them the whole story. Saturday comes around and Ash and I are hosting our Sunday School class to a shrimp boil and our good friend Steve asks Landon what happened. Landon replies "Well, I fell off my scooter. Actually, there is a longer story but I'm tired of telling it." I do believe ALL men both big and little can appreciate that!!

Blogging Business

2009-04-14T13:56:00.001-07:00

So, I jumped into the whole blogging business only to find out there is a whole blogging world out there. There's even a conference called Blissdom for girls like me who are blogging for fun. I read today on another blog that there were even blogging rules...who would have thought!? So I think I will head to Barnes and Noble tonite to see if I can find a copy of 'Blogging for Dummies' (surely they have written one and if not they really need to.) I definately feel the need to now educate myself. While I get caught up on the ins and outs of blogging, I will share a few pictures of Landon and Lucy from Easter. In the meantime, I will get try to get better grasp on all this blogging business. :) Have a great rest of the day!

(Look at that hair!!)

Easter Story Cookies

2009-04-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

Since it is holy week, I thought this would be a very appropriate post. I saw this on one of the blogs that I like to follow and thought it was so sweet and creative that I couldn't help but share it with yall. I can't wait to make them with Landon tomorrow and will try and post pictures once I do. Enjoy!

Easter Story Cookies

You'll need: Bible, 1 c pecans, 1 tsp. vinegar, 3 egg whites, pinch of salt, 1 c granulated sugar, 1 qt. or gal. size zipper bag, wooden spoon, tape

Preheat the oven to 300 and lined a cookie sheet with parchment paper or wax paper

First, have your helpers crush, smash, and beat the pecans and while they do it share with them that this is what the Roman soldiers did to Jesus' body. Read John 19:1-3.

Before you add the vinegar to the mixing bowl let the children smell the vinegar. Explain to them that this is what Jesus was offered to drink. Read Read John 19:28-30.

To the vinegar, add egg whites. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each childs hand and let them taste it. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sins. Read Luke 23:27. Morgan wasn't fond of the salt.

Next, the story turns sweet. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

Add the sugar.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 & John 3:1-3.

Fold in the broken nuts. Drop mixture by spoonfuls onto waxed paper {I used parchment}. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60

Place the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

GO TO BED. Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20.

The next morning...
open the oven and remove the cookies. Notice - the cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

Bedroom on a Budget

2009-04-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

A girlfriend asked me to help her decorate her bedroom (or maybe it was more like she wanted to redecorate and I "volunteered" to help) Anyhow, I have had a bedroom in mind for a guest room - once I have a guest room of course and I think it will be perfect for my friend. No pressure Steph! :) Here are some pics with info...very budget friendly too!

From top:

paint color behind coach - subtle velvet 'sycamore green' or for less color 'eucalyptus' from Restoration Hardware...you can also get these colors to match from Behr at Home Depot for cheaper about $25/gallon

Malika rug from Pottery barn - I LOVE this rug - depending what size you get this could be a potential budget buster but definately worth it!

Amelie mirrored nightstand from Horchow furniture $630 each, also a worthwhile budget buster or for those that are good with a budget there are the recycled alluminum accent table from pottery barn $299 each or for those who are truly budget conscious - you can buy round tables that you put together yourself from Wal-Mart for $20, you can cover that with white fabric and put a mirror on top - all for about $120 each - all 3 good options although the Horchow tables are my favorite...go figure!!

lamps pictured are from restoration Hardware however I just saw them at Homegoods in Birmingham for $79 each

Gilded ball finials and rod silver leaf from Restoration hardware on sale for about $20 for a set

Home Rocky River Window sheer - white at Target $12.99

San Jose Cream Fabric from Calico Corners $47.99/yard I would buy enough for 3 euro shams for the bed - tip for the budget conscious - you can always buy enough fabric for the fronts of the pillows and cover the back in a cheaper coordinating solid.

Shown in blue from Pottery Barn but I would buy white. You can ALWAYS find a white matelasse set at either TJ Maxx or Homegoods for under $100 - - I would monogram the 2 pillow shams in a large one letter monogram in Victor font to match the shams sewn in the San Jose cream fabric.

2009-04-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

Picture just for fun!

Here it goes...

2009-04-03T12:35:00.000-07:00

OK - So, I have decided to jump on the blogging bandwagon. One of my sisters started a blog this past summer that I now follow religiously, she then turned me on to two other blogs that I now follow, and then another sister started her blog...so now its my turn. All of the blogs that I follow have one thing in common and that is they appreciate the simple things in life...something cute a child says to them, a fabulous light fixture, an awesome recipe, even a picture of snapdragons on sale at Wal-Mart! I cannot express how much I love that. I tend to have a hundred things going on at once and would absolutely love to slow down and enjoy the fact that Wal-Mart has snapdragons on sale! So here's to slowing down and enjoying the small stuff because either way, life goes on...ob la di!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJhcGepfG04