i wonder sometimes...

on the move!

2011-10-13T07:25:00.000-07:00

i have a new blog site!
i'm super excited about this new spot :)
it's a great place where all of the little parts of
my online life get to be together...
come on over & see!

:)

where troubles melt like lemon drops...

2011-07-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

i love school supplies
something about how they come in multiples
& the colors & being able to make almost anything with just a few supplies...
(of course, tom hanks & i agree on this & this person does too)
my dad was a teacher for a while
& going to his classroom & playing with stuff was just heaven...

so you can imagine my joy at having married a teacher myself
& my absolute glee
when we went to visit brian's classroom at the end of the year
& he gave miss m a big paper bag
full of markers to play with...

no desks in the way?
bag full of markers?
definitely calls for a giant pen rainbow...

isn't that exactly what you were thinking?
i knew we were on the same page...

color
& school supplies
& hanging with my favorite people at the school...

sometimes the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true...
(is any rainbow post complete without a wizard of oz reference?)

~~~~~~~~~

in other fun news:
my blog got to be featured on a
be @ home, best of the web post on become.com...
how cool is that?
thanks, become!

they've got tons of great stuff over there...
style, pets, babies & tons more...

:)

b4 & later on: little sparkely something...

2011-06-16T06:59:00.000-07:00

you may not know this about me
but i love to restyle things
make one thing into something else
help out a piece that's hurting or just not so cute...
just call me dr. emily ruth
working in my restyle hospital
oh! dr ER!
restyle emergency room!
i see an hgtv show in the future...
(check out what came up when i googled 'style emergency'
now that is cute...& helpful!)

anyway
i went to a church rummage (love that word) sale
a couple of weeks ago
side note:
these are often great places to find vintage treasures
if it's a pretty traditional church
often a large percentage of their congregation is older
(not old, older...like older than me :)
& willing to donate some great stuff for a good cause...

& so that is how i came upon this little sweetie:

(all pictures are from my camera phone
which, sadly (or not so sadly) takes better pictures than my big camera)

it's black velvet
(which is really hard to photograph well
please keep that in mind as you look at the photos :)
with two black feathers...
sadly the feathers were in pretty bad shape:

& the way they were attached was not pretty

so i had two choices:
find some more black feathers
or replace them with something else...

happily i have picked up some cute pins & brooches
in the last few weeks

(love the b&w, of course :)

so i chose the one that looked best
(super shimmery)

clipped of the back 'pin part' (technical name)
with jewelry clippers
(super cheap & come in handy more often than you would think)

ordinarily i would use hot glue to attach things
(anything! recently i patched a stuffed animal with hot glue)
but on this particular day
i plugged in my glue gun
& about 20 minutes later
there was a pop &
(i kid you not)
a puff of smoke
& my glue gun went to craft tool heaven (aka the garbage can)
i understand that hot glue is not the very best adhesive for all projects
but i just can't resist the immediacy of it!

think it up
hot glue it
it's done!

what to do?
what would the person who made the hat do?
well, dur (that's to myself, not to you)
pull out the needle & thread!

& you know what?
it's so much cleaner that way, too!
& i didn't accidentally burn my fingers & swear under my breath!
bonus!

if the brooch had actually had the pokey part (also technical term)
then it would have been even easier
though a stitch here or there never hurts
(unless it's into your finger,
then, yes, a stitch hurts)

i'm excited about this little cutie
& have been thinking on a different way to display it
than just as a hat...
the shape is so sweet & simple.
i'll let you know if i come up with anything...
or (even better)
come by & see me at
vintage marketplace this saturday (the 25th)
this little honey will be there...sparkling in the sun
(there WILL be sun!)
along with a bunch of other stuff i'm working on
(they're in the restyle ER waiting room, if you will :)

i'm off to do rounds...
(i could run with this forever...)

:)

fun, friends & fabulous finds!

2011-06-08T06:35:00.000-07:00

i'm super excited about this sale that i get to do with jill & barb!

& i'm working on some stuff...

some sweet...

some of the usual...

& some kind-of different stuff...

& loving doing it all :)

if you're working on some stuff
or like to sell cool vintage things
maybe you'd like to be a vendor...
check it out!

if you're in oregon
come on out & shop with us!
there are treasures to be found :)
saturday june 25
9-4
click on over here & see some details...

it's going to be super fun!
:)

wonder shop pdx: double decker dress shop

2011-05-19T02:44:00.000-07:00

ideas like this make me so happy...

i'm hoping to visit lodekka next time i'm in portland

photos via hula70

:)

wonderfinds: polka dot fun...

2011-04-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

in the last few years i have made it a point to
only buy clothes that i have thrifted...
i love to look through stuff
& see what crazy things are out there
& find a great little flower
(dots, stripes, black, grey, yellow)
amongst the weeds
(beyond kooky prints, wildly sequined
or weirdly gathered, especially with the plus size stuff,
the motto seems to be
'if you can't be skinny at least you can be covered in crazy')

sometimes i splurge & go to a specialty thrift store
one where someone has already weeded through
& while the prices are higher
the it is a much shorter trip as i don't have to
look at 73 pieces to find one that i like...

so there i was at a little shop in
springfield called 'merry jane's'
(no website, that i can find)
with a few things to try on...
& hanging in the dressing room was this
cutie cute polka dot skirt...
black & white!
with a little ruffle at the bottom!
so cute!

skirt, merry jane $7.50;
cardigan, goodwill $4.99;
shoes, goodwill $3.99

i'm still trying to figure out if it's a little bit minnie mouse
but i did enjoy wearing it with a red cardi...

:)

ps
the purse in the top picture is from the gap outlet
i've had it for years...
& again with the b&w!
can't resist...

magazine monday: souvenir, spring 2011

2011-04-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

heather bullard is one of my favorite magazine stylists...
she does such fun things for
country living & flea market style (among others)...
her job is actually one of my top dream jobs:
styling for a magazine...*sigh*

so when i saw that she was doing her own digital magazine
i was totally on board...
i love the look of it,
like an old fashioned news letter...

the cute little stitches around the pictures...
(the yellow, of course, the yellow! :)

the clean black & white with pops of color
are right up my alley...

love this article about using
vintage containers for gifts & storage...
so cute!
& even the 'subscribe' & 'advertising' pages are cool...

guess what?
you can download this whole magazine free
on heather's blog!
(direct link here)
so cool!

can't wait for the next issue...

:)

snow what?

2011-04-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

it snowed!
like a month ago
but still,
it snowed!

& we are all about the snow

building

decorating

snacking

miniaturizing

carrying
(all the way to the park)

carrying
(all the way home from the park)

yep, we're all about the snow...

until we're not.

ruffling some streamers...

2011-04-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

this is one of the neatest things i've seen in a long time...
so neat i am posting twice in one day...
gasp.

anyway...
these are ruffled streamers made out of
plastic table clothes!
oh my goodness!
how much do i looooove these?

i found it via ucreate parties...
here's the directions
& a cool picture of some black streamers...
love.
love.
love!

:)

magazine monday: flea market style, spring 2011

2011-04-04T07:05:00.000-07:00

this is one of my very favorite magazines ever
i have the first issue (summer 2010, i think)
& still have it & look at it
& get inspired...
if i had seen this cover on the magazine rack
i probably wouldn't have picked it up...
too fussy & traditional
but since i loved the first issue so much
i got it
& i am so glad i did!
it's made by people who love to thrift
& go to vintage & antique sales
& then make super cool things out of the stuff they get...

example 1:
flowers made from baseball covers...
swoon!

example b:
slide carriages as wall decor...
& i do adore circles...
& slides...
& hanging weird things up...

example tres:
vintage alarm clock turned vase...
cute!

& example quatro:
a whole article about rulers...
i have a few of those hanging around...
loved this place mat...

i am a total sucker for articles & photo spreads about antique sales...
i love to see the displays
& i love to see what people get!

& then there's just cute stuff...

(love the 'yum'
& will totally do it sometimes
(since i have a few letters keeping my rulers company...)

already thinking about throwing a summer party
with my favorite girlies...

i have a few fun hangers
& love to see others...

never get tired of stacks of paper
(stacks of anything really...)

& this...
this!
if i ever found an eye chart...
oh baby...

plus
this is not a young lady
but see how adorable she looks?
rocking the gray hair & polka dots?
love.

they only do this magazine twice a year
so it's on the spendy side
($9.99)
but totally worth it to me...
i will be flipping through over & over
until the next issue in the summer
(i'm thinking...)

check it out...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
in other news...

(drawing by miss m)

life is good
& busy
& wild
& fun...

just the way i like it.

i'm working on something new
& something old
& something i'm always working on...
cryptic!
hoping to share soon...

:)

i heart spring on the way...

2011-03-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

hooray!
it's just around the corner...
let the rain begin!
(or rather, continue...)

:)

spring break, staycation day 3: food, friends & films...

2011-03-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

(via camera phone)

plan: go to the store & get only what's on the list
result: a 6 year old with three suckers

plan: daddy daughter date to see 'tangled'
result: 'tangled' was sold out &
according to brian hell is pronounced 'pic-a-nic basket'

plan: have Q do a bit of homework every day
result: well, at least he can spell x-box

plan: have my bff, angie's, family over for a lovely dinner
result: calzone
+adult beverages
+ a few minor meltdowns (by the kiddos, honest.)
+charlie & lola
= a really lovely night

all the kiddos...
(via camera phone that wouldn't let me crop)

plan: kiddos sleep in their beds tonight
result: one's on the floor, one's in the closet...

plan: another rockin' staycation day
result: yes!

:)

spring break staycation day 2: snuggle down!

2011-03-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

jammies til noon
xbox competitions
movie snuggles
cookie baking

3 hours at the park
sand creations
swing, swing, swing
reading in the sun

easy dinner
soccer practice
sunset fun

family movie
sleepover under the dining room table
netflix instant for mom & dad

spring break...
hooray!

:)

spring break staycation day 1: just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

2011-03-22T09:27:00.001-07:00

it was just supposed to be Q & brian
but then miss m heard about it
& we all were in on the trip...
i had my doubts
she's kind of unpredictable
my best description of her is
'she's really really happy
unless she's really really mad'
but she loved it & we all had a grand time!

i even swam some laps
which i wasn't sure if i could do any more...
over the last 7 years my 'swimming' has involved
holding a small child or at least being
upright enough to rescue one if needed...
it was very cool...
& so tiring!
three hours later
we were home & passed out in various parts of the house...
the best kind of tired, if you ask me :)

hooray for spring break
& husbands who are teachers
& kids who like to do stuff
(most of the time :)
& staycation!

:)

rose accepetance: what i learned from 'the bachelor'

2011-03-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

i just watched 'the bachelor: after the finale rose'
& i know it can be called many things
(fake, trashy, a dream come true)
& i know that it's not for everyone
but out of all of the seasons i've watched
this felt like was the most real & honest...

i loved how they talked to past
bachelor/bachelorette couples who are still together...

it goes with what i think is becoming
my personal life philosophy:
people just want to connect.
they want to be noticed
& heard
& relate to someone else...
to know they aren't alone
& that someone else has gone through it, too
& survived!
(oh, that's a different reality show :)

& really it doesn't even have to be that deep,
it can be, of course,
but even just a little
'what a cute coat!'
or
'have a good day'
is connecting...

& think about when someone
says something like that to you...
it gives you a little jolt of happy
even if just for a minute:
someone else noticed you
& took a second to say 'i see you'

& this relates to 'the bachelor' how?

i know, i know, but
as the established couples talked to this new couple
you could see they wanted to help...
& who better?
i could give advice all day long
(& sometimes do)
but i've never been there...

& brad & emily were listening
& understanding
& having light bulb moments...
you could even tell when the last music played
that emily said to brad 'it's just you & me'
which is what ali said roberto says to
remind her that when it comes down to it
they are the two in the relationship...

i love that inspiration comes from everywhere
& when you're alert
you can see examples of good things...

even on the bachelor.

:)

i heart concrete cheerleaders...

2011-03-12T17:01:00.000-08:00

after playing around with
this picture in photoshop
i'm beginning to think that i'm
the only one who will think that
there are hearts in that spot on the sidewalk...
but i see them
when i go for a walk or jog...
every time i go out,
at 5:30am
or 4 in the afternoon...
my little row of hearts,
cheering me on :)

we really don't let ourselves say no to an idea...

2011-03-08T13:19:00.000-08:00

yesterday i listened to a great
interview on npr, fresh air...
it was with grant achatz
an award winning chef who lost his
sense of taste to tongue cancer...

it was so inspiring!
i love listening to people talk about things they love
& taking risks...
the tongue cancer part was sad
& great because he has gotten it back
but the parts that i loved the most were
hearing him talk about the
unique things they do with food at his restaurant:

"What makes the food that we do at Alinea so interesting on the outside is that we really don't let ourselves say no to an idea," Achatz says. "When we start looking at things really critically or even very simply, we realize that there's more than one way to actually get the same results ... You're deconstructing the components of a course and putting them back together."

(he tells how they make this dish...
pretty awesome)

he talked about these small pillow cases that they
infuse with scents & then put them on the table
with your plate over them
& throughout the meal the scent comes out &
is a part of your dining experience...
is that the weirdest, coolest idea, or what?

it made me think that the ideas i have
i should just go for it...
one step at a time, of course
but so what if it sounds weird to some people?
let's just try it, okay?
yes!

you can listen to is here
or free through itunes...
:)

ps he sounds so much like james franko
(from the fresh air interview with him)
& i loved that, too...
he's totally young & laid back
not at all condescending
(that's terry gross's job anyway...
i do love her, but sometimes...:)

it was a great thing to listen to as
i did errands yesterday...
yep, i'm that anti-social girl you see
walking around the grocery store with my headphones on...

:)

oscar memories, 2011...

2011-03-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

do i not have the coolest, most creative friends?
they are so fun
& up for any goofy thing...
(see everyone's costumes here)

oscar night was so wonderful...
just full of
laughs
(when melissa leo dropped the f-bomb)
sighs
(anytime they showed colin firth)
cheers
(when the movie we voted for would win anything,
even sound editing)
oo's & ahhh's
(reece, sandra, haillie, halle, michelle & a couple of anne's)
jeers
(cate, mila, a couple of anne's)
groans
(who wrote the presenter's lines, anyway?)
munching
(these creative girls brought amazing food)
confusion
(james franco & his vaguely stoned hosting)

& from me:
love
(what a super spectacular group of girlies!)
& relief
(it was a wonderful 8 weeks of movie watching
but i need a little break :)

& you really should go over to my
night owl oscar club blog
& see the other costumes...
so so great!
(especially loved the viking girls :)

& the winner is:
me!
(such a fun oscar season :)

magazine monday: inspired ideas, spring 2011

2011-02-21T07:45:00.000-08:00

this magazine is so so cute...

full of sweet ideas...

i have never seen anything like these silhouette tags...
just adorable!

super cute holiday ideas...

i adore these sampler trees...

yummy little village...

these are pages from past issues
(you can see entire past issues here)

it's a digital magazine &
the current issue is for sale now over here
it's only $3.30
& packed full of adorableness!
i wish i could show you pictures from the current issue
it's so totally sweet!

:)

stuff i'm making: letter by letter...

2011-02-18T19:45:00.000-08:00

i've been making stuff...

& realizing

that playing with
letters

& quotes
& paper
& glue

is just about my favorite thing

ever.

:)

you can find all of these sweeties
(& some different views of them)
in my etsy shop
(if you click on one of these pictures,
you can get there, too)

& one more funny thing...

something that made me giggle:

don't you think that raising girls is equal parts
surprise
hope
exhaustion
aggravation
interest
& curiosity?

so great that using those letters just made it
work out that way...

:)

a sense of wonder: february 2011

2011-02-15T06:36:00.000-08:00

my fonts are not cooperating this morning...
big, tiny, huge, small...
make up your mind!
& then do what i'm asking you to do!
arg.
so that's that...
let's move along, shall we?

*sight*
all of the spring lines are coming out...
a perfect little pop of fun
in the midst of all this rain
(not that rain isn't fun...)

that one above is orla kiely
(i spotted it on a beautiful mess
a few weeks ago
& can't get it out of my head :)

& this fun look book
(also from a beautiful mess)
it's not all my style
(& doesn't need to be :)
but the idea of it
& the fun they had making it
is super fun & inspiring to see...
love it!

reading:
the hunger games trilogy...
it's so exciting & fun!
if you need something that's a
fast read but totally engrossing
give these a try...
i'm on the third one, mockingjay,
& i'm so excited to see what happens
but also want to savor it...
i love that feeling!

*taste*

dark chocolate covered raisins

*smell*
i was at a baby shower last month
& we played a game
('my FAVORITE thing to do at parties!'
she said with a hint of sarcasm)
apparently we were supposed to play as individuals
but my table, we were a team
& we finished first
& i raised my hand
that we were done
& so the prize was given to me...
we decided to split up the goodies
i took the loofa (totally needed a new one)
& when i gave the bath gel to my friend lisa
she said
'are you sure?'
& i said
'honestly, this is my least favorite scent'
(i'm very picky about that stuff... so goofy)
& she said
'well i got a bunch of stuff for christmas
what's your favorite? i will bring you something'
my favorite scents are citrus lemonie &/or vanilla...
the next time i saw lisa she handed me a bag with this in it:

a combo of my favorites!
& let me tell you, it's heavenly...
lemon summer vanilla body gel
my new favorite!

ps i know i made out the best in this scenario...
it really doesn't even make sense that lisa would trade me
since she was the winner too
but she is one of the nicest people in the world
& just smiled when i pointed this out :)

*touch/feel*
super cozy lightweight black yoga pants.
goodwill.
$4.99
booya!

*hearing*
all of the 'glee' versions of songs:

forget you
teenage dream
umbrella/singing in the rain mash-up

& my favorite:

& i love watching darren criss perform
he just seems so comfortable & happy...

& also listening:
vidal sassoon on fresh air:

'if you have an idea & you keep it to yourself,
it dies with you.
what's the point?'

i loved this!
it's so true...
sometimes i keep my creativity to myself...
& what's the good in that?
there's a place for art just for the sake of
creating, everything doesn't have to be shared...
but i have stuff that i want to share
& i just don't...
i LOVE to see other people's stuff
& so i should share as well
even if it's just for my own creative confidence...
this interview was so great
vidal has such a wonderful accent
& you can tell he loves what he does still after 40 years...
i love that!

:)

vv6: a valentine's day toast...

2011-02-14T07:05:00.000-08:00

here's to you...

& your one, sweet life...

& everyone you love...

cheers!

happy valentine's day <3

:)

my motion picture debut...

2011-02-10T14:48:00.000-08:00

dateline: 1998
place: hayward field, eugene, oregon
what: shooting the movie 'without limits'
who: me & 1oo's of other extras

dateline: 2011
place: my computer, netflix.com
what: 'without limits' on instant watch
who: me & miss m ('mom, why do you keep laughing so much?')

oh my goodness!
i'm way too excited about this...
but it was my motion picture debut!
i guess i should be excited :)

when i was in college
(well, not exactly IN college....around college?)
they were shooting the steve prefontaine movie
in my town & asked for extras...
& i went
& they took me
& i got to wear a costume
& i was in a shot with one of the stars
& i got paid!

i saw it in the theater when it came out
& saw myself
but then when it came out on video
one of my friends said that she had rented it
& didn't see me in it
(she said she really looked)
& i was wondering if i had imagined the whole thing!
i kept meaning to rent it & see...
but then never did
but this morning i noticed it on instant
& i started to search...
& i found it!
i didn't imagine it!
there i am!
see me?
in the bottom left hand corner?
i am in two shots...

i used to refer to monica potter as 'my co-star'
(she's the blond in the middle-ish section
& now she's on one of favorite shows 'parenthood')

oh, what a funny funny thing
& the perfect thing to shake up an ordinary day :)

if you happen to own this movie
or have netflix instant
the shots i'm in are at
1:37:43
&
1:37:57
not that i figured that out by
rewinding it 12 times...

it's actually a pretty good movie
& tom cruise produced it so
he came to the premiere in eugene...

so funny, i feel like i'm in college again...
college age, i mean...

i wonder if any eugenies remember this?
or were in it too?
let me know if you were
i will totally look you up on netflix...

okay,
calm down...
it's just a couple of seconds in a movie...

whatever...
i'm off to polish my pay stub...

:)

vv.5: love to read

2011-02-09T17:02:00.002-08:00

i love to read!
i learned to read when i was 6 or whatever
& i haven't stopped...

during the summer when i was a teenage girl
my parents would pay us a
penny a page for reading books
(& they charged us a penny a minute to watch tv)
& i made so much money those summers!

i have always loved stories...
nothing historical
nothing real
but not too much fantasy either...
i live in real life i don't want to read about it
& yet i would like my books to be
based on things that probably could happen...

'love walked in' fits the bill so incredibly well...
sweet but not too sweet
funny but not too funny
romantic but not too romantic
sad but not too sad...
sheesh maybe i should just read the label on the oatmeal
i'm making it sound so plain...

i will admit that the reason bought
this book is because of the cover...
the font
the red ribbon
the headless body
how could i resist?
it's what got me past the name
which i think sounds so cheesey...
& then you read it & it all makes sense
& you love it
& tell all of your friends
& only one reads it
(hi, rach!)
but one is enough
because then we could talk about it...
you know?

check it out
i promise you won't be sorry :)

ps right now i'm reading 'the hunger games' series
brian has been telling me to read it for a couple of years now
& as usual he is right
(see: 'twilight')
it is so so good!
it's a young adult book
& the plot is so great
i can't even start talking about it...
plus it's going to be made into a movie
so i'm glad i read it before i saw the movie
(see: 'twilight')
it's a super easy read
fast fast fast...
though beware
in some parts you will want to hide from your family
so you can find out what happens next
(see: 'cat in the hat'...just kidding)
& the main character is such a sweet, tough girl
you just want to hug her
(don't see: 'twilight')

anyway
check 'the hunger games' out too
& if you've already read it
let me know what you think
i would love to talk about it :)

:)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

very valentine is a series of posts i do
in february as we get closer to valentine's day...
you can see more over here...

happy hearting!
:)

vv.4: wall o' hearts...

2011-02-08T07:07:00.000-08:00

as soon as i put away the christmas decorations
(not ever too soon,
i'm not a day after christmas clean-up type of girl...
i like to have them around for a little while)
i get out the the valentine box...
it's not as big as the christmas box
(well, boxes :)
but it's always fun to unpack it...

there are a few things i've had for a while
& some things i've collected through the year...
(this is just a little bit of the pile)

every year i do something different
(not like christmas where almost
everything goes in it's own traditional spot)

last year at the coburg antique fair
i found a pile of wire hearts
(in auntie joy's booth...love her)
& i had to get them...
i didn't know what i was going to do with them
but that's not the point...
buying something you loooove
THAT'S the point :)

this year i put them in our windows
& i really love how they look
(even with our dirty panes :)

& then the hearts all in a row...
some i collected,
some the kids made,
some i made...

plus a little footprint in there
just so it's not TOO uniform :)

i have purged my collection several times
so all that remain are my faves...

i think it would be so fun to do the entire wall like this
just for the month or so before valentines day...
but somehow i think the man with the spackle won't
be too supportive of that...

do you decorate for valentines?
do tell!

:)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

very valentine is a series of posts i do
in february as we get closer to valentine's day...
you can see more over here...

happy hearting!
:)

magazine monday (on tuesday), instyle february 2011

2011-02-08T06:39:00.000-08:00

love the ads...
especially this one...
doodley doo...

even though it doesn't include my first celebrity crush
(still love you ricky)
it's super fun to read about other peoples...

though it does make me feel a little bit old
(ben affleck?
there's someone who is old enough to
work at a magazine who's FIRST crush was ben affleck?
sheesh...)

this layout is awesome...

story on janet jackson...

so great...

i love skirts
& the one on the left side, in the middle?
the off white crochet number?
perfect.

love how they did this layout to look like
ripped pages collaged together...
(& it was fun to read about natalie & her
love of converse...yes!)

this is one of the most amazing dresses i've ever seen...

it's made of silk organza
& would definitely take the focus off the bride
so maybe wear it to the shriners banquet, not a wedding

i love this green dress...
wood nimphy...

& there's a little section on
where to find the best plus size clothing
(petite section, too)...
i can't afford to buy on those sites
but, baby, it don't hurt to look :)

this next article just made me smile...
because usually style & hollywood fashion stuff is
all about how to be skinny & eat only
things that reside in nature
(no! not that three leaved plant!)
so an article all about
baking things using sugary trash cereal...
awesome.

i am totally going to try this...

cool article about dita von teese
& her over the top house
& her love of vintage...

instyle,
you never disappoint...

:)

vv3: a hearty get away...

2011-02-04T07:28:00.000-08:00

so
of course it's my intent to post a valentine every day
of course it is!
it's called very valentine after all...
why would i plan something like this if
i was going to be out of town or something?
that would be just silly...
downright silly...

in other news
i will be out of town this weekend...

sigh...

but have no fear
(i know you were quaking)
i will be back on monday with the
cutest, funnest, valentiniest stuff you have ever seen
in. your. life.
no low expectations here!

have a very valentine weekend, bloggies...
see you soon!

:)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

very valentine is a series of posts i do
in february as we get closer to valentine's day...
you can see more over here...

happy hearting!
:)

vv2: very valentine...hearts, hearts, everywhere hearts...

2011-02-02T14:22:00.000-08:00

i love hearts
(have i mentioned that already?
a few times, yes...
will i continue to mention that?
for sure :)

& i seem to see them all over the place
& so i take pictures
with my camera
or with my cel phone...

i think of them as little love notes from God
cheesie?
perhaps
but every time i see one i just hear 'hi em!' in my head :)

there are a couple more here, too...

if you keep your eyes open
i bet you'll start seeing them, too!

:)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

very valentine is a series of posts i do
in february as we get closer to valentine's day...
you can see more over here...

happy hearting!
:)

vv.1 : very valentine...let's get it started

2011-02-01T07:17:00.000-08:00

i love valentine's day...
heart it, if you will :)
& i have some fun stuff to share
leading up to cupid's big day...

this is the third time i have
tried to do a 'very valentine' countdown of cuteness...
the first year i got into a car crash
last year i was really sick...
but this year!
this is my year!
yes!

in the next couple o' weeks
i will share projects,
ideas,
inspiring things around the web,
quotes,
& just generally fun hearty stuff...

in the last few years i've
collected images of hearts from the internet...
so today i'm going to share a couple...
(yes, it would have been nice if i had
thought to save where i got these images
so as to give credit to the
creatives who made & them...
thank you for asking :)
so if you know where i got them,
please post in the comments
& i will make links...
thanks!)

just a few sweet images to start the celebrating...

from purlbee.com

super cute, right?
have a hearty day :)

see you tomorrow for some more hearty fun...

:)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

very valentine is a series of posts i do
in february as we get closer to valentine's day...
you can see more over here...

happy hearting!
:)

i know, i know...

2011-01-29T01:25:00.001-08:00

i just spent 2 hours
(watching 'the fashion show' &)
changing my banner
& boy is it big...
i kind-of love it
but
i'm not sure how i feel about seeing my face
so gigantic every time i 'view blog'...
i do enjoy seeing my family that big...
i sure love them :)
& that is one of my favorite skirtie finds ever...
but hmmmm
did i mention
i just spent 2 hours
changing my blog banner?
yes, well...
& so it shall remain...
for a little while...
:)

wonder yum: choco chip cookies of joy

2011-01-26T13:17:00.000-08:00

i get emails from real simple everyday
one thing i love about them is that they tell you exactly
what the email is about in the subject line...
it doesn't just say 'real simple newsletter 243'
it says 'the best 12 scarves for this winter'
or '7 organizational miracles'...
last month i got one that said 'classic chocolate chip cookies'
i know
i know
there are at least
643,000 'classic chocolate chip cookie recipes'
out there
(no really, that's how many came up when i googled it)
but considering when i make them here
i always use the back of the chocolate chip package
i figured i didn't have anything to lose
(cause i'm using the chocolate chips that are in said package)

& so i tried it...
& they are awesome...
just a couple of tweeks
& sudden awesomeness...
those tweeks being
using kosher salt
(we inexplicably had some in the cupboard)
& 3 times more brown sugar than white...
oh man!
so awesome
(& delish raw, of course :)
they also mention the option to add
walnuts or pecans which i haven't done
(because there are none inexplicably in the cupboard)
but if you like nuts, i bet it's super awesome...

here's the recipe:
(click on the title & it will
take you right to the recipe on the real simple site)

Classic Chocolate-Chip Cookies

Makes 48 cookies| Hands-On Time: 20m | Total Time: 1hr 00m

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (12 ounces)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped (optional)

Heat oven to 350° F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. One at a time, beat in the eggs, then the vanilla. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined (do not overmix). Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts (if desired) by hand.
Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough onto baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.
Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until golden around the edges but still soft in the center, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

sign up to get the real simple emails too:
click here
there's lots of options, too
so you can choose to get the fashion stuff
(yes!)
& choose not to get the cleaning tips
(uh, why?)
i also get the 'daily quote'
which is fun
(& sometimes makes a lovely facebook post)

:)

& the nomination goes to...

2011-01-25T09:27:00.000-08:00

hooray!
the nominations are out!
check them out over on my
night owls oscar club blog...
along with some reviews
& a schedule of what we're going to see next!

i've been wanting to
try to see most of the oscar movies
before the actual awards night
for so many years...
it's so great to finally do it!
this year by the time
february 27 rolls around
i may just have seen every
best picture nominated movie!
not sure if that has ever happened...
loving it!

:)

magazine monday: lucky, february 2011

2011-01-24T10:39:00.000-08:00

love, love, love...

i love nicole richie & how her life
has brought her to the place she is now...
from wild party girl to creative mom & designer...
& while we probably wouldn't wear many of the same styles
(i believe she is at least 5 inches shorter than i am
& about 1000 times more financially enhanced)
i still admire her ability to
try different things
& choose the one that always makes her look so happy & comfortable
while still being stylish...

& i love her kiddos names, too :)

lucky does these 'city guides' in every issue
& they are so fun to look at...
even if the only city that they have ever profiled
that i could easily go to is portland :)
i always read through the descriptions of the shops

it might sound funny
but it really inspires me...
to know that i might (will!) have a shop someday...

& the hand drawn maps are just right...

i love that they did an article about
dying your clothes to make them work for each season...
love that bit of diy!
i will never do this...
not because it's a bad idea
but the box of brown dye that has been sitting
on my shelf for three years just said 'ahem!'

love love love the bows!
now if i could just cut the heels off of some of these...

i love bright primary colors...
so so much...
hoping i can find one like these on a thrifty journey :)
(& i really enjoy that preppy style right below the purses, too)

lucky has been doing these cool guides at
the end of fashion shoots
with ideas on how to 'get the look'
the artsy but symmetrical parts of my brain is in the love with them...
(& with that black & white shirt on the bottom row, too...
huh, black & white, who would have guessed? :)

i love lucky...
every issue is more fun than the one before!
& i'm not just saying that...
:)

ps
adore this hat...

:)

just right...

2011-01-24T10:32:00.000-08:00

one of my favorite favorite bloggers is tara whitney
she is at the tip top top of my 'tip top blogs' list
(of course, i actually have a 'tip top blogs' list!)
today's post is just right...
just what people, ladies, moms all over the world need to hear...

she made that quote picture up there, too...
just right...

:)

wonder yum: color me delish...

2011-01-21T09:57:00.000-08:00

one of the cutest things i've seen lately...
pantone chip cookies!
made by kim neill...
see more pictures
& how she did it over here...

i found this on design sponge
one of my favorite blogs of coolest & cutest stuff
collected from all over the internet...

:)

b4 & after: above & beyond

2011-01-19T12:15:00.001-08:00

while i was cleaning up & packing up all of
our christmas decorations
i started to get that feeling...
that feeling where i was pretty much
done with the cleaning up,
ready to create something...
& so i went for a wall & shelf

i used to do displays for a gift store
(hirons, for you locals :)
& it was my most favorite job
so i loved bringing stuff in
trying it out, moving things around...
it's just so fun!

we have a shelf above our cabinets in the kitchen
an endless shelf
a shelf that i always had ideas about
but never really got to...
a shelf that we just stuck some stuff on:

lovely picture, eh?
i forgot to take a b4 picture
& had to search through old pics
to find one...
thankfully my kiddos like to use the camera
so i got an 'elves eye view' of the shelf :)

i love old stuff
vintage stuff
stuff i got at estate & garage sales when i was younger...
we don't have a lot of storage
so only my favorite stuff survives...

i have always loved old cameras &
brian's dad worked for kodak
so we have some cool ones...
that orange thing is some sort of book rack
that i got at the coburg antique fair before
Q was born, to put in his room
(never made it, because we moved)
Q picked up the eiffel tower at a garage sale
(he's always been enamored with the eiffel :)
the painting is from goodwill
i got it to paint over & do my own arty stuff with
but i never could...
the colors are just too perfect...
& finally the letters
i found a giant bag of them at a garage sale.
they are pretty big so they aren't super useful
but i love them, yellow & perfect :)

the wall space between some of our windows
used to have our favorite picasso painting
& some canvases that Q drew on when he was a little guy...
but it needed a change
a little spruce...

we went to victoria, canada in 2000 to celebrate
one of our anniversaries
& we picked up a cute little painting
that then became available in
every bed, bath & beyond (& beyond) for years...
ah well,
we liked it first! :)
& it brings us good memories...

one year i got brian one of the little accent paintings
& a few months ago at goodwill i found two more that
aren't by the same artist
but look similar
(because i repeat: that style was everywhere for years!)
they were $1.99 each & so perfect...
i'm hoping to find more
& fill in the whole wall.
i do love that acrylic style...

i always forget how good it feels to change things up...
makes walking into the kitchen much more fun :)
i might just do it more often...

watch out space above the couch & upstairs hallway.
i'm coming for you next!

:)

proud to be natty...

2011-01-10T15:08:00.000-08:00

the only thing on our minds today...

our team
OUR TEAM
is in the national championship game!
we are over the moon
& ready to yell O!
hooray!

go ducks!

:)

cutest dress ever.

2011-01-07T00:43:00.000-08:00

while wandering around
looking for pictures for my
new oscar movie blog
i came upon this little cutie...
oh goodness.
scallops
eyelet
white
little hair bow...
can zooey just come stand in my closet?

:)

night owl oscar club...

2011-01-06T16:24:00.000-08:00

hi friends!
i just wanted to let you know about
my newest 'thing'
(besides pretzel m&m's
those things are killers...)
it's the night owls oscar club!

i love to watch the oscars
but i hate watching when i've only
seen one or two nominated movies
(to be absolutely honest
i don't hate it, i love it no matter what :)
& so i'm going to go watch one nominated movie
every week...

the night owl oscar club (NOOC)
meets every tuesday night
& the showing will always be after 9pm

more info on the blog
(of course i made a blog...
do i do anything without making a blog about it?
haven't you seen brushingmyteethandmakingmybed.blogspot.com?
here's the link:
nightowloscar.blogspot.com

if you're a local
& you can stay up past 11pm
come on out!
we had a lot of fun this week...
great movie
& happy, awake, movie happy girls :)

i'm super excited about this :)

new year, new slippers...

2011-01-03T06:56:00.000-08:00

hooray!

:)

(not sure what that little blob
next to my feet is...
my head?
my elbow?
an alien space craft?
the 3rd day of 2011
& already a mystery...)

slippers are avon
from my sister
(the one's i wanted last spring!
& she reprimanded me in the
comments about not asking her
to get them with her discount :)
thanks, kate!
they are sooo cozy!

deck the halls with doilies & tiny trees...

2010-12-08T23:56:00.000-08:00

i'm having such a fun time
with these little trees...
& the doilies?
they aren't just for putting under vases any more...
(or whatever doilies are for)

oh the joy of the season!

if you would like any of these sweeties to come live with you
do come by & visit my little etsy shop!
the glitter & doilies will be happy to greet you...

:)

crafty letter love...

2010-12-02T07:26:00.000-08:00

i'm working hard to get ready for the 2nd annual
cuppa joy sale!

it's tomorrow night!

friday december 3
6pm-8:30

perk and play coffee house
2866 crescent avenue #101, eugene

& i'm really excited about the artists & reps we have...
very cute stuff!
click over to the blog & check them out

:)

ps
yesterday @ my favorite goodwill
in a nondescript box
just sitting innocently on the shelf
i discovered
possibly my best
letter find ever:

perfect size
awesome color
& tons & tons
for $1.99...

*sigh*
i love letters!

if you come see me at the sale
you will get to see some in action :)
(& if you can't/don't i will have some in my etsy shop next week)

:)

cuppa joy holiday sale
friday december 3
6pm-8:30

perk and play coffee house
2866 crescent avenue #101, eugene

hope to see you there!
:)

i heart graffiti...

2010-11-21T09:33:00.000-08:00

when it's cute...
& there's a sweet girl standing next to it...

:)

creative shopping...

2010-11-19T10:53:00.000-08:00

today i'm finishing up
on some projects
for a holiday sale at the creative boutique...

i love having some time to play...
it's so energizing!
gives me a little pep in my step :)

if you are a local friend
come on over & see what we've got going on!
click over to the creative boutique blog
for info & directions
hope we get to see you there :)

i heart costco...

2010-11-17T15:14:00.000-08:00

& i find hearts at costco...

:)

school houses rock...

2010-11-16T09:54:00.000-08:00

finally!**
my school house finds
first let me say
i could have bought everything there
& figured out how to use it
(preschool table as coffee table? yes!)
if only we had a 5000 square foot house...

thankfully both kiddos needed a desk
(yes, NEEDED! :)
& there were so many different choices
from tiny little things
to the high school 'chair with small desk board attached' type...
miss m (after much contemplation) chose
this little sweetie:

i got to go to two school closing sales
that week
(& sadly i think there will be more to come
in the next few years
it's bittersweet, really...
i love school sales
it's just sad that a school has to
close in order to have them)

the first was a preschool closing
it was a little school my sister actually went to
so that was kind-of sweet
that also means it was over 30 years old
& believe me
they kept everything...
as i walked in there were two sets of cubbies coming out
(one was teal & chippy & perfect!)
darn!
Q was with me so my time was limited
but i did get to go through
& find some fun stuff...
a set of road & traffic sign flash cards
(not exactly sure why you would be testing
preschoolers on 'no right turn' but, okay)
some of them i knew Q would love
& oh, he did:

(danger: legos underfoot!)

(detour to the closet!)

& the desk he chose
(with no contemplation at all)
is exactly the same as the one he has at school
(he knows what he likes :)
he added it to his lego mega-desk
(mega desk! dwight shrute!)

(poison sign was in that flash card set too)

& the chair
*sigh*
the chair...
if i could have bought them all
(tons & $2 each!)
i would have...

i loooove the base so much...
wouldn't it be cool to have these all around
a dining room table?

& now my desk!
when i was in high school
my parents got me a drafting table
a real live(ish) one!
& i loved it
& have used it since then
in every room i've ever had...
but every year it has gotten
less & less sturdy...
when you would put something remotely heavy on it
it would shake & things would fall over...
so when i saw these at the elementary school sale
i was so excited...

(my high style garage art space :)

they are drafting tables too
but so super sturdy...
i am in love with them!
& the surfaces are a dream to clean up
considering they have probably been scrubbed
of grime for 30 years
& still look amazing
i'm thinking i will have them for a few years, too :)

my estate/tag sale friend, lisa
(we have never gone to a sale together
but we run into each other all the time...
it's pretty funny)
got one (maybe two?) also
(how are you liking yours, lisa?)
they are so great
& at $3 each
more than a bargain...

back to the preschool sale
this was my favorite find there:

individual little chalkboards...
can you stand it?
& 'beacon boards'
i have googled those words & descriptions
in so many different ways
& configurations but still can't exactly figure out what they are
they have a glossy finish on them
& aren't magnetic...
anyway
it doesn't really matter what they were originally
(or what works on them... chalk? dry erase markers?)
i have already made some things with them :)

they are just the cutest!

& books were 15 for $1

& stuck in with the books
i found this envelope:

full of these sweeties:

aren't they so cute?
just classic :)

this last saturday
brian said
'why don't you check out the paper
& make a garage sale plan'
(he's pretty cool :)
& the preschool sale was in the paper
again!
i will share what we got
in yet another post
(maybe i should rename this blog:
i go to school sales sometimes
or all the time)
but let me just say this:
if we got a pinball machine
we could open our own arcade...

here's to sales & schools
& hoping that neither ever go out of style...

:)

** you guys just have to know
how many blog posts happen in my head...
when i say
'i'll post tomorrow'
i really mean to!
& i have it all written in my brain
& then life happens
& i do more 'brain blogging'
& i'm just trying to figure this out...
should i just throw something up
even if it didn't take much thought?
or be crazy random blogger?
i don't know...
but thanks for sticking around while i figure it out :)

have a fab day!

:)

magazine monday: lucky, december 2010

2010-11-15T08:05:00.001-08:00

lucky is a magazine that i have subscribed to on & off...
i always love it
but sometimes i'm more interested in fashion
& sometimes i just hope there's something
in my closet that doesn't make me want to
step on my own foot repeatedly (?)
anyway
this issue celebrates their 10 year anniversary...
time to party!

i simply adore this dress...

inspiration boards are something i just love to see
there's a blog with different people's boards
(maybe i will try to dig it out)
this one is so sweet
the yellow
& rachel bilson
& that little building down on the bottom?
you turn that top over & it's a serving dish
& the bottom part is bowls stacked on top of each other...
(talk about 'build a meal' :)
really fun!

& they did a timeline
of their last 10 years...
i am such a sucker for a timeline!
so great to see all of the fashions through the years

i also always fall for the
'10 must have pieces'
every time,
no matter what they are in reference to
('10 must have pieces for stage diving'
'10 must have pieces for ice dancing')
but this one might be more handy than most...

i think i've got 8 of the 10
anybody have some size 10 motorcycle boots
they would like to get rid of?

this next page was fun...

i loooove this skirt...
not sure if i'm brave enough to wear it
but it's just so cute!

& this outfit...
or maybe it's her pose...
either way
i'm liking it

another one i loooove
but probably won't be wearing :)

then they just started this new column
at the end of the magazine
(i'm a sucker for a good last page, too)
it's all about celebrating different girl's style icons
you can even send in your story
about a friend or relative...
what a neat idea...

happy anniversary lucky!
i'll always take a gamble with you :)

wonderfinds: denim & top-stiching

2010-11-04T07:19:00.000-07:00

i'll be back later (today? tomorrow?)
with my school house purchases...
i did take pictures last week
but then the kids cleaned their rooms
& so i am going to retake them
keep up the illusion that the floor is always clear of
legos
babies
& undies

anyway...

i have been finding such great stuff lately at
the thrift stores
(& one particularly awesome garage sale):
a couple of cute coats
some shoes
& a dress or two...

i found these shoes & a dress yesterday
& took pictures before they were welcomed in
to my happy little closet
NEVER TO BE HEARD FROM AGAIN!
(i am learning)

these shoes
are just what i need for fall
brown!
cute little buckle!
top-stitching!
i love how the ends of the belt-like thing (?)
stick out a little bit...
will it hit things as i walk?
brush against other's ankles?
they are very unpredictable...
always living on the edge.

i wasn't so sure about the cut-outs
still not
but it's not like they are showing something inappropriate...
like my heels (gasp!)
so again i'm a risk taker with my footwear...
yep.

(brown school shoes, goodwill, $4.99)

this dress reminds me just enough of a
back to school jumper
that i get a little nostalgic
but not so much that i want to do anything crazy
like actually go to school...

(denim dress, goodwill, $5.99)

'Q's mom, why are you hanging that dress in a tree?'
(Q & miss m were not fazed at all, of course)

i love the little ruffled arms
& again with the top-stitching...

makes me want to go buy school supplies...

:)

school's out...

2010-11-03T07:12:00.000-07:00

be still my heart!
my love of school related paraphernalia
is no secret
so when i saw this sale in the classifieds
i was so there...

(locker baskets were not for sale...
or we would have had to find a new place for our bed)

(i grew up with this encylopedia set...
ah, pre-google!)

all of the text book essentials...

cutest dictionary cover ever...

the things that made me long for a school house of my own
were all of the desks & chairs!
& these tables...

*sigh*

cute little cubbies
that i stared at for ages...
the lady kept coming down on the price

it wasn't the price
it was the 'where would i put this'?
in the end (after a text or two)
i bought it for jill
& i paid full price
($5 :)

even the bathroom was cute...

& my assistant had lots of fun too :)

(adorable puppet stage!)

this sale
(& another closing pre-school sale)
just made me more sure that someday
an old school
is in my future :)

ps next i'll show what i actually bought...

:)

halloweek: attack of the sicky monster...

2010-10-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

maybe sunday
maybe saturday
if i'm really feeling great!
but right now i am sick sick sick
& so i am thinking that i may not be adding
more halloweek stuff...
the good thing?
halloween comes every year
so i can just pack up my pictures
& ideas & give them a little time to simmer :)

have a wonderful weekend!

:)

halloweek: boo corner

2010-10-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

after Q's first halloween
we got the pictures back
(aka uploaded & looked at them on the computer)
& he was just so cute!
so i had to print one
& frame it
& i thought
'hey, it would be fun to put this in the halloween box
(aka rubbermaid container filled with
spiderwebs & fake pumpkins)
& get it out next year...'
so that's what i did
& it was such a great little surprise
(the elephant picture up there)
that i did it again
for his second halloween:

(ah! look at those chubby froggy cheeks!
where did they go?)

the halloween of 2006
we had a new trick-or-treater with us:

& we had a boy who was not
very interested in posing for the camera...
no problem!
just say 'candy!'

2007 miss m was so against the
adorable (adorable!) bumble bee costume
that i had to trick her into a '80's girl' costume
side pony tail
pink checkered vans
but when it came to heading out
she needed a coat
& different shoes
& a hat
& she needed her baby stroller
so she became a little mommy
(& gave me a preview of the clothing fun we would have in the future)
there was no time to do pictures
so i have one blurry,
while-we-were-out shot...
when i was looking for pictures to print
i liked another fallish one better
(below, top right)
(there's those cheeks again!)

(2007 was Q's race car driver year, (above, bottom left)

2008 & 2009
were years that i just had
to take what i could get,
grumps or not
(above, bottom right & top left)

putting them all into a multi frame
saves space
& doesn't call attention to the less than stellar
(more than realistic)
shots...
just makes them all seem festive :)

i also have one of brian, Q & i
in the pumpkin patch in 2005
that i added to the bunch

(miss m is in the picture too...about the size of a tiny pumpkin, i believe :)

i put the year on a couple of the frames
& i think i might do it to the others, too...

that way i don't have to rely on my memory :)

(blurrrrry)

full disclosure:
i did frame the first two right after halloween
but then our little sweetie addition came in 2006
& i had every intention of
framing the best shots
& then again in 2007 (great intentions!)
2008 (good intentions!)
2009 (didn't even remember)
(believe me, every year when i took the halloween box out
i would feel so bad that there were just the two pictures
& only of Q...
poor second child syndrome!)

then last week
i was getting ready to host our bible study
thinking about our decorations
(already out for 3 weeks :)
i decided
this is the year!
& i found all of the shots on the computer
& got them printed
& framed them!
thank goodness for house guests!
well over half of our decorating
is attributed to people coming over
(sadly, we don't have people over that much
so there are some pretty bare spaces)

this is one of my favorite holiday traditions...
so cute to see them grow
& the kids love it so much
(miss m wants to keep the ladybug frame in her room
even after halloween :)

check back tomorrow...
there's more boo to come!
(i have a little guest designer coming to share)

:)

halloweek: spooky chocolate mousse

2010-10-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

when my sister & i were younger
middle school
(maybe elementary)
our favorite dessert was
'pudding in a cloud'
a little concoction designed by the kraft corporation:
a layer of cool whip
'spread onto bottom and up side of each dish with back of spoon'
(don't even think about using a knife or fork!
kraft will revoke your mac & cheese license...)
& then a spoonful of chocolate pudding in the center...
often we would make
'cloud in a pudding'
(more chocolate that way)

a few weeks ago
i tried the mousse recipe
(conveniently located on the side of the pudding box)
& decided to make it when
we hosted bible study at our house...

i wanted to do individual cups of it
& was trying to figure out
what i would put them in...
while perusing the halloween baking aisle at target
i saw my answer:

these little baking cups are so cool!
they are designed for making mini cakes
(we used star shaped ones for Q's second birthday)
but they were perfect for this...

so
here's the deal
(disclaimer:
i'm no pioneer woman
i'm just going to show what i did)

assemble ingredients:

(pretend there are mini chocolate chips &
cool whip in this picture)
(see? proof: not a cooker blogger person...
can't even think up a good name for it...
double proof!)

put chocolate chips & milk in a bowl
microwave 2 minutes
whip together until mixed

add pudding mix to bowl
& whip again

use a measuring cup
(or whatever...triple proof!)
to scoop pudding into baking cups

put into the refrigerator for a while
(at least 20 minutes)
i put all of the ghosts into a lasagna pan
so i wouldn't have to put them in & take them out
of the fridge one by one
(that could take like 45 seconds!)

when the mousse is set
spread cool whip over the top
(i used skim milk & cool whip free
so the fat & calorie count is loooow
& you know what that means?
you can eat two!)
(also not a diet blogger person)

add some mini chocolate chip eyes
& you've got some new little friends
to delight a surprise the neighbors

(note: i made these the night before we served them
& in some parts the cool whip was thin & settled a bit
& pudding showed through...
kind-of looked like ghosts who used dirty sheets
for their costume
& hey, i'm all for reality but
if you want pure white ghosties
i'd put the cool whip on no more than
a couple of hours before you serve them...
that sounded a little bit cooker bloggery)

so yummy it's scary :)

come back tomorrow for a
little halloween decorating show & tell!

boo!

:)

magazine monday: entertainment weekly, october 22-29

2010-10-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

i love entertainment weekly
it is one of the best what's-happening-in-the-movies-&-tv
(& other media)
magazines that there is...
it's not at all trashy
& there are always great interviews & photos

i don't have a subscription
so when i have a little alone time at barnes & noble
it's always my first read
(or second after us weekly...
talk about trashy :)

this week i was at the grocery store
& i saw this issue
& i just had to get it
(that's the only problem with a weekly magazine:
if you don't grab it when you see it,
it's usually gone by the time you change your mind)

it's their reunion issue
& 'back to the future' was on the cover
(there are other covers
with other reunions on them)

oh my
i loved that movie...
we had the soundtrack
(one of the only 'mainstream' tapes we owned)
'the power of love'
(huey lewis has a cameo in the movie)
'heaven is one step away'
&
'johnny b. goode'

the whole cast is so great
(even biff)
& the delorean
& the clock tower
& the dress that lorraine wears to the dance
& 'calvin klein'
& the flux capacitor...

oh we should just go watch it right now...

but of course the real draw
to this movie is
michael j. fox...
he is just so cute
(he doesn't look much different now)
& funny
& i always wanted this jean jacket with the rolled up sleeves...

(i always loved alex p. keaton, too :)
(& doc hollywood)

........

brian & i love 'will & grace'
we have a couple of the seasons on dvd
& one or two compilations...
we just randomly put them on
when we want some guaranteed funny :)
they have the best guest stars
kevin bacon (hilariously as himself)
matt damon (singing)
madonna (dancing great, acting just okay)
minnie driver (so so funny)
michael douglas (he dances too, so funny)
j.lo (as herself & really great)
i could go on & on...
i (still) love this show!

......

'if you leave
don't leave now
please don't take my heart away'
*sigh*
'pretty in pink'
another movie i adore
(& have watched 100's of times)

there are so many reasons to love this movie
the music
the rad 80's guys
the high school angst
but
the best is:
she makes her own prom dress!
it's one of my favorite scenes ever...
diy in a major movie!
how can you not love that?

& then of course, there's ducky...
'try a little tenderness'
perfect.

let's watch that right now, too, okay?

.........

when we were first married
we lived way out in the country
& brian was a volunteer for the fire district...
one night he went out on an emergency call
& i decided to watch this new show...
the minute he came home
did i ask him how the call was?
if everyone was okay?
no.
i told him every bit about the show
'there's this girl
& she's a secret agent
& she's so cute
& so cool
& her name is sydney!'

we watched 'alias' from that day
until it started getting too complicated
(season 4 or so)
(oh & i think we might have had a baby by then, too :)
it was such a perfect show to watch as a couple, too!
action & great clothes & a cute girl who kicked butt
& funny & bad guys & good guys...

did anyone not fall in love with jennifer garner?
we sure did :)

.................

have i ever mentioned how much i like those gilmore girls?
oh.
i have?
:)

here's cute little interview where they talk about
rumors of a gg movie...
i won't spoil it for you...

& one more part in the magazine
unrelated to reunions...

after the beautiful flash back of kurt & his dad
on 'glee' a few weeks ago
they showed their favorite adult characters seen as kids.
the kurt actor was really amazing...
even through my tears i could see that :)

& the little girl kate in 'lost' was so cute, too
& perfectly freckled...
(& dexter
which i don't watch
but i am tempted...
maybe next summer,
i'm all filled up with shows right now)

i loved this issue so much
i read it straight through,
smiling all the way....

:)

ps the issue also has reunions for:
'lord of the rings'
'married with children'
'the west wing'
'roots'
'northern exposure'
'scream'
& 'the muppet show'
(which needs it's own post)

just in case you are big coo-coo fans of any of those :)

bonus magazine monday: real simple, november 2010

2010-10-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

oh my goodness
i love this...
so so much...

:)

magazine monday: christmas ideas, 2010

2010-10-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

this is one of the bazillion

special editions that
better homes & gardens
does during the year...

often they are kind-of
hit & miss for ideas
but this one is bursting with sweet stuff...

a lot of them use ordinary craft items to
make super cute things...

popsicle sticks:

felt...

repurposed sweaters...
(the stockings)

a screen door...
(sooooo cute)

shoes as goodie bags
& old fashioned cross stitch...

buttons, yarn & more felt...
(obviously inspired by the incomparable princess lasertron :)

pipe cleaners...

& a little more felt...

& my favorite:
clay...

sculpey is on sale at jo-ann's this week
i'm going to stock up so we can
have a snowman making party in november...
i just love these wee sweeties :)

time to get started on holiday projects...
it's the most wonderful time of the year
:)

curlie girlie...

2010-10-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

so
i was waiting to tell you about my new job
(new within the last 6 months)
i just wanted to be sure that it was going to stick
(& hopefully i haven't jinxed it now...)

this new fun job is that
i get to write blog entries for different companies...
it's very fun :)
the company i write for the most is
ouidad, which makes hair products for curly haired girls & guys
(hello! perfect for me :)

my latest assignment was to do an entry
about a celebrity who has curly hair
(my choice!)

do you need three guesses?
how about a hint?
or just a picture of who it actually is...

so the focus was on 'glee'
& the main curls on the show come from mr. shue, of course...

the title of the post is
"Don't Stop Believing" in Ouidad's Power To Make Curly Hair Beautiful'
the whole thing is on their blog now
& i'm pretty excited about it!

my other entries have been fun to do, too
(scarlet johansson in iron man 2 & taylor swift, among others)
but this one was the closest to my heart
so i wanted to share <3

ps first picture is a lamp!
love it.
perfect for a salon :)

pps & if you're in the market for curly hair products
check out ouidad!
(i don't get a commission if you do order
just the satisfaction of knowing that i helped you find
something for your curls :)

magazine monday: small, autumn 2010

2010-10-11T06:57:00.001-07:00

cool & cute...

small is an awesome online magazine

their photo shoots are so fun

they highlight different artists

(loooove the 'heart hair' on the right!)

& do lots of interviews

they have really adorable ads

(laura siebert photography)

(mama k's aromatic play clay)

their also do really cool shoots
(& not always super kiddie)

they put together great collections

& fun 'kid on the street' spreads

& the neat thing?
it's free!
sign up here for
a big dose of small style

(i just made that up...
i'm always available for tag line consultation :)

:)

a sense of wonder: september 2010

2010-09-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

*taste*
caramel apple spice...

it says fall to me :)

*smell*
the harvest scented candles
(& non-candles)
are out & burning
(or not burning)...

*sight*

watching: all the new episodes!

parenthood

gossip girl

modern family

apprentice

survivor
the amazing race
& of course

glee

reading:

an interview with gwenyth
in entertainment weekly
about her new movie where
she plays a guitar playing country singer:

How are your guitar skills now?
Can you hold your own on stage?
"Uh...you know. More or less.
My husband* says I'm better than Bono,
worse than the Edge."

uh...you know.
that's craaaaazy...
if i was answering that question it would go:
"My husband** says I'm better than
the kindergartners,
worse than the 4th graders"

* chris martin, the lead singer of coldplay
**brian, teacher of 5th graders

seeing:
people in summer clothes...
trying to get that one last wear before
the rain starts...

*touch/feel*

those crunchy leaves under my feet
(& in the car
& ground into the carpet)

*hearing*

music actually made in 2010...

(disclaimer:
the lyrics to these songs are not
exactly kid friendly....
or people-who-who-don't-like-
swearing-or-or-inappropriate-references-
in-their-music
friendly...
but if you're a swearing, inappropriate adult,
these are for you! :)

lady gaga
(thank you, glee)

eminiem
(thank you wendy & the vma's)

& that billionaire song that was on glee last week

(apparently the tv is now my radio)

***extra sense*****

(fashion sense, that is)

fall fashion!
i heart sweater weather...

i loooove this one
from faith21
(it's plus size, even...
imagine!)

anthropology has
so many cute sweaters
(big surprise :)
&
no plus sizes
(no surprise
but
(& i've talked to many girls about this)
if they did, they would sell like crazy!)

another
anthro...

&
this sweater dress is so great
(stinking target won't let me post a picture
even though i would totally link back to them)

viva sweater weather!

:)

sblog: the tools don't matter, the story does...

2010-09-22T11:05:00.000-07:00

i used to scrapbook
oh, did i used to scrapbook
(you can see some of it here, if you're so inclined)
& i loved it
loved it so much
but
i haven't scrapbooked
in the literal 'paper & glue'
sense for a long time...

not because i don't like it
just because life goes in so many different directions
(usually all at once)
& right now
the road to traditional scrapbooking has a detour sign on it...
blogging has become my scrapbooking
memories
pictures
words
the only thing missing is the glue :)

one of my favorite modern day philosophers
stacy julian
is known for saying (in regards to scrapbooking):
'it all counts'**
everything you are writing down
no matter where you are writing (or typing) it,
everything & every way you are taking photos,
facebook,
twitter,
backs of envelopes...
it all counts!

i love what rachel briggs said on her blog:
I am expressing my version of events of my life.
(this entire post is really great)

just because i haven't sat down with my
supplies doesn't mean i don't have
things to say
things to remember
things to be excited about...

but within the blogging format
i have held myself back:
'i waited too long to post about going to the county fair
& now it's been three weeks...
it's too late to post about it!'
i put that on myself
& now i'm ready to break away from it...

stacy
(& many, many other scrapbookers)
also talks about the idea
that you don't need to scrapbook in chronological order...
a trip to the park with the kiddos last week one day
& my high school senior trip the next...
& when i scrapbooked
i was all about that...

& so decided to call what i'm doing a sblog
a combo of scrapbook & blog...
rules:
none
just tell whichever story i want to
whenever i want to...
i'm going to label it with the date the event happened
because that seems logical :)
but beyond that i'm just going to get my stories down

i'm super excited about this
because boy, do i have some stories!
triathalons
& parties
& that aforementioned fair...
things from this year
& things from years ago...

the tools don't matter, the story does...

i need this...
for my family
& for me...

rules?
what rules?

:)

** one of the places stacy has said this is
on the paperclipping roundtable podcast...
this podcast is so wonderful
even for a non-practicing scrapbooker such as myself...
love it!

:)

dream dresses...

2010-09-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

it's my favorite color combo
(yellow & grey)!
& polka dots!
& great collar!
& fun tights!

i can totally see miss m

in the cute ruffles on the little girlie dress...
maybe with some leggings
we have some dress length rules around here...

my dress isn't in my size
or my budget...
but i like to
dream big dreams
(or small ones
if i want to fit into a dress such as this :)

dresses by princess lasertron
she's the one who does the awesome
button bouquets
that i would totally get if we had another wedding...

she has lots of other dresses
soooo cute!

:)

gleeking out...

2010-09-10T10:51:00.000-07:00

one of my little mash-ups was featured in
a treasury on etsy...
so super cool!
& it's a glee treasury so double super cool!

it was compiled by the paper punch...
(which has adorable tags & cards, by the way)
thank you so much!

:)

the last night...

2010-09-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

before school starts....

we had such a fun summer in our driveway...

Q & miss m looooove our neighbors...

so cute!

magazine monday: schoolhouse & sparkles

2010-09-06T00:15:00.000-07:00

country living, october 2010

this home
in an old schoolhouse!
oh, i loooove it!*
i love the idea of school so much...
actually going to school
not so much :)

that top picture is a bench made from an old pommel horse!
this is the sort of thing that makes me so happy...
who would think of that?
& of course it makes the perfect bench...
love it...

next shot...
i adore the giant blackboards on the walls...

check out the bedside table...

an old school desk!
so genius...
i love the idea of having
a little seat next to the bed...
not sure why you need one
but i love it...

check out this yellow, yellow YELLOW kitchen
i'm not that brave
but i always love to see a giant chalkboard
& this girl's dress is too cute...

this next house is just adorable
it's like 1000 square feet
& seems to me that every foot is too cool...
i love the grey walls
& check this kitchen island

the little bar on the side is part of a mantle
& that refrigerator!
gorgeous...

& my favorite!
this room in the basement...

it's a wine cellar/dining room!
i love how the wine bottles are displayed...
those boxes are awesome...

i love magazines so much!
they are little presents in my mailbox
& at barnes & noble
& costco
& sometimes i find
an old one under the bed
& it's a present all over again...

:)

*i have a secret dream of opening
a business in an old schoolhouse...
i have it all planned out in my head:
vintage class photos lining the walls,
collections of lunchboxes,
a cafe in the cafeteria,
a spa in the nurses office,
bookstore in the library...
anyone out there with the desire to fund my dream?
let me know...

;)

thanQ....

2010-09-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

after a week of
'miss m touched my legos!'
& 'why do i have to do EVERYTHING?!'
& 'can i have another snack?'
& 'but i'm still hungry!'
& 'i'm going to run away!'

finding this on the refrigerator
was quite sweet...

i'm almost sad that school starts on tuesday...
almost.

:)

heart broken...

2010-09-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

one of my very best friend's dad died yesterday
& i am so sad for her
& so heart broken
& so helpless
& so not-knowing-what-to-do for her

except i do know
because i remember
when my mom died...

so i will call her
& i will text her every day
& tell her i'm so sad for her
& that it's heart breaking
& 'how can i help?'
& 'what can i do for you?'
& 'he was such a great guy'
& 'i love you'
& i will not forget
& not say nothing...

because even though it was 13 years ago
i remember...

♥

em loves the emmy's...

2010-08-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

sadly i totally forgot it was on...
thankfully
my sister texted me
so i did get to see the last hour or so...

today i'm googling all of the speeches...
& i came across the opening number on youtube
oh!
it's just so great...
check it out:

i love watching things that are so well done
& look like they were so much fun to make...

& i love the tim gunn part...
of course!

next year
i will write it on the calendar...

:)

2010-08-25T07:12:00.000-07:00

legoland road trip: tips, tricks & lessons...

2010-08-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

(the force was with us...awesomely made of legos)

snacks
lots of snacks...

a mini dvd player is a friend to all
(ours only holds a 2 hour charge
so Q had to do traditional backseat stuff, too:
drawing,
games,
asking 'how much longer?' 236 times)

don't assume that your spouse brought the good camera
(just because you talked about it
the day before you left..ahem)

smile as you realize you only have
the old digital camera
whose card holds 75 shots at it's lowest resolution
10 on it's highest
with no cord to upload the pictures
onto your laptop

(fun fact: Q has been able to recognize & name
the eiffel tower since he was 3
...the boy likes buildings :)
...oo la la legos)

when you give your 6 year old the old digital camera
don't be surprised when you get 30 pictures of stuff
(not a single one of his dear parents who brought him on the trip
or even one of himself or his feet!)
or tons of the same thing
(legos & legos, of course :)

& smile again when the camera breaks
(after 5 years & thousands of pictures)
right in the middle of the day at legoland

buy a disposable camera
(for an unspeakable amount)
at the legoland store
& decide that you're going to
'click it old school'

console yourself:
at least you made up a good pun
instead of crying

embrace the challenge of 27 shots
that you won't see until they are printed
(i actually loved this!
i might buy a disposable to
keep in my purse...)

(Q's wish : a trunk full of legos
ha ha!
ha?)

a water park at 2pm in southern california
is worth the extra $12.
everytime...

always go on a ride called
'lazy river'
float around said river a few times

if you can't find someone to go on the big rollercoaster with you
(i don't want to embarrass the boys by saying
they were too scared...
but they were.)
go alone...
you won't regret it.

oregon water is the best water on the west coast

the best soundtrack is your kiddo singing
(we were treated to a fantastical mix of
star wars sound effects,
random thoughts to his own tune
& 'don't stop me now' by queen*
as we drove through the grapevine)

the grapevine sounds like it would be
lush & cool & green.

it's not.

(miniland...totally amazing!
Q took 20 pics of this.
before the camera broke...)

there are two kinds of people:
those who get stressed out when
the gas gets below a quarter of a tank,
& those who don't...
they are usually married to each other.

hanging out with your grandma
is always time well spent

(1st, 3rd & 4th generations...
not made of legos)

hotel pools save everyone's
being-in-the-car-for-12-hours
sanity

if there is a special kind of fast food
that you can only get in a certain area of the country,
get it in the first part of your trip
because by the end
even an in & out burger sounds awful
(sniff)

when you have two kids
it's way easier to travel with one
(especially when it's the 6 year old)

when you leave the 4 year old behind
(even if it is with grammy & pop
& she has the time of her life)
you feel like you're missing a body part
(everyday someone said 'i miss miss m!')

it was still a really good decision :)

(my awesome roadtrip partners :)

if you have the chance to roadtrip
do it!
there's just nothing better
(in my opinion :)

* when i looked 'don't stop me now'
up on youtube there was a thing that said
it was voted "The Greatest Driving Song Ever"
by viewers of the BBC television program Top Gear.
pretty cool
& appropriate...
& you can't beat hearing your kiddo sing
'don't stop me now
i'm having such a good time
i'm having a ball!'
at the top of his lungs :)

trippin'

2010-08-09T18:06:00.000-07:00

road tripping, that is...
& i might just get the chance to
post a time or two...

we shall see...

:)

pdx with t...

2010-08-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

what happens when your step-mom

is also your friend?

fun...

lots of fun...

thank you so much for
the super wonderful adventure, tam!
love you...

:)

boys of summer, part two: an older man

2010-08-01T06:48:00.001-07:00

our anniversary is today
but we got celebrate on friday night
which worked out better for a myriad of reasons
that i don't need to list here...
i'll just say that it's always best to go with
the grandparents schedule
& when you know a sad anniversary
is also on the horizon
celebrating a good one first is nice
(cryptic enough?)

on friday morning
we weren't sure what we were going to do
& i said
'if you plan something, i will do it...
i'll follow you anywhere'
which sounds very jane austen
& is true, to be sure
but underneath the true
was the fact that i just didn't want to
try to figure it out
(especially because i had quite a big day ahead of me
with another guy, even :)
but it was no problem for MR. G!
which could stand for our actual last name
or for mr. google
because he was on it...
& he didn't even tell me what we were doing
until we were driving there
(big for him
he likes to spill the beans :)

first apps & drinks & good conversation
at steelhead
then a walk across the street for dinner & a movie
at the david minor theater

this movie house
has two theaters
one is (relatively) traditional
with rows of seats
the other has couches & comfy chairs...
i had only been in the row-y theater before
so it was fun to snuggle up on a couch for a movie
this time....
from the list in this picture
what do you imagine we saw?

that picture makes me laugh...
mr. high powered 5th grade teacher
can't even get off the phone to
pose for a photo with his wife...
so sad.
sigh.
ha ha :)
of course i love that detail
& the blurriness
& the tilt
& everything else that makes it
very real...
very us :)

we also stopped in at barnes & noble where
i was presented with a gift card
(he does know me well :)
to use however i saw fit...
& then we headed home...
(screen fades to black)

:)

ps
(of course)
we have a song...
our song
which i have documented
very well
here & here
(& probably a few other places)
but this one has become a new favorite
in the past few months...
an 'our song' runner up, if you will
should the first be unable to perform it's duties...

i could only find a coffee shop video performance of it
but i think that fits us pretty well, too :)

i love you, brian!
twelve down, forever to go :)

boys of summer, part one: the little guy

2010-07-31T08:56:00.000-07:00

about a month ago
we were driving down the road
to & fro
going where ever we were going
& Q said
'do you know what i would like?
i would like to have a day
with just you & me
& we go & do things that we want to do
with just you & me
& no miss m!'
(he said her actual name, of course :)

& so every few days he would say
'when are we going to have OUR day?'
& i would say
'we need to plan it, don't we?'
& i felt so bad
we have just been doing
fun summer thing after fun summer thing
(i didn't feel bad about that :)
& he just kept asking...
i mean what mom of more than one kiddo
doesn't want to hang out with just one kiddo
for a whole day?
especially when they want to, too!

& so
friday we got to have our day!

he got to choose everything we did
the only boundaries were price
(i had to pre-approve)
& distance
(i nixed legoland
especially since we are heading there soon for real :)

first he had his last swimming lesson...
then Q wanted to go to a movie
& so we headed to a movie
but first lunch:

me: what would you like for lunch?
you can get anything you want.
Q: bacon.
me: like on a sandwich?
Q: no, just bacon.
me: anything else?
Q: turkey.
me: like on a sandwich?
Q: just turkey. well, i guess it could be on a sandwich...

ha ha!
so we got turkey sandwiches
with a side of bacon...
don't you just love him?

we also got candy for the movie
('mom. can i get THIS, too?'
'yes!'
'wow, i thought you would say no...'
:)

we went & saw
'how to train your dragon'
he had already seen it but
after i read him the list of what was playing
that's what he wanted to see
so we did...
i hadn't seen it
& i loved it!
what a wonderful movie...
& during the scary parts
Q reassured me
that everything would be fine...
too sweet.

after the movie we hit the photo booth
(surprise! surprise!)
2 actually
the black & white one was
crazy close-up...

he had mentioned dinosaur bones earlier
& so i suggested the natural history museum
& there we went...
sadly it was closed for remodeling
(but we got a ticket for free entrance when it reopens...cool!)

it was 3ish & Q was starting to fade
so i mentioned that we might
sit on the grass & rest...

he suggested that i sit on the grass
by the truck (that we had driven)
& read my book
while he climbed in the back of the truck
& built a little living room
with brian's stash of wood...

he totally re-energizes by (semi) alone time
to make stuff...
hmmm
why does that sound familiar?

then it was time to head home
but not before some ice cream...
had to end on sugar :)

this kid just kills me
he is so sweet
& such a rough & tumble guy...
when he talks he has something to say
& i'm really happy that i got to hear him
(just him) today...
i am so glad he is my boy
:)

summer 2010: jump in...

2010-07-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

it's more than halfway over...

summer, that is...

(i don't know if that's technically correct

but i know teachers report back in 5 weeks

& that's when summer's over for me :)

is there anything you've been meaning to do?

anything that's just itching to be done this summer?

what are you waiting for?

jump in!

when i was young...

2010-07-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

this girl was tiny...
running around our church
just like, being a little girl...
eventually her dad was my high school pastor
& look at her now!
she's making videos
& cds
& doing the ONE project
(like bono!)
(click here to see that video)

& this video is so super cool...
so pretty...
& so creative...
& the song is gooood...

i love the line
'the more you live
the more you see
that people hurt when
they don't know what they need'

thanks anna...
fun to see you growing up :)

anna gilbert on
myspace
facebook
cdbaby
itunes (just type in anna gibert...
i can't figure out how to link to it
without linking you to my itunes
& while it would be loads of fun
to treat you all to some of anna's music
we are planning a trip to legoland
& i'm not sure Q would understand...)

:)

i totally heart my friends...

2010-07-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

this weekend i got to go play
with some of my favorite girls...
(rachael got to hang out for a little bit :)

thanks to one of heather's connections
we were totally spoiled
& got to stay in a great place in sunriver
& were given a complimentary
float in double kayaks down the deschutes river...
we felt like rock stars :)
no small feat for busy moms...

thanks girlies!
i love you & your feathers :)

:)

ps
a special shout out to the dads
for hanging with the kiddos...
10 altogether!
(if you're keep track,
i have 2
so that leaves 8
divided by 2
yes!
angie & heather each have 4!
i know
you were told there would be no math...)

:)

a sense of wonder: july 2010

2010-07-19T01:51:00.000-07:00

*hearing*
the table saw
homemade knock-knock jokes
vbs songs in 4-year-old melody (& from 4-year-old memory)

*smell*

the heavenly combination
of
sunscreen
chlorine
& little kid sweat.
i always love to smell my elves heads
but the summer is my favorite...

*taste*

girls weekend
in sunriver...
enough said?

*sight*
watching: the bachelorette
embarrassed?
perhaps.
enough to stop watching?
not on your rose accepting life...

reading:
zach efron in instyle magazine:
"I'm big on knit sweaters right now.
Life After Denim has neat ones.
And I love vintage clothes-
things that have been on
an adventure prior to me owning them"

neat & adventure in one comment?!
from a 22 year old cutie?
come! on!

seeing: those elves grow up
before my very eyes...

*touch/feel*
touching: the steering wheel
(i've been driving around a lot)

feeling: excited for barnhouse...
wanna come?
check it out!

***extra sense*****
saying: thank you
to everyone who commented
here,
on facebook
& to me in person
about my
cheap (ahem) inexpensive pretty shirts post!
i loved doing it
& i might just have to make it a monthly thing:
11 awesome necklaces under $9!
8 fun flip-flops under $5!
6 cute toothpicks under $2!
the possibilities are endless!
(your attention span might be less so
if i resort to toothpicks though...)

:)

ps
you know i couldn't not
google 'cute toothpicks'
& there were no less than 1,190,000 results
(seriously)
& what do think i found:
adorable on a stick from who else?

(image from marthastewartweddings.com)

:)

real, real simple...

2010-07-15T11:18:00.000-07:00

okay
so
i get daily emails from real simple magazine
& i really enjoy them
but yesterday i got one titled
'10 Pretty Shirts Under $80'
& i just had to laugh...
i mean i love a list
but it might as well be
'10 Pretty Shirts Under $8000'
as far as my pretty shirt budget goes...
& so after voicing my 'concerns' on facebook
i decided to challenge myself to find
'10 Pretty Shirts Under $8'
yep $8.
& boy was it fun!
i love doing research like that
(doesn't everyone? :)

& so with no further words from me
i give you

10 Pretty Shirts Under $8

Pleated Ruffle Front Tank
Forever 21
$6.99

Surplice Halter Top
Newport News
$7.99

Polka Dot Tee
Forever 21
$7.99

HEM SLEEVE V-NECK TOP
Love Culture
$6.90

Knit Shoulder Tie Top
Heritage 1981
$7.90

To the Max - Women's Pleat Kimono Top

Walmart
$6.

Women's Plus Striped Crochet-Trim Tanks
(plus size)
Old Navy
$7.47

H&M top
$4.95

Eyelet Lace Tank
JCPenney
$6.99

AE Peace & Freedom T

American Eagle
$6.95

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

& a little more
for
a little more...

Ruffled Cap Sleeve Top
Charlotte Russe
$14.00

AE Keyhole T

American Eagle
$9.95

east5th Square-neck Corsage Blouse
(plus size)
JCPenney
$9.99

was that fun or what?

i was pretty impressed with what was out there
for not much money...
i hope you're finding some great deals
& pretty things...

:)

ps
the original article
'10 Pretty Shirts Under $80'
really does have some cute shirts in it...
super inspiring
for a little discount shopping shopping :)

drive in: part deux

2010-07-15T07:17:00.000-07:00

(i'm pretty sure this was from the 50's...
we paid a little more than $1.50 :)

i had to do another post about the drive-in
it was just that fun :)

& the snack bar deserved a post all to itself....

(wow, she looks bored...
or pensive?
or trying to look bored & pensive?
hmmmm)

the drive-in was in newberg, oregon
it's the 99w drive-in...
here's a cool site where you can look up
a drive-in near you
they list drive-ins in lots of states
& seven countries, too...
pretty neat!

we went to see toy story 3
with the idea that we might stay for karate kid
if Q was up for it
& he totally was...
he watched the whole thing
(i even fell asleep for about 20 minutes in the middle)
& then slept all the way home
& until noon on saturday...
so funny...
miss m fell asleep 3 minutes into karate kid...
brian was bright eyed the whole time...

:)

also check this out:
doesn't that look so fun?
i will be out of town so i'm going to miss it this year
but i'm putting it on my calendar for next year...
here's their site with more info
their facebook page has pictures from last year...
oh!
it looks so great!
loving it...

so grab a friend
hop in the car
& head to the drive-in
(to watch or shop :)
you won't regret it...

:)

found on friday: drive-in (& drive & drive & drive)

2010-07-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

we headed to the drive-in at 7.
arrived at 9.
the second feature started at 12.
we got home at 4.

& the night altogether?
a perfect 1o.

:)

just a small town girl...

2010-07-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

i am loving 'glee'
& i just had to
make something
reflective of that love :)

if you're not sure what i'm talking about
take a listen:
(& a look :)
(i know glee is bumping into my tweets
but i don't know how to fix that
right now
& there are elves clamoring for cereal
so
i think they can just be cozy friends today...)

you can see this little artsie piece
& others that i have made
over here on my etsy site
(& while you're at it browse around...
there's a lot of great stuff
around 'the etsy' :)

a grand old flag...

2010-07-05T09:51:00.000-07:00

i hope you all had a good holiday weekend
(if you are 4th of july celebrator :)
i guess your celebration is still going on if you are
a government worker :)

we had a great one...
brian pr-ed in our city's annual 10k
we swam
we played with cousins & friends
we ate good food
the boys stayed up late to watch fireworks
(the girls went to bed :)
& i hope i will get to share photos with you soon...
(it all depends on how i decide to spend
10pm...asleep or online?
hmmmmmm)

as far as this little artist's flag goes...
about 10 minutes before we were
supposed to leave the house to cheer brian on
Q ran to the art closet
'i need tape!
i need a stick!'
& away he went...
he comes by this so naturally
because that's exactly how i work
10 minutes before a baby shower:
'i need a button to finish the present!
i need a flower to make a barrette for my hair!'

last minute art is sometimes the best art...
:)

less direction, more fun...

2010-06-27T01:16:00.000-07:00

for all of the
'look over here!'s
&
'please smile!'s
& even
'we will go get a treat if you will
please just get within an inch
of each other
& make a face that resembles a smile!'s
all it really takes is
a morning hike to a waterfall
where mom gets to take lots of pictures
& dad gets to breath in the fresh air
& miss m gets to be carried by daddy
& Q gets to climb all over everything in site
& a quick
'everybody squish in!'
& daddy's long arm...

& just like that
true smiles
& real love...

:)

(we camped at loon lake this week
it is such an awesome place!
it's a lake with a swimming area
& a sand beach...
did i already say awesome?)

~~~~~~~~

ps
thanks to everyone who came
to visit at the shop hop!
what a beautiful day it was...
when i was out hanging signs
there were so many sales!
garage
& yard
& tag
& estate
& church rummage...
i almost dropped my hammer
& went for a browse :)

the shop looked so great...
i had our tiny baby camera
& after i took one picture it died...
sad baby.
so i hijacked jill's
& i will post some fun pictures
when i get them...

i had something unprecedented happen
during the summer mini book class i taught:
4 out of the 5 students left with finished minis!
it was v. exciting...
us scrapbookers
easily excitable :)
so now those cute girls
don't have to worry about finishing their minis
they just get to enjoy life
& fill their books with summer memories...
nice job, girlies!

now onto the next...
personal: sleep...please....
creative: i've got some ideas... always :)
travel: jill & i are getting our july 31 trip to
barn house figured out...super fun!
family: 2 words: backyard pool & also: husband home :)
celebration: 4th of july! my sister & nephews are
coming down...hooray!
blog: figure out these new backgrounds...too many choices,
cute on first look, not so cute once they are applied
attitude: don't stop believing! (& watch glee all summer)

:)

i saw the sign...

2010-06-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

i love painting
i love words
& i love painting words...
even if it's the same words
over & over
& over
& over
& over
& over
:)

i hope i'll get to see you...

:)

good stuff...

2010-06-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

making stuff
& organizing stuff
& delivering stuff
& planning stuff
& emailing stuff
for
this fun event...

if you live around me
(oregon-ish)
i hope you'll come visit
there'll be lots & lots of cute stuff...
for sure :)

:)

world wide wonders: doodley doo...

2010-06-14T14:47:00.001-07:00

love this quote
& this picture with the quote
& this website...

notebook doodles
(via tara)

my mind is wandering to some fun places lately
especially because school is almost out!
& a teacher husband means that summer is
wide open...
& this year because we have no napping elves
it really is open open open...
let's head to the coast!
yes!
let's head to the mountains!
yes!
let's take a nap while the kids watch a movie!
yes!
anything is possible, friends...
anything...

:)

actual doughnut day...

2010-06-07T08:09:00.000-07:00

i may have a new favorite place to hang out
(previously it was my couch)
the photo booth just puts it over the top...
& the doughnuts don't hurt

:)

donut day!

2010-06-03T09:50:00.000-07:00

tuesday night
i got to celebrate my dear friend's
soon to be delivered baby girl...
as everyone headed to their cars at 9pm
i was stunned:
9pm?!
i thought we were celebrating!
thankfully my friend susan
is a little kooky, too
& so off we went
in search of sugary treats...

we ended up going to a great little waffle place
(i'll share later)
as we headed home i remembered
voodoo doughnuts had opened downtown
& so we went to see
where all those doughnuts were living...

susan spotted the shop
(20 east broadway, for curious eugenies)
& i was happy to know where it was...
& then i looked closer
& i saw it through the window
like a lovely lovely friend
saying 'come on in & see me'

& so we did...

after the posing
we couldn't insult the doughnuts by
not taking some home...
so we made our selections...

for miss m
Grape Ape
Raised yeast doughnut with vanilla frosting, grape dust and lavender sprinkles!

for Q
Marshall Matters
Plain cake doughnut with vanilla frosting and mini M&M’s!
(get it? eminem?)

& for brian
Bacon Maple Bar
Raised yeast doughnut with maple frosting and bacon on top!

then we headed out into the rain
eager to get home before midnight
when our converse would turn into stilettos (ouch!)...

i was full of other yummy stuff
so i didn't even think about getting one for myself that night...
but wednesday morning i was thinking about...

Captain my Captain
Raised yeast doughnut with vanilla frosting and Captain Crunch!

thankfully tomorrow is national doughnut day!
& so i will have to fulfill my civic duty...

if you're in eugene
(& civic & sugar minded)
& want to celebrate in the afternoon
try voodoo
(their hours are 2pm-2am...love that :)

if you're more of a morning carb fan
go for holy donuts
(for yummy pics check my post)

& if you live someplace that's not eugene
find a local doughnut place
grab a friend
& party down!

also
all dunkin donuts nationwide
are giving a free doughnut
with the purchase of any drink...
cool!

have fun!
you won't believe you ate the hole thing...
(couldn't resist :)

tap, tap, tap...

2010-05-25T07:22:00.000-07:00

there was dancing this weekend...

oh girl, was there dancing...