Tuesday, July 29, 2008

My sunshine

my little sunny pigtails Can't believe she can say ice cream {who taught her that ;) } & I got it!, tell me to go away, run in high heels, eat a banana is less than a minute, sleep through our loudness, be so content then so stubborn...oh how I love my babe!
& less than 2 weeks until Bryce is a kindergartener!!!!!

Here is Avery playing outside in bubble mess & the splash bomb... I so love playing with sunbursts. I am just dying to take a photography class...it's super interesting & i have so much to learn!
playin in the bubbles

Sunny pigtails


Sunny pigtails Sunny pigtails


I have moved into my classroom & set up. 2nd grade is shaping up to being quite a grade. I am excited/nervous. No windows!!!!!!!! I am not digging living a box, albeit it is a big box {with my own sink & carpet!!!} Thanks to my honey for helping me move in xoxoxoxo

Sunday, July 27, 2008

ChRisTmAs in J u l y

santa baby{Santa baby 2006}

hooray it's giveaway time! I have been making hair clips again...so I decided to give away a set of hairclips & this pin {you can pin it to the bottom of your skirt..or on a jacket!}For you or a fine lass in your life!

{Hairclips}

Hairclips

Pin{pin}

*Giveaway ends 7.31.08 @ 11:59 pst*
If you would like to be entered in the giveaway...just leave me a comment below. Just say hi...or let me know how you found me or your fav Christmas movie lol =) I'll picka random winner on August 1st. You don't have to have a blog to enter...just a way to contact you. I'll post the winner back here.
Check out the bloggy giveaway carnival from July 28-Aug 1 going on for more prizes {click here}. I am off to enter some more...

oh I snapped a photo of the present I had bought myself....I love the off-centerness of the pendant. I am slowly building my necklace reserves. I will never have as many as my friends Missy & Ellie though! =)I just not good about putting them on. I have my staples, all from my husband Paul, that I just leave on {sleep with on..shower with on}
necklace necklace

I'll leave you with this little guy who wanted to see what I was up to while photographing the hairclips.spidey


...new visitors if you are just longing to read more of this & that click here.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Brycie



Breaker breaker
one one nine










Open his door...
What do you see...
I see many toys over Bryce's bed..needing to be put away.


Bryce likes to line up. This idea from PB would be quite swell....hmm maybe Joann's has some unfinished wood boxes I could paint to match his room. Now idea this from Cookie {one of my fav magazines} is good also...but his collection consists of many small pieces: legos, action hero figurines, playmobil...


Now to store his artwork...a digital portfolio will do for the biguns.
& binder for the smaller artwork. He calls it that {artwork} =)

Grosgrainis at it again...


Check out Grosgrain's Reversible Bird Seed Skirt GIVEAWAY!!!!..hooray!

Avery loves pockets...& who doens't love birdies?

Thursday, July 24, 2008

I scream..

One of my all time favourite things to eat, without a doubt, is ice cream ...for any meal...any season...most any flavor! So much in fact that I will even make a post about it!!
I rediscovered these ice cream sandwich makers from Tovolo that my mother-in-law gave us. The piggie truly fits, right? =)



Here is how I made them...directions lost


lFirst
~Bake one ginormous cookie. You can make any type of cookie. I used a bagged mix =)

{Imagine this photo pre-cookie cuttered}




'Next
~Use the cookie cutter part to cut out desired number of cookie heads {Cow shown}
~Take out ice cream from freezer & do not defrost like I {or you'll get ooey gooeyness squeeze out of the sandwich maker, but still tastes yummy}


]Then
~Place the base at the bottom of the cookie cutter
~Put one cookie at the bottom
~Fill with ice cream & toppings
~Place cookie on top {see green piggie}
~Press the stamp down on top and then take off the base {see blue cow}
~Keep pushing on the stamp part until the sandwich come out the bottom
*FYI* this step does not work with children ages 5 & under..unless Rosie is your maid



eFinally
~Take your ice cream treat & wrap in saran wrap and place in the freezer for a few hours. {This little piggie went..into witness protection}
~Unwrap & smile

*FYI* This step is quite easy for any five year old



~Chocolate peanut butter & banana-going -back-to-work-ice cream sandwiches~
m Layer Mayfield's banana pudding ice cream, chocolate ice cream & peanut butter between two chocolate chip cookies
m
Roll in Reese's pieces or mini chocolate chips
m Eat in four bites!


{not for you?...just use your *flavorite* of ice cream}



We dare not trust our wit for making our house pleasant to our friend,
and so we buy ice-creams.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monday, July 21, 2008

H o T D i G G i t Y D o G

So hot!
I have boycotted going outside {unless it's to & from the car}. after this weekend I cannot take the heat. It's been in the upper 90's! This weekend~ we had some blueberry pickin' going on, birthday parties{my dad & Bryce's buddy Walter}, & went on a trip up to the Georgia Moutain Fair. I had never been to that fair before. I just love driving through the Blue Ridge mountains. They are the oldest mountain range in the US...Paul says the world, but I need to check that I think =)
Bryce loves hotdogs with ketchup & mustard. He started to eat them with mustard after he had them at pre-k. I have never liked ketchup nor mustard, thank you very much. My parents always had to wait aside to get my hamburgers at McDonalds plain.
Hot doghot diggity dog
We ate some treats..chocolate covered bananas & homemade ice cream for me for lunch =), walked around the arts & crafts, looked at the antiques, climbed aboard a bus...on the bus
& then headed to the carnival....

I have never gotten around to getting a bento box & making a bento lunch list this summer..oh well. But I found a fantabulous alternative...muffin tins. I joined in on the muffin tin Mondays @ Sycamore Stirrings. Avery & Bryce had this for lunch..surprising they shared so peacefully. {btw if you are scared.. the green stuff the bunnies are floating in is Stonyfield Farms yogurt}

Another link is for this turkey burger recipe from Sugar City Journal I made tonight. it is really tasty. If you are not a turkey burger kinda person ..well you may just think it's ok [ike Paul} But my Avery ate it & that alone is reason enough to make it again.
oh I have to go back to work next week because I am new to the county PLUS I have not moved in my things yet...oh the end of summer to me. but I do have Avery's party to look forward to & family coming in town! hooray!!!

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Retail therapy

{s a l e}
oh I love to shop. Not so much with the kids, but they keep my decision-making time down. The summer sale extravaganzas are in full swing...I love this time up to Labor day where you can get fantastic deals on summer wares. I try to stock up for next summer & now back to school for Bryce. I am starting to buy Christmas presents too. We will have warm weather all the way up to Halloween(that's my ending point when I usually stop wearing sandals) so we can get use of the summer clothes for awhile too.

If you are in the shopping mood I highly recommend...
Nordstrom's anniversary sale. I bought this dress for the two weddings coming up in the fall...

Not on sale, but I love this tote too!
Dillards had a lot on sale. Bryce racked up some $3.50 reducedshirts & I bought myself a necklace. yippee!
I was shopping for birthday gifts {Ellie, Ethan & Walter yippee} and purchased this monster umbrella & a matching rain jacket at Nordstrom{for Ethan} . They even had rainboots! I so wanted the cherry rainboots for Avery, but she already has her cute froggie ones from Grandma Alice. Bryce had this same umbrella...I just love it!

For some online shopping...visit Olive Juice ~you can save an extra 20% off sale prices until July 21st by adding carriedaway at checkout {plus free shipping if you spend $200, not I} I just ordered this sweet polka-dotted frock for Avery for less than $15 with discount--> ...plus this shift dress for only 8 bucks & change!!!!!

I wanted these two dresses, but alas not the sizes I wanted..



how cute is she?->

Tea collection~ {up to 75% & free shipping over $100} Avery has this, but I want this dress & this whole outfit now. Maybe after I get Bryce some new shoes...flip-flops will not be cutting it at school. I don't know what kind to get him though.

Crazy 8 is another place with some cool tees {$7 each when you buy two or more} for Bryce that I'm gonna order because there are no stores here =( {Crazy 8 is the little sister of Gymboree...think Old Navy of Gap} I love graphic tees like these & Bryce who usually doesn't have any preferences says "I wanna wear a rock n roll shirt". So he wants this one.. & I picked this one,,,Can you see the ipods mixed in between the cassette tapes in the tee? ! I love my ipod, but I do miss my bootleg tapes.I haven't listened to them in forever~we don't have a working tape player I really do wish my car had a one...Paul just laughs. The one in our family room doesn't work either, so I can't listen to my God Lives Underwater tape {why do I have it on tape} Well...i made this vow of sorts that I would not purchased a CD until I was married. Who knew why..did any friends & I think it up and make a silly pact? No, I declared this by my lonesome. I think it is hilarious why at age 15 or so I thought it wise to swear off compact disc buying. Good thing I got married at 24. BUT I did pay for half of Live Throwing Copper with Tiffany...which we played in her urabus. oh she let me play the first 15 seconds of Spin the Black Circle over and over and over again. Other than that people gave them to me as gifts & my my mom bought my BMG music club ones {remember that?}
& now I just buy from itunes or burn shows on CDs. Usually my husband buys the CDs. We have basically the same taste in music...well mostly. =) I think I may go buy Empty on Amazon now..





Wednesday, July 16, 2008

little ol' me?

Thanks to Bethany @ Red Yarn I have a bloggy award. She is so sweet to include me on her fab list of blogs. Thank you! I really am into this blogging thing because it is such an easy journal to keep & kinda like scrapbooking that I never do {but boy do i have paper} But it's ever so much better because I get to meet really cool people & get super ideas from them. I really feel like I am reliving 3rd grade where I had a penpal in school & wrote in my diary about Ricky Schroder & my BFF Megan. =0
I have to post the pic because it looks like an award you'd get if you were bloggin' in the 80's...
There are some duties to uphold with this award, so if you want to play along, here's whatcha do....

1. The winner can put the logo on their blog.
2. Link to the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you've nominated.
6. Write an acceptance speech in the style of the Academy Awards, thanking everybody's mother, father, sister, brother, aunties and uncles and kitchen staff at your favorite restaurant!

Oh there are so many great blogs out there, I find a new one every day to read! Here are some you should be reading {if you are not already}

~Mandy @ Belle & Boo

~Chelsea @ My joy & happiness {& everything inbetween} / Aqua Poppy designs

~Jessica @ Jessica, Matt & Charlotte

~Nathalie @ Kennedy & Friends {double award}

~Emily @ little momma & co

~ Nicole @ a little sussy

~Ali @ Simply Me

~Shutter Sisters {collaborative}

hooray blogs amowjdskvxqepoiut
plus so many more...

If you have any extra time to send some happy thoughts..send them to my mommy. She starts chemo on Monday. She's been going through alot this summer...I love her tremendously!

Rose of Sharon in her backyard...the bushes are so tall!

Rose of Sharon bud

rose of sharon xoxo

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

goin' to the chapel

Goin' to the chapel

Paul's dad got married this past weekend to the lovely Julie. They got hitched in this wonderful small white chapel next to their church (a family had found in north Georgia and had it rebuilt for their ailing daughter} The ceremony was perfect..intimate, down to earth, and full of love! We are so happy for them & to have Connor & Jacob as lil brothers.

D&J's Wedding

Chapel D&J's Wedding
Twas a rainy day their wedding day...but good luck all around. I went back the next day to take some photos of the chapel for them.

How sweet are her boys?!
that Connor is so hilarious..Avery adores him!! Bryce gets along with them both and now
Bryce & Avery's GrandDave is only minutes away.

Avery's invitations are sealed up & ready to mail...if I can only get to the post office. If I don't mail them will she stay one?

Cherries invite

2

Saturday, July 12, 2008

what they don't know...

My babes will so not eat anything that is considered a vegetable..unless you count french fries. Bryce is getting better everyday as being less picky, like the other week he ate brushetta {who knew?} They do eat fruit though. I am not surprised because I am a picky eater, not super crazy picky, just the one at the restaurant that orders and then says, can you please leave off the {substitute word for anthing not related to poultry} and {___}. I will not eat anything with ketchup on it, never did, and I do not eat red meat or pork. I could have been a vegetarian possibly, but I joke that I am to picky so I would die. If it is a dessert, well then I am game for anything =) I was worse as a child, so I have hope for my two offspring. What scares me the most is that Avery does not like peanut butter! {the horror!!!!!!!!!!}

but anyways, I try to *hide* the veggies as I am sure most mommies do and trick my kids into eating something with some nutritional value. I haven't read the Jessica Seinfeld cookbook, but I would like to try these other recipes from the Sneaky Chef . {I have added the veggie puree to the spaghetti sauce before and it passed the taste test.} So off I went into the kitchen to try to get my kids to eat something other than waffles or cereal for breakfast. I made this oatmeal bar the other day and it ending up being dessert instead of breakfast. They both ate it after they tried it {the second time} with whipped cream.

Sweet Potato Breakfast Bar
5 sweet potatoes
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons canola oil
2/3 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup orange juice
4 cups quick-cooking oats

Directions
1. Wash and scrub sweet potatoes. Pierce them with a fork, and microwave on high until they're soft, about 8 minutes. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, heat your oven to 400 degree F.
2. Cut the potatoes lengthwise, scoop out the flesh, and place in a large bowl. Add sugar, cinnamon, oil, maple syrup, and orange juice. Stir in oats and mix well.
3. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Pour mixture evenly into pan. Bake 23 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Cut into squares. Serve immediately or store for three days in an airtight container.
I haven't tried these Spinach Brownies, but to me they sound scary. I do not think chocolate likes to mingle with cooked spinach..but who am I to say?. Oh Bryce does love smoothies. These are the easiest ones evah ~
Bananaberry Smoothie
In a blender whip up.... a banana, frozen strawberries, handful of blueberries, one yogurt {vanilla is good}, 1/3 cup or so OJ, & a splash of honey. yummmm=)
I wanted this summer to make a list of bento type lunches {& try them out first} to have for Bryce when he goes to school. well I still have some time to....but I am thinking not. I saw these muffin tin meals {from sycamore stirrings} Now don't these look inviting? ...ok...maybe I may.