PEARLS AND KHAKIS

2012-02-10T12:44:00.003-05:00

I know, Its been a month since my last post.. And let me just say.. I'm in the process of doing 5 loads of laundry as we speak.. Old habits die hard:-(

Moving right along.. and getting ready for Valentines Day! I love a great DIY project. And now that the munchkin is old enough to write her name (ahem...) I have scoured the web for the perfect Valentine for her classmates (and teachers).. These are some of my favorites so far.. And if you are in a pinch, you can pull these together pretty quickly over the weekend for next Tuesday!

I fell in love with these Paint Chip Bookmarks on Old Town Home. Can I just run into the Sherwin Williams and relieve them of a whole stack? Would that be wrong?

Friendship Bracelets from Dandee-Designs Blog!! Will definitely be pinning this for when the munchkin gets just a little older.

It reads, Happy Valentines Day for "CRAYON" out loud.. get it??? LOVE. Find the template for the card on this site.

my little munchkin LOVES wiggly eyes (its what we call them). the wiggly eye (or wonky eye) is also the "momma" eye I use to keep the little one check. its the side eye I give her when she's "not being a good lister" and mommy means business... but I digress.. I found these at the kraze4paper etsy shop , and thought they were super cute!

the munchkin has many guy pals, I know they would find these amazing super hero Valentines I found on Zaka life super cool!

So i think we are going to go with this one. I stopped off at the Trader Joes and picked up some Organic Lollipops #dontjudgeme... and am going to work on these over the weekend.

This fearless crafter gives the deets on how to pull this off her blog.
So cute right?

Resolved.

2012-01-09T12:35:00.044-05:00

So we in week number two, and I'm feeling like I should document my own little bucket list for 2012. I recently read a quote from the lovely and talented Ms. Julia Roberts in my Life and Style Magazine (don't judge me) that I felt really encompassed my goals for this year).

1. To be the most productive and fulfilled I can be (paraphrased). - Julia Roberts
2. Relentlessly pursuing my passions (being the best wife, mom, creative).
3. Less talk more action.
4. I really only have the four, but five just seems like a better number..
5. Staying organized in my thoughts and pursuits.

Speaking of that last one. Do you have that friend whose house seems to ALWAYS be spotless?! Even if if they have been at work all day and you just pop in unannounced? Well I do. And so in an effort to be like her (and Martha Stewart) when I grow up, I started getting into the habit of completing these basic daily tasks which have helped me stay a little less overwhelmed and keep chaos at bay.

7 Things to Do Every Day:

Make the Bed .. a crisply made bed makes the whole room seem more orderly

Manage Clutter.. whenever you leave a room quickly glance to make sure everything is as it should be.

Sort the Mail... Take a few minutes to open read, and sort mail as soon as you bring it inside.

Clean as You Cook ... wash them, or put them in the dish washer as you prepare a meal..

Wipe Up Spills While They're Fresh..almost anything is faster and easier to remove if you attend to it immediately.

Sweep the Kitchen Floor... once you've finished washing up after dinner sweep the floor.

A Load a Day You'll fold this while watching your favorite show before bed. This will keep you from having to do 7 loads on the weekend, like I've been doing for the last 3 years.

As I typed this out, I realized this also means, you will never sit down. At the very least you'll sleep very well because you will be exhausted from being in constant motion. For Martha's printable list click here.

An example of my increased productivity so far was my effort New Year Cards out in a timely fashion.. Not so successful.. So guess what, Valentines Day cards are in progress!! Here are a couple of photos from my attempt to make cards to welcome 2012..

Yes that's a double chin.. Also, looking like chocolate June Cleaver is not really the look I was going for..

Must keep it sexy.

Maybe I'll have to add that one to the list.

I know I sneaked that one in. We are super excited! Its a boy:-) tee hee...

I 'm pretty sure my belly has been this big the entire time.

PANCAKES AND PAJAMAS (oh and PRINCESSES)!!

2012-01-04T11:27:00.000-05:00

So I usually use Bisquick. But I recently cracked and egg, put a half cup of milk in a bowl (half the recipe on the box) and went to grab the box from the fridge, but there was no box. So I had to improvise. I found this recipe on food.com (Courtesy of Mike Cuzzacrea, Lockport, NY) which was super easy and super yummy. I also add a squeeze of fresh lemon and vanilla (and sometimes a little brown sugar) to both the box and "from scratch" recipes. Because I think pancakes should always taste like birthday cake:) Its a little problem I have...

Bunnie's Hot Cakes
Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable ( subbed canola) oil
1 table spoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Optional: One fresh squeezed lemon, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together breaking up any lumps. Pour batter onto a hot griddle. Flip pancakes when the edges appear cooked and the batter bubbles on top. Serve immediately:)

Voila!

So since I had pancakes on the brain.. and we had a couple of more days left before preschool was back in session, I invited a couple of the munchkins pals over for breakfast! They all came over in their pajamas and immediately pulled on tiny ball gowns as soon as they hit the door (of course)...

private screening of the movie Tangled (aka Rapunzel).

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-01T21:10:00.000-05:00

Wishing you and yours the best year of your life!! I'm looking forward to MORE in 2012. MORE for my family, my career, my health, and relationships.

Here's to MORE blessings and prosperity than you can stand!!!

Looking just like her daddy??!!! LOVE.

Six Geese a Laying?

2011-12-21T15:06:00.036-05:00

So here we are a couple days before Christmas and I'm still on this Twelve Days of Christmas kick.. I think I'll change that to the Six Days of Christmas so that we will all be ready in time.. Instead I'd like to talk about "doing" the things that make Christmas such a special time of year as opposed to "buying" things..

At our house we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE celebrating Christmas (and any other holiday for that matter) and although we are a relatively new little family ( five years and counting!), we already have some traditions we look forward to every year..

Singing/Playing Christmas Songs..
So immediately after Thanksgiving we pull out the preset playlist that hubby put together a few years back for the car and house.. I've been complaining that there aren't enough "soulful" songs but after he pointed out all of the James Brown and Brian McKnight song.. I retracted my statement.. well not out loud..

At any rate, I realized today that in addition to the traditional Rudolph and Frosty songs, my 3 year old knows the words to:

Mele Malikimaka (The Hawaiian Christmas Song) by Bing Crosby
This Christmas by Donny Hathaway
Mr. Grinch and most other songs from the Glee Christmas Album

Makes my heart proud...

Lighting a fire and watching Christmas movies..
That includes all movies with any Christmas scene.. So when munchkin goes to bed we watch:

Trading Places with Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd
Coming to America with Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall (I see a theme happening)
Oh and You've Got Mail with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks (Love this one!)
National Lampoons Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase

Holiday Lights Tour
This year, I made hot chocolate and popcorn and we all piled in the car in our pajamas (right before bed time) and cruised a couple of neighborhoods ooohing and aahing at Christmas lights.. Make sure to do this right before bed time.. Then just slide your little elf under the blankets when you get home:)

Baking Cookies
Speaking of little elves.. My special elf, helped me get ready for my pal Beth's Annual Cookie Exchange..

We made Madeleines again this year! I use this recipe.

And thanks to inspiration from TomKat Studio, I updated my holiday Labels!

My favorite part of this gathering: SNACKS!!

and Cookies!!

The host made the below, which were very reminiscent of little pecan pie bites.. When I got home that night I left my cookies in the car, and remembered these were in there at about midnight.. lets just say there were crumbs in my bed the next morning:-(

Fun Times!

holidaze...

2011-12-19T23:06:00.000-05:00

So Over the years, I've become a bit of a bag snob (thanks to hubby). Not that it has to be some over priced designer bag (not completely). A nice, leather, or canvas classic looking bag. That I will carry for years and years:-) I think leather goods are a great gift that never go out of style..

Here are a few I wouldnt mind adding to my collection..

mulberry brynmore for macbook pro

I think this is supposed to be a mans bag, but I would totally rock it.

marc by marc jacobs classic q francesca

this one also comes in a delicious gray.. heavenly..

gucci monogram bag

I ran across this perusing net-a-porters web site..I know, I know.. dont judge me.. but I like it.. I'm not big on labels splattered across a product.. but this i'd carry. it has an older heir about it.. I like to say, I'm a sixty year old (bunnie) trapped inside the body of the a thirty (something) year old.. at any rate..

I LIKE IT! NAH!

chloe paraty medium leather bag...

I know these bags are probably so last season.. not my problem.

they are cute. and i likem'..

also on net-a-porters site...

okay, so the real reason I like these bags, are they are beautiful and can also double as a diaper bag. i like to call them carry-alls.. i.e. juice boxes, rubbermaid full of honey nut cheerios and wipees.

so there.. thats my short list.

Thought I'd post a few pix of the house. We've actually been enjoying the trimmings since before Thanksgiving.. Next time, I will have a better plan on how to keep my live greenery alive for such a long period.. Sadly, they are all turning brown now, even though I misted them with water every other day.. Oh well..

I love the holidays.. my house looks so much more decorated and put together than it does in real life...

hubby insisted a long time ago that we have garnet and gold as our Christmas colors..

him being a FSU seminole and all?!

and here is Cooper. munchkin came up wiht that name all by herself.. he has been quite good at keeping her in line this holiday season.. dont want him giving Santa a bad report.. I think I might have to keep him around throughout the year as my side kick!

the sweetest thing

2011-12-18T22:31:00.001-05:00

so the super sweetest thing happened today.. although I'm completely under the weather (my reasoning for being behind in my twelve days of Christmas adventure) and hubby would be just getting into town, I was determined to make it to church with the munchkin this morning.. We dashed out the door with about 10 minutes to make our destination on time. Lo and behold we forgot CoCo.. the munchkins lovey, which she noticed as we were about to get off the exit and proceeded to have a complete and total breakdown/meltdown, begging and screaming for me to PLEASE turn the car around to go and get her.. after I told her I could not, she asked if daddy could bring her? Since he was just getting off his plane, I pretended to call him and ask if he could (so I could at least get her to stop crying).. I know bad mommy (dont judge me).. I PANICKED OKAY! So I did however send him a text to tell him what I had done once we sat down in church.. Long story short (I know, a little late for that) about 15 minutes before church let out, the munchkin spotted daddy standing in the back of the church holding CoCo (and a juice box).. OMG.. I LOVE this guy.. and so does she:-)

So in keeping with sweet things, I found these super sweet gifts, perfect for Christmas or any other special occassions.. I must admit, I've never tasted any of these, so feel free to send me a sample. But if they taste as lovely as they look..okay, I'm getting hungry now..

bee chocolates from john and kira.

ladybug tower from john and kira

john kelly peanut butter truffle bar

payard chocolate stars

murrays cheese raw blueberry honey

byrd company georgia peach cookies

richart holiday micromacaroons

Can you say YUM?!

Okay, since i'm on a roll with the sugary sweets, I thought I'd post some pix of the munchkin and her pals decorating Christmas Cookies..

we immediately got dressed in tiara and wand just in case we needed a little magic...

Ginger bread, Icing, sprinkles oh my!

I could eat her up!

Two Turtle Doves

2011-12-15T22:37:00.000-05:00

So I decided to do a little research to see how late I really was with this whole Twelve Days of Christmas thing, and as it seems.. I'm quite a bit early.

Contrary to much popular belief, these are not the twelve days before Christmas, but in most of the Western Church are the twelve days from Christmas until the beginning of Epiphany (January 6th; the 12 days count from December 25th until January 5th). In the Western church, Epiphany is usually celebrated as the time the Wise Men or Magi arrived to present gifts to the young Jesus (Matt. 2:1-12).

You can thank me (and resources at wikipedia) later for this history lesson:-)

So yes.. GIFTS.. My true lave gave to me. Or at least a gift I always appreciate is a great pair of shoes.. As I searched for shoes that I would really love to add to my collection, a pair of cute heels, some comfy stylish loafers, and a new pair of boots, I realized.. I'm quite boring in the shoe department. Or at least not nearly as daring as I once was in my young and footloose and fancy free days.. I mean, I once wore a pair of silver, mule, clogs.. to a college football game no less..

and you people called yourselves my friends!

Something on this lady's site always catches my eye. She does a good job of dropping an eye catching item from her collection in your email box (if you're a subscriber) to peak your interest.

I'm totally smitten with these Cicely Satin High Heel Pumps by Tory Burch. I'd pair them with dress pants or a pencil skirt or even a cute a line dress.. In my current condition I wont be attending any fancy parties this season, but a girl can dream cant she...

As preppy as I am, its hard for even me to believe that I dont already have a pair of drivers//loafers.. I've been eyeing the selection at Cole Haan for some time, but have never made the splurge..

I ran across Tods's gommino loafer and fell in love with these patent leather beauties..

So I was in Anthropologie a couple of weeks ago and saw a chic in the cutest purple cowl neck sweater dress and black wedge boots. They were mesmerizing.. I wish I would have just asked her where she got them from.. but I didn't.. and this was the closest I could find...

I like the clean and simple lines of this Rachel 1 black leather boot by BCBG at Piperlime.com.

And last bur certainly not least.. I love this woman. Tracee Ellis Ross is always so effortlessly stylish put together.. And the hair, I would sell off a few of my prized possesions for those signature curly q's of hers.. but I digress.

fashionbombdaily

Oddly enough I would totally rock these sneakers.. Currently I only own the pair of Saucony running shoes that I worked out in when I was all gung ho over the summer.

Keeping in true Pearls and Khakis fashion however, I would probably wear these Isabel Marant’s $725 Bekett Sneakers with some skinny jeans, a white Gap, long sleeve tee and my favorite cropped trench I found on super duper sale at Target:-)

So yes!

I had a few friends over a few nights back to finish up a little project that we had planned to do with the kids but realized it was a bit more complex and required some concentration and adult beverages...

oh and snacks!

YARN and FELT WREATHS (click here for the tutorial i snagged)!

Which must always be paired with SWEET POTATO PIE!

See what you can accomplish with Spinach Dip and Bruschetta nearby:-)

Voila!

deck the halls..

2011-12-14T22:27:00.001-05:00

This is totally off topic, but let me just say, I'm watching a recorded I Used To Be Fat, on MTV. And I love this trainer guy Joey. He is INTENSE (and kinda hot too). And this kid Jose is AMAZING! So far he's lost 80 pounds in 60 days (with 30 days to go)! I'm proud of him like he's my own kid.. I know I have a problem...

at any rate, i had planned to do like a whole twelve days of Christmas list of my favorite gifts to give and receive. I think i'm getting started just a tad bit late. But I always say, better late than never.. No need for anyone else to have to suffer for my tardiness (i'll be working on that in the new year)..

First up:

I like giving cute pajamas as Christmas gifts. If you're like me, I only buy new pajamas if I'm going on vacation or something of the sort. I assume other people are the same, because when visiting, I usually see a combination of sweats, scrubs, old t shirts and other well worn miscellaneous items of mismatched clothes..

that's where I step in:-)

i HATE being cold.. and this jcrew navy night shirt in silk polka dot is flirty

but still (somewhat ) warm..

Now, I ran this by hubby and he wasnt a fan, but I think this Gabriella Slip at Anthropologie is super cute. A little matronly yes, but very Charlotte:-)

These Kardashionian style set wouldnt ordinarily make my list. Although I've recently admitted to admiring Kourtney K's smart and chic style. I'm not usually a fan of animal print, but I've decided that it has it's place. And what better place to channel your inner animal than, well you know (okay TMI, right?!) Oddly I found this Leopard Print Pajama Set over at Ralph Lauren..

okay, last but not least I would totally wear , I mean give this this tory burch luella pajama set.

Comfy check. Warm, check. Lovely check.

okay shows over and this dude lost 115 pounds... I'm so inspired. I need a tissue. I'm so proud.

and even prouder of my REAL child. this morning hubby and i attended her first recital/holiday performance at preschool. it was the funniest and cutest thing i have seen. the look of terror on their little faces when they came onto the stage and saw all of the papparzzi (i.e. crazed parents with cameras and camcorders) ready to eat them like the little candy canes they were dressed like, was quite a sight. I LOVED IT!! Further proof that I am a deranged stage mom, just waiting for my opportunity to shine. I was also dressed in a sparkly top just in case they needed an understudy to step in.

she asked me this morning if she could wear her pearls.

she refused to look at the camera, and had a blank stare once she saw us in the audience.. I'm sensing a pattern here.. it's only the beginning:-)

happy belated thanksgiving?!

2011-12-01T12:10:00.001-05:00

okay, so this blogging thing was a little easier to do when the munchkin was an infant. now when she's awake, i have to entertain, read, color, paint, make snacks, i cant remember if it was always that way.. it's all a blur.. at any rate, contrary to appearances i really love to update my little blog, and let the friends and family know what we've been up to around here in Bunnieville.

So last weekend:

we got the tree a little early this year. we usually pick it up at Big John's Trees the Sunday after Thanksgiving but this year, we got it a whole week before.. althought it took us a week to decorate it. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, decorating for the holidays...

but it can be quite an undertaking (if you do it right:-)

hubbys parents came for the week!

and of course we prepared the Thanksgiving Feast..

I made sure that everyone pitched in...

Ta Da! And here is my masterpiece.. Thanks to Martha's recipe for Maple Glazed Turkey, this little beauty was the bell of the ball... Pretty good if I may say so myself..

Can anyone tell me how to get this pan clean?

At least someone got to work some of that food off! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and are working on some fun stuff for the holidays!

trick or treat pix are up!

2011-11-01T15:23:00.002-04:00

Its been a fun pumpkin season so far.. we usually start things off by watching this a gazillion times.

which this year, proved to provide a brilliant bargaining tool as I threatened to make sure the munchkin got a bag of rocks this year, if she didn't behave herself (is that wrong?).. at any rate, it worked like a charm:)

So just wanted to post some photos of the infamous spider girl:) Here she is with her bestie and the muse for her inspiration for this years costume. Its amazing the difference a year makes.. they had no qualms about ringing door bells and asking for "tricks or treats" or as the munchkin calls it trickery treating!

of course to glam things up a bit, i had to put together a little spider girl headband for the occassion.

and since I'm in the spirit of posting pix that i'm excited about.. the love bug pix are out!! so i've been dying to get the folks over at our labor of love to do a little shoot with my munchkin and her lovie "CoCo."

If you've ever met the munchkin, you have no doubt met her best home girl CoCo whom she has had since she was in my womb thanks to our dear friends The Coles and our favorite little people shop The Seed Factory.

i snagged a couple of shots from their site, but see the full blog post here.

LOVE!

Now its on to figuring out what the heck I'm going to make for the bake sale on Saturday and planning for Thanksgiving.. It looks like the ball is in my court this year.

last week i finally..

2011-10-30T13:15:00.000-04:00

Thanks to The Nester, I finally finished this wreath (made with coffee filters) I've been meaning to try! Im pretty excited about the way it turned out! I was going for "fall" that way i can keep it up until after Thanksgiving..

I found an old worn book for .75 at a second hand book store and used it to make a few leaves.. and also, shellacked a few red maple leaves from one of the trees in my frontyard with some modge podge.. they still crinkled up after i glued them in.. but i think it still turned out okay... it looks "natural" right?

so here's the front porch "decorated" for fall.. the munchkin helped me arrange some pumpkins and a few mums in what were our hanging pots..

voila!

what happened?

2011-10-25T13:23:00.000-04:00

its that time again!

every few years i'm able to pull off a pretty good costume. not sure this will be the year, but last year. that was pretty good if i may say so myself:) a good friend of mine threw a little shin dig, and i left the hubby home while i partied like a real housewife of atlanta (pun intended)..

tee hee!

this year the focus will be on the munchkin... a friend of mine sent me this pic, and i had all sorts of plans to turn her into this:

adorable right? not so fast...

and this is what she'd like to be. spider girl?! her bestie cole had on a spider man costume a few weeks ago when we went to visit and since then she's been adamant about being "spider girl" for halloween. i must admit, i wasnt even aware that there was a spider girl? i thought i was going to have to sew a skirt or tutu on a muscly (with muscles:) spider man costume, but lo and behold.. target has everything..

done. and done.

how in the heck did that happen?!

gotta love her!

Hoping you are having a great fall!

2011-10-19T15:16:00.000-04:00

I like to start my blog posts as if we're already in the middle of a conversation. I pretend that we are the oldest and dearest friends - as opposed to what we actually are - people who dont know each others names (well some of you anyway:)...

I hope you are enjoying the change of seasons as much as I am. I LOVE FALL! the crisp air, the changes all around us.. even though its not the beginning of a new year.. for some reason it feels like a time for beginnings to me? with that in mind, i wanted to write you about a few of the changes around here in bunnieville..

munchkin turned three! and is very excited about preschool and ballet! and i'm super excited about becoming a crazy stagemom!! a roll i was born to fill:) i've already looked into a leotard in my size (just in case they need me to step in)...

i'm moving forward on a little event planning venture (check it: www.baileyblue.com)! wish me luck!

and hubby is hard at work finishing up his graduate degree at Notre Dame. Go Irish! Did I mention I hate football season? I know blaspheme right?

At any rate, more to come.. Hope you are having a great fall!

i love it when this happens!

2011-07-20T16:51:00.002-04:00

totally random and off topic.

I've been a little off kilter all of this week. i was at a birthday party for one of the little munchkin's pals this past weekend... long story short, i went in the house quickly to throw something in the trash and when i came out she wasnt standing where i left her. being the helicopter mom that I am, i immediately scanned the back yard to keep an eye on her.. and i didnt see her. so i quickly went inside and started looking from room to room in the house and asking if anyone had seen her.. each time i peeked into a room i expected to see her and didnt.
i got a really awful feeling in the pit of my stomach.. and then there she was standing at the front door with the other kids waiting for ice cream.. i didnt feel relief. i just picked her up and burst into tears.. i had never felt like that before, and i never want to feel that way again. the entire episode, probably lasted a total of a minute and thirty seconds.. it was the worst minute and thirty seconds of my life...

i guess that was long story long... my bad.

it didnt help that i had just watched the Jayce Lee Dugard special with Diane Sawyer...

at any rate, i've been having crazy dreams all week, it helps to get that off my chest.

As you know i've been trying with mediocre success to cultivate a little container garden. Not sure if I've mentioned that the yard is hubbys little manicured project, so he has so far refused to build me a raised garden bed, and instead assigned me a small space on a little deck on the side of the house...

just wanted to do a little post on my progress which i'm very excited about!

here is a before shot from around June 9.

and now I have these (little watermelon)!!

and these tiny tomatoes!!

some swiss chard and spinach

jalapeno

some bell peppers peeking through!!

and herbs galore!! They just sprung up after a good rain last week. I almost peed my pants!!

so again, my goal is to grow everything i'll need to make my own salsa by the end of the summer.. plus i threw in a few other fruits and veggies for good measure just to get my feet wet.

with a little help from this guy, and my neighbor ginger, the munchkin and I harvested some basil (yes, she is wearing a ball gown.. all southern belles do their gardening in formal wear:) ...

and made my first ever batch of fresh pesto (with the help of ms. ina garten) !

I tossed in a little angel hair pasta and chicken and had a LOVELY meal!

i LOVE it when that happens!!!

the last two bananas...

2011-06-22T20:10:00.000-04:00

My hubby only eats green bananas. which i think is pretty disgusting.. just so you know. at any rate, i buy a bunch of green bananas at the beginning of every week.. and inevitably by the end of the week i still have these two sad looking bananans.. i hate to throw away food, so i'd been freezing them and making smoothies..

lo and behold, i finally found the perfect recipe that only calls for two or three banans and it turns out perfect every time.. thanks to the folks over at thefreshloaf.com you really can throw this together in about 10 minutes or s o. and that's exactly what i did after making this deelish curry dish..

but i digress...

As I understand it, this recipe is from the 1997 revision of the Joy of Cooking.
Banana Bread

Makes 1 full-sized loaf or 2 small loaves
Preheat the oven to 350.
In one bowl, combine:

1/2 stick (4-5 tablespoons) butter, softened

2 eggs

2 or 3 very ripe bananas

2/3 cup sugar

Use a potato masher, fork, or spoon to squish the banana and mix the ingredients together. It is alright for there to be small (1 centimeter) chunks of banana in the batter, but you want most of the banana to be reduced to mush.

In another bowl, combine:

1 1/3 cup all-purpose unbleached flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until the ingredients are blended together.

If you like, stir in additional ingredients here, such as chopped walnuts or pecans, dried cherries or apricots, or chocolate chips. A handful (about a half a cup) is about right.

Pour the dough into greased baking pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Small loaves take around 30 minutes, a normal-sized loaf takes around 50 minutes.

Remove from the oven. This bread is great warm, but it is excellent cold too.

After they have cooled for 5 or 10 minutes the loaves can be removed from the pan to cool. Once they are cool they can be individually wrapped and frozen.

I think I put chocolate chips in EVERYTHING..

I'm so glad I read this recipe again. I realized I can cut this baby up and freeze. Now I dont have to figure out how to eat this whole thing without gaining ten pounds..

Enjoy!

i scream.. you scream:)

2011-06-15T20:47:00.001-04:00

So the other morning we (munchkin and I) decided to invite some of the munchkins pals (and mine) over for an impromptu ice cream social. the goal was to break in my new Cuisinart Yogurt/Sorbet maker given to us as a gift by our dear friend Miss Lydia.. I probably should have opened the box and read the directions before heading out that morning for errands and such because as it turns out, I needed to freeze the bowl for 6 - 24 hours before making ice cream. i only realized this about an hour before my guests were to arrive... thankfully i had a carton of Bryers in the freezer...

we even got a visit for little miss catherine (the lovely lady in the adorable tea collection romper:-)

gum drops, gummy bears, oreo's, m&m's, oh and fresh strawberries and blue berries.. you can guess which toppings got left for the mommies..

i love a good excuse to break out my table cloths:) this is the last of the gardenias from the bushes outside my house..

can you say YUM!

balloon fight!! they had a blast, and the mommies were able to catch up for a bit.. this is such a fun age for the kiddies. they are having conversations with each other and actually playing together instead of just next to each other or in the same vicinity. we met these folks at Mommy and Me when they were barely 6 months old and have been pals ever since.

i cant believe i made this little person. and how SMART and FUNNY she is..

i'm not just saying that.. no she really is a genius:-)

I LOVE IT!

Green Thumb Thursday

2011-06-09T22:21:00.000-04:00

So back in April My folks came to visit for a bit, and since my dad has such a lush and delicious garden in his back yard, I thought it would be a good time for him to aide me in my efforts to culminate my own little green thumb.

it is my goal in life to be a chocolatey martha stewart (yep i said it!)and grow something that i can eat. right now, i'm just bootleg martha stewart. dont judge me. i'm working on it.

at any rate, i thought a good test would be to start with work on a container garden full of all of the things i would need to make a batch of bunnie's yummy home made salsa! tomates, onions, jalapeno's, bell pepper, some herbs and such... easy breezy right? umm... no.

so i took this pic was taken about a week after planting.

and a month and a half later. they have not grown one inch.. i mean they are still very much green and alive... thats about it.

this is my little munchkin helping to make markers for the different plants. she is such a good little helper:)
But I digress...

So I decided to take matters into my own hands and do what any driven and determined confident woman would do. I cheated (so to speak). I went out and bought some saplings and decided to try again. I know its a little late for planting season. But I'm on a mission.

I even threw in some fruits this time (since I was on a roll, with my bad self:-).

I'm also, i'm using a little plant booster of sorts (still cheating)..

i'd like to have a little nook like this with a little table, and chair and a pitcher of sangria:)

so I'll keep you posted on my progress....

My Thighs are Rubbing Together Again:-(

2011-06-05T23:01:00.011-04:00

Yes I said it. And I'm very dissappointed in myself. Last year this time, I was just fitting into those jeans you put up on that high shelf hoping and praying you'll fit into them again someday. And here I am again.. putting them right back on that shelf. I tell you who's the culprit. This toddler of mine.. First it was Halloween, and then Christmas Cookies, and Valentines Day treats... all down hill after that. So this sad turn of events has caused me to feel the need to declutter my closet (i.e. get rid of all of my ugly clothes and ones I cant squeeze into any more).

so i hear you should get rid of anything you havent worn in the last two years. done.

so with that.. my closet is now a sad, discombulated (is that a real word) sight. I cant believe I'm showing this. I'm hoping this will force me to do something about it...

which leads me to this post.

Operation: Spruce Up and Organize Closet

Now the above snapshot is mid rampage, so it doesnt usually look like the tazmanian devil gets dressed here. no, really, i mean it.

but it is normally this bland and boring and i'd like to change that. working with the teeny tiniest budget i can put together (that was for you hubs:-)

so now i'm off to find inspiration, and this is what i've come up with so far.

what about someting like this? this is almost the amount of space i'm working with right?

cute right? but is where are the rest of her clothes? maybe she cant fit into anything either?

ahh. love this elfa storage solution from container store! i could totally work this out!

not quite my style, but thought these were very interesting storage from design withing reach.

Living Etc.

Love these old suit cases for storing out of season sweaters, scarves and such..

Martha Stewart

I REALLY like the idea of this wall papered closet. The pop of color and design really gives it some character and polish.

Okay, so thats what i've come up with so far.. any help would be greatly appreciated:-)

The Best Granola Bars Ever!!

2011-06-03T15:20:00.000-04:00

So I've been meaning to try my hand at home made granola bars for a while now. I've also been looking for ways to cut down on the number of packaged items that I buy from the grocery store that I can make at home (i.e. apple sauce, boxed pancake mix etc #dontjudgeme:-)

The munchkin is allergic to nuts and is a little string bean, so I was was looking for something packed with healthy calories that we all could enjoy (hence the chocolate chips)..

So I typed in SunButter (which we use all the time for sandwiches (sunbutter and honey is a favorite!) and chocolate chip granola and voila!

No-Bake SunButter and Chocolate Chip Cookies

This was actually pretty easy. The munchkin and I made these a few days ago and I have plenty to last for next weeks lunch boxes and snacks!

•4 cups old fashioned oats
•1/4 Tbsp sea salt
•1 cup Rice Krispies
•3/4 cup natural SunButter, warmed
•1/2 cup honey
•1/2 cup chocolate chips

In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, rice krispies, salt, and chocolate chips. Add in the honey and mix until combined. Stir in the warm SunButter. (If the mixture isn’t sticking together well enough, just add more honey.)

Press the mixture evenly into a greased 9×13″ baking dish and refrigerate at least 60 minutes.

Cut them into bars, and then wrap them into single servings. Store them in the refrigerator so that they stay nice and chewy! I didnt wrap all of them like this. I was inspired by this recipe and post at sugarcrafter.com (i added rice krispies). Most of them ended up in snack sized zip lock bags for the munchkin..

You should totally make these!

happy belated.. again..

2011-06-01T21:38:00.000-04:00

So you know me and my belated holiday posts.. so there are no suprises here:-) Not sure how these bloggers actually enjoy thier holiday and still squeeze in post. One day when i grow up I'm sure I'll be granted the secret keys to blogging success.. In the mean time, I thought I'd share a little of last weekend with you..

Better late than never is what they say!

I started out by reading a status update by a dear friend Tara who linked to an New York Times article on a little known fact about Memorial Day... Its seems that:

The earliest and most remarkable Memorial Day took place on May 1, 1865. The beautiful port city of Charleston, S.C., lay in ruin and occupied by Union troops. Among the first soldiers to enter and march up Meeting Street singing liberation songs was the 21st United States Colored Infantry; their commander accepted the city’s official surrender.

The procession was led by 3,000 black schoolchildren carrying armloads of roses and singing the Union marching song “John Brown’s Body.” Several hundred black women followed with baskets of flowers, wreaths and crosses. Then came black men marching in cadence, followed by contingents of Union infantrymen. Within the cemetery enclosure a black children’s choir sang “We’ll Rally Around the Flag,” the “Star-Spangled Banner” and spirituals before a series of black ministers read from the Bible.

READ COMPLETE TIMES ARTICLE - http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/30/opinion/30blight.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=opinion&adxnnlx=1306753261-S82yssCq3qMNxaXGta278g

So hubby is not only a former military brat but also a veteran of the Navy, which means he pulls these things out every chance he gets.. Its pretty funny (and cute) how he gets all worked up about getting the lawn ready to put out his flags..

In true Holiday weekend form, we broke out the grill... There's really nothing I love more than grilling out on the deck and having a couple of cool adult beverages (dontjudgeme:-)..

And he's becoming quite the skilled grillman (is that a word?) Thank You Papa Russ.. He's stealing all of your secrets:-)

I wont tell you how yummy this was.. Lets just say finger lickin good...

Got the idea for this Watermelon Feta Salad while doing my weekly Publix run.. There was quite a long line at the sampling booth.. I snagged the recipe card right after:)

So we had a little spread, did a little power shopping, had breakfast at my favorite spot, and had a pretty relaxing weekend... Did I mention my birthday came and went in the haze? I turned 29 for the 5th time)...

The gardenias are blooming like crazy!! And munchkin and hubby have been making sure to bring them in by the handful.. My house smells heavenly! Unfortunately they dont last very long after they are cut..
Keep em' coming..

Hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend.

happy sunday!!

2011-05-22T14:25:00.000-04:00

We're still here (arent we?)!! I must admit, the clouds did look a little suspicious around 645P ET yesterday:-/ But just to make sure everything was copasetic...We went to church today!!

I'm sure I've mentioned that we are both born and raised Baptist folks around here. But since we moved a little far from the Baptist church we used to attend and had this little munchkin here who makes it a little hard to sit still and enjoy a service we've been well.. sampling.

Today we went to a "contemporary" service at a United Methodist Church we were invited to by one of the munchkin's classmates moms. She even teaches the Sunday School class for the 3 year olds which made me a little more comfortable with leaving the munchkin. So for the first time in almost 3 years, we were able to actually pay attention to what was a pretty good sermon (when I wasnt thinking about sneaking back just peep in on her). Instead of pulling out crayons and stickers and crackers every 15 minutes or so..

All in all it's been a good day..

Here are some photos of hubs and the munchkin playing around with the camera on the MacBook this weekend..

Enjoy whats left of your weekend!

one.

two!

THREE!!

slackin on my pimpin

2011-05-17T12:18:00.000-04:00

bunnie and h. enough said:-)

weekend in review...

2011-05-02T15:38:00.000-04:00

if you are like me and a billion other people you started your weekend pretty early staring at these folks... surely the wedding of this century.. it was classic and modern and i loved every minute of it...

priceless.

i'd have to say these two were my stand out favs. devishly handsome and stunning beauty. probably not a likely couple but they sure were fun to look at. her dress was amazing. and what the heck DID he whisper to Prince William as Kate walked down the isle....

if you follow me on twitter then you've seen these pix.. i tried my hand at

a new banana bread recipe. i used this recipe which only calls for 2 or3 bananas which is usually what i end up with at the end of the week. munchkin is not a fan of bananas so i threw in a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.. and she thought it was deelish...

And so did I! Can I just say YUM!!! I eat at least two slices every day:-(

unfortunately I even took a bite of this before i snapped the pic. Greedy people..

hubby had a little project of his own in mind for the weekend. i dont know if its because i'm a little heavy or because i free fall onto the toilet, but my loo gets a little wobbly from time to time. This is what happened when hubby tried to fix the problem:-/

while hubby was elbow deep in poo. the munchkin and i decided to take what turned into a VERY long hike down the way to this church to see exactly what was smelling so terrific each time we pass it on the way home from the grocery store. It seemed a lot closer to my house from the car. It was well worth the exercise..

hopefully the hike cancelled out the calories. I even got a peach soda!

couldnt resist posting this pic. she saw some older kids in the neighborhood on their bikes and of course needed to strut her stuff immediately. we also made an appearance at the scorching hot Inman Park Fest. the only evidence I have is the King of Pops blueberry lemonade popscicle stains on the munchkins clothes.

voila! good job hubby!! is it inappropriate to photograph your toilet? oh well.

have a great week!

i meant to tell you about..

2011-04-26T15:21:00.001-04:00

The munchkins first sleep over. Well it was really for me. Munchkins baby sitter had pity on me since hubby was out of town for the night:-). She brought over tons of carbs and calories for us to enjoy..

We had SO much fun eating this:

and popcorn and chips and drinking sweet tea (my little southern girls favorite)..

We all put on our favorite pajamas and...

and we listened to music and danced and watched Disney's Princess and the Frog and I let her stay up a whole hour past her bed time.. Then I talked the sitters ear off until she fell asleep on the couch:-). This little fun filled evening got me to thinking about a few things:

1. I must go to New Orleans and have some Gumbo and Beignets..

2. I have since found most of the 13 pounds I lost last year this time.. Dag Blasted holiday candy, cookies and pies!! I need to do something about that.

3. I cant wait until my little munchkin has her first sleepover with friends her own age. Its going to be SO MUCH FUN!! And I'm sure she will have to ask me to stop talking and go to my room:-).

Thanks for hanging out with us Bree!

i dont get out much...

2011-04-25T17:46:00.001-04:00

I've been meaning to let you see these.. A dear friend of ours had a little birthday party a few weeks back.. she usually does a theme and this year it was "Hipster." We got this as part of the invitation (to provide a little direction):

I couldnt possibly show up like that, so I did a little more digging and came up with this:

and this:

and then hubby and i got a sitter partied all night at Noni's looking like this:

now that's what you call special. dont judge us.. we dont get out much..

actually, I partied all night while hubby parked it at a booth in the back. he held my purse and my water:-)

my MeMa gave me these sunglasses. I did not take them off all night..

i REALLY think I'm jammin' when I put my hands in the air and poke my lips out..

I totally crashed their picture:-)

birthday girl to your far left! woo hoo!!

PEACE!!

happy ressurection day!

2011-04-24T21:24:00.001-04:00

So here's the deal.. I've only been blogging sparingly because I have a problem. I lost sight of why I started doing this in the first place. You start a little family so you start a little blog... Hey! I'll post some pix of life and times so that my extended family and friends can see what we're up to in bunnieville..

and then it happens.. you get followers and comments and people you dont know that like your blog!! OMG how exciting.. and then you see other fabulous bloggers out there who are getting advertisers and doing photo shoots and you think, maybe i should write about stuff people want to see!! and you start comparing yourself to them and then..

so at any rate, i'm going back to basics. i miss blogging. and i'm going to keep posting about the things and people I love most!

more importantly.. HAPPY RESSURECTION DAY (also known as Easter).

hubbys parents came into town for the holiday.. and like any other red blooded Christian family partaking in Pagan rituals the munchkin had tons of fun doing some of this:

we also did some of this:

I use this recipe and substitute chocolate chips for raisins when i need a fix:

and then for the Grand Finale we did this:

This year, Granmother brought this super cute dress, The munchkin insisted that she wear her pearls. I shoved one of her tutu's underneath for added effect...and put on the biggest ruffliest socks I could find. I cant help myself, Im from the South:-)

Like true heathens we did not go to church today. Although we both were raised in Baptist churches we've been moonlighting at this little Catholic church in the city. We like the feel of it and the message and the service time is perfect for cooperation from the munchkin which is very helpful. However, I'm always on edge thinking we will get called out like the charlatans we are when they notice something a little off with our participation (or lack of) because we have no idea what they are doing.

In honor of this day let us just say THANKS:

Living He loved me/Dying He saved me/Buried He carried my sin far away/Rising He justified freely forever/One day He’s coming/ What a glorious day!!

Hope you guys had a great one!

Voila!

2011-04-01T21:37:00.000-04:00

So I've been meaning to work on this project for a bit now. We've had these lamps in our storage (aka our unfinished basement) forever. Hubby kept suggesting that I throw them out. But I was determined to make something of them. And I finally did!

Before

This old lamp Hubs had in his apartment 8 years ago (WOW we are old) when we first met. They looked alot better back then..

Stripping it was quite easy as the shade already hanging on for dear life.

I found this super cute fabric at IKEA. I have a feeling I'll be getting back there real soon to grab some of their really cute and inexpensive fabrics for safe keeping. I have lots of little projects on my docket that are just waiting for the right pattern:-)

I used a ruler to measure about a inch and a half around, so that I could fold over the wires. And used fabric glue to secure.

So this was my first try at covering a lamp. I think it turned out pretty good. They were a pair, so I'll get another chance to take a crack at it. We will be carving out a little office/study space in the house soon, so that should give me just the excuse.

the old college try!

2011-03-26T22:31:00.000-04:00

So the folks (my parents) were in town and one the of projects I had on the docket was to get my dad to help me with some planting.. He has a great garden back home on thier acre of land chock full of all kinds of fruits and veggies.. I've mean pretending to start a garden for some time now and for the last few years have even gone out and bought some seeds.. But this year.. we took it a step further and actually put them in some dirt.. I'm starting with all of the ingredients to make my own home made salsa (tomatoes, peppers, onions, cilantro)plus a few other greens for salads..

the yard belongs to hubby so i'm forced onto our back deck, and my intention is to create a lush container garden.. so I'm looking for some inspiration.. we picked up some really cute pots from IKEA, but are starting here with these biodegradeable containers and some seeds.. my dad insisted on doing things the old fashion way. i would have been happy to pick up some saplings, but patience is a virtue (thats what It says..).

i'm keeping them indoors for now and already see some sprouts.. however, i've run into a little snafu. i have no idea what is what? no one told me that my Sharpie would fade.. so now the pots say absolutely nothing..

i suppose i'll just keep moving along and hopefully the contents will become apparent sooner rather than later.

as always my little munchkin is the best helper ever. she insisted on taking part of every stage of the process.

at any rate.. keeping my fingers crossed that I wont get discouraged and that i will be posting pix of Bunnie's home made salsa in no time at all:-)

i'm so excited!!

2011-03-24T22:44:00.000-04:00

Look what I found!! !!

So I'll admit, it is a bit much. My one splurge when we found out the little munchkin was on the way was my Orbit baby stroller. I saw Nicole Richie pushing little Harlow in one and I had to have it. What?!!! Dont judge me.

Being the hipsters that we are:-) It only seamed right to have an actual space ship to transport our precious cargo around town. Its a car seat. Its a stroller. It travels well..

I convinced myself that I NEEDED it!

And it has served us well...

At some point I'd like to add another munchkin to our little family and I wanted to see if this little investment of ours would allow for and expansion to our tribe.

And looky looky!

How cute will little miss munchkin look riding this Orbit Side Kick Stroller Board?! Not sure how safe it is, but it sure looks cool? And hubby who occassionally whips out his skate board?! has a reason to get her a skateboard of her own!

when i grow up...

2011-03-18T23:17:00.000-04:00

when i grow up i'm going to be just like these chicks.. i was minding my own business, checking out the sales on the jcrew site (because I only buy deep discount at j.crew:-) and up pops this little missy. wearing the cutest little ensemble. key word "little." at any rate i decided to scroll on through and i was very impressed by these young ladies..

i'd totally wear this..

and this..

rock the ham sandwich out of this..

i would have liked to have this little sweater for the fundraiser i just got home from..

and i would totally wear matching outfits with this one..

and put my munchkin in this, if i believed in paying the same amount for her clothes as i did my own.. NOT so much..

too cute for words.. are the carrie bradshaw huge lapel flower brooches back?

trying to put something together from my closet like this as we speak..

i think i can pull this look together for tomorrow..

thanks j. crew for the mini inspiration.. you NEVER dissappoint..

xox

country strong...

2011-03-13T21:51:00.001-04:00

If you know me well, you know that i'm from Jacksonville, Florida. Born and raised. Country. But in a good way:-) Since we are on the coast it is quite common to partake in a hearty meal of crabs. Occassionally we take it outdoors in a big pot with all sorts of things thrown in: corn, potatoes, sausage, boiled eggs?. And we wont discuss the massive amounts of seasoned butter used for dipping. Now we didnt take it that far, but hubby got the urge yesterday; and picked these up from the Publix (I know that's cheating - but what are you going to do?). And they were YUMMY!

We settled on a little ceasar salad on the side:-)

SN: Munchkin had grilled cheese, sadly she's allergic...

And in true "Pearls and Khakis" form I made Madeleines for dessert:-)

Unfortunately, for my favorite jeans, I have made it a habit to bake cookies most weekends. And I have the best helper EVER!!

P.S. Can someone buy me a REAL mixer?

Unfortunately, I've been gobbling these up four at a time.. At least the girl scout cookies are gone.

I have a problem:-(

Some stuff I meant to show you...

2011-03-12T22:02:00.003-05:00

So I helped out with a baby shower a couple of weeks ago for a dear friend of mine. I did a cute little favor and water bottle.

Take a look see:

I've been meaning to try these cookies in a jar for Christmas or Valentines Day, this was just the occassion. I tried the recipe for these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and they are the yummiest things EVER! I make them almost every week now. Not good as we are approachig Spring and then swimsuit season:-(

Ingredients:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 1/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats

I might add an extra serving of chocolate chips or nuts to the top to even everything out. I ended up having more space at the top than I would have liked, but ran out of ingredients...

RECIPE TO ATTACH:
Beat 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter or margarine, 1 large egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until blended. Add cookie mix; mix well, breaking up any clumps. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake in preheated 375° F. oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

I was able to hack her invite to create this label. I think that's stealing though:-( But it turned out pretty cute!

Okay, I actually usually have hubs and the munchkin make these for me. They are my cookie slaves. But I pay them in kisses.

happy belated.. again..

2011-02-18T22:11:00.001-05:00

i keep running REALLY late on these holiday posts. put i couldnt let the month roll by without posting these sweet pix of my sweet on the day for sweethearts (Valentine's Day).

munchkin got all dolled up for school, but before we headed out i snapped a few pix.

munchkin and i made these sweet little treats for her classmates.. I LOVE this devilish little grin:-)

hope your day was super sweet:-)

will you be mine?

2011-01-31T18:26:00.000-05:00

love is in the air, let the planning commence!

thanks thig and thistle for this super cute idea and printable stickers! you rock!

martha never dissappoints with a plethora of inspiration. i'm totally making these valentines for my munchkins little munchkin class!

look at this sweet garland this oh so crafty chick did.. because she likes to make things.. see how she did it here.

super cute wreath i saw on the idea room blog. which got me to thinking.. do people decorate for valentines day and them take them down until next valentines day?

which got me to thinking out loud about something that's really been bugging me for the last few weeks. why do some people still have thier Christmas decorations up? it's one thing to just have not had the time to take them down and put them away (really?), but to keep lighting the tree and outside lights? what's the deal? just asking.

getting old...

2011-01-29T15:19:00.001-05:00

so i stopped by the mall the other day to return something hubby had bought two of online at abercrombie.

1. from the time i walked in the door it smelled like someone was wearing WAY too much cologne.. and i couldn't get away from them. and i REALLY wanted to.

2. the music was so loud i had to lean in and cup my hand over my mouth as i spoke to the sales person so that they could hear me.

3. the sales guys shirt was so tight i saw the faint lines of a tattoo on his chest. i felt like i had turned to a channel that i shouldn't be looking at. i also wondered if i was wearing lip gloss?

4. i ran straight to j.crew so that i could bathe in the sanctity of grown-up-ness and get centered enough to go back to my car.

traumatized all for this sweater. just what an old person would buy from abercombie.

i like it:-)

i was born to?

2011-01-26T22:14:00.000-05:00

so last night i was met one of the mom's in munchkin's class for coffee here and had the best green tea chai latte ever.

it just so happened to be some sort of open mic night so we ended up settling in for a nice little show. a young songstress, a couple of poets and a life coach all stepped up and out on stage to showcase what they were born to do. which got me to thinking...

carbs make me happy...

2011-01-24T21:50:00.000-05:00

hubby is getting an hour of homework in and i am on day two of my tv fast. in an effort to move in a direction of fitting into my jeans again today i put on new work out clothes and sneakers this morning!! i did not actualy work out. but i was thinking maybe i could burn a few calories by imagining myself vigorously running around little 5 (as i drank a soy smoothie and read a little of "the book thief by mark zusack in the starbucks and watched the cars roll by). additionally, i havent had one morsel of bread or the like today. i did however have a heaping pile of asparagus and roasted chicken for dinner. i'm still very hungry:-(

in an effort to distract myself from not turning on the television or eating one of the brownies or oatmeal raisin cookies i made in the last two days (am i trying to torture myself?), i thought i'd post some pix and do a litttle blog.

i've been working on my manicure. i make sure to put lots of vaseline on my hands before i go to the grocery store as i'm am always embarrassed to sign the reciept with my ashy knuckles...

shout out to the lady in the seafood department at my favorite publix for hipping me to this new recipe that hubby LOVED.. i did not eat this tonight i promise. next time i'll make it with whole wheat pasta :-( i tossed in some shrimp sauteed with garlic and olive oil (blue cheese crumbles and spinach)..

one of my favorite salads. the first date hubby and i went on (actually second).. he invited me over to his place where he made me dinner (those were the days...) and introduced me to this lovely little piece of heaven.. drizzled with a dressing made of mayo, a little white vinegar and sugar (splenda?)..

i snagged this recipe from the lates issue of martha stewart living.. i've made them twice in two weeks.. i think they'll become a staple around here..

arent these the most beautiful eyes you've ever seen..

i love her so.. and i so enjoy seeing life all over again through these...

her favorite phrase is, "but why mommy?"..

that's a good question.

more.

2011-01-23T22:46:00.000-05:00

okay.. so happy new year and all that jazz.. I know i missed it.. I'm usually a little late on things, but i'm working on that..

a couple of things i'm working on that i wanted to put out into the atmopsphere..

so the average american gains 7 pounds between halloween and new years. just call me a statistic... i worked too hard to shed my excess weight last year to not be able to fit into my jeans again!! so i'm on a mission. i ordered new Saucony sneakers from Gilt Groupe today (while waiting in the ER with hubby today - it was just sinusitus thank God) picked up some new vitamins at the pharmacy and its on!

so i tend to veg out in front of the television once i put the munchkin to bed when i'm in a funk.. and then i feel even worse after i've depleted all of my TiVo recordings for being such a loser and not working on any of the trillion projects i have going on. so starting this week i am cutting out television. well not in its entirety. i'm allowing myself 1 hour of tv per day. mainly so i can watch the young and the restless. sorry, i'm not trying to have to go to rehab. dont judge me.

since the munchkin was born (2 years ago) we have fallen out of our regular church attendance. unfortunately we made the mistake of trying to schedule it around nap times, and attempted to try and make it more convenient for us instead of making it a priority as it has been in the past. now dont get me wrong, it was a little difficult to really get anything out of the sermon as we spent the entire time trying to entertain our infant/toddler and passing her back and forth. but these last couple of Sundays have gone quite well, and I'm very excited about teaching the munchkin about God and bringing a steady routine of family worship back into our lives.

so there you have it. my goal this year is to strive for more. and to spend MORE time doing the things that make me proud, that make me happy and that inspire me.

i was inspired as i picked up the recent issue of More magazine (my new favorite) yesterday while the munchkin and i hung out at the bookstore for a bit. it touts itself as being for women of style and substance. i'm working on that too:-)

holiday wrap up.

2011-01-21T00:04:00.000-05:00

i know its over. tell that to the folks who still have their lights up. and are still turning them on every night.

at any rate, if we are not judging them.. i figured i'd be in the clear for being fashionably late with posting some pix from my favorite moments during this past holiday season..

my next post will be entitled, "happy new year"!

at our house, you get new pajamas on Christmas Eve. since my hubby gets a little obsessed with Christmas themed movies (especially A Christmas Story) these flannel pantalones were the perfect gift. The munchkin helped to pick them out.

ah. couldnt wait for this reaction.. she had been asking for a back pack like one of her school pals, so we surprised her with this.. she doesnt leave home with out it.

check it out!!!

we even got a little snow.. but we dont need that to start a fire.. if its below fifty and we have wood in stock..its all good:-)

something to eat, something to read, something to wear, and something you need. and small enough to fit in these stockings..

Pop Pop and munchkin..and his new Notre Dame sweatshirt thanks to Daddy.

I made two sweet potatoe pies, which turned out quite well I might say.. I gained 7 pounds over the holidays.. may have something to do with eating pie for breakfast every day?

since i have to drag the munchkin out of the playground sand box kicking and screaming everyday we thought this might lure her home..

one of my most favorite things is checking the mailbox for Christmas cards.. my mother in law asked why all the cards looked the same.. i think Tiny Prints is probably pulling through this recession just fine:-) they do have REALLY cute stuff.

this year, in lieu of our annual holiday party we opted to do a kid friendly after Christmas brunch the day after Christmas..

visiting and relaxing with family are the icing on the cake during this special time of year.. it's definitely a reminder of what's most important in this life.

hope your holidays were super special...

Merry CHRISTmas!!

2010-12-25T07:55:00.000-05:00

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them,
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
LUKE 2:8-14

Merry Christmas! From my family to yours!!

the perfect manicure

2010-12-20T23:21:00.000-05:00

On a regular basis, I think my nails look pretty raggedy. And lets not even get on my toes. I mean I try to keep them cut short. A quick snip, snip after I clip the munchkins of course... And that's about the extent of the maintanence they get.

It all started when I was expecting the munchkin, and found out about the chemicals in nail polish that can get into your blood stream.. It was all down hill after that, because who had time to curl their hair, let alone, think about making sure my nails were put together.

At any rate, So I've had it in my mind for some time that I'd like to incorporate some type of regimen that will at leave me a little less embarrassed to hand the cashier my check card at the Publix.

This is what I've come up with. Should be quick and easy, and I could maybe manage this once a week before bed?

Shape Nails.
Using a nail file, shape nails into squares with rounded corners, which makes them more resistant to cracks and tears. To avoid misshapen or split nails, file in one direction only -- no sawing back and forth.

Buff Nails to a Shine.
Using a smooth-surfaced buffing block or buffing disk (not a filing block, which will scuff nails), buff the entire surface of nails using a side-to-side motion.

Moisturize.
As a final step, rub hands with warm almond oil, avocado oil, or light olive oil, or apply an oil-rich hand and nail cream. My all purpose best product ever is Vaseline/Petroleum Jelly (Don't judge me) Pay particular attention to the nail and cuticle areas.

Manicured. Doesn't that just sound lovely? I like lovely:-)

leaving a legacy?

2010-12-19T08:38:00.003-05:00

So I know this seems silly, but I realized recently that have no idea how to polish my furniture. The hubby and I decided to invest in pieces of furniture that we knew we would want to keep around, and I'd like to make sure they keep and hold up over the years..

So part of my new years resolutions, or things I'd like to make a strong effort to incorporate into my life:-) is to start creating some traditions and leaving some legacies and wisdom for my little family. I mean there are a few things that have been passed down to me by my lovely mother and grandmother (sweet potato pie recipe, how to make the best potato salad ever, oh and i can clean and de-stem collard greens like nobody's business!) But since I've started my own family.. I always think about what my offspring will think of me and remember about me and learn from me.

I'm very excited about this.

Recently when asked where my furniture polish was, i realized that

a. I didnt have any, and

b. i didnt even know what kind to buy? pledge?

at any rate, in an effort to be eco-friendly and not ruin my furniture i went in search of not only a natural solution but a cost conscious one as well..

i turned to the expert. snagged directly from her bountiful website:-)

DIY
Clean with a barely damp soft rag; polish with olive, almond, or walnut oil. Or experiment with olive oil and white vinegar (or lemon juice) combinations -- more vinegar or lemon juice for cleaning and more oil for polishing.

Tips
Regular dusting prevents dirt from building up and minimizes the need for polishing. Test polish on a small section to make sure it does not react with the furniture's finish.

Now I know how to polish my furniture.. and so will my great-great-great grandchildren...

Read more at Marthastewart.com: DIY Furniture Polish - Martha Stewart Home and Garden

holidaze...

2010-12-18T09:20:00.000-05:00

so far we've been doing lots and lots of

making and decorating lots of goodies.. did you know the average american gains 7 pounds between Halloween and New Years.. go figure..

at any rate, making yummy fattening comfort foods for breakfast..

putting the finishing touches on the holiday decor..

did i say making yummy food..

playing dress up

and trying to take a nice family picture..

hope you all are having as much fun as we are:-)

this really happened.. i promise

2010-12-01T22:55:00.002-05:00

so since we are now in december officially, i thought this might be a nice time to do a fall update before we dive into holiday madness.. these pix have been trapped in my camera since we started fall.. which we rang in by planting tulip bulbs in the front yard..

here are some pix from our fall festivities, not in any particular order since it was too hard to organize them that way from my camera:-( i did the best i could without it becoming too cumbersome.

i try not to bombard with pix of my munchkin.. but i only have one child.. dont judge me:-/

handsome hubby at the pumpkin patch.

we came. we saw. we picked pumpkins...

couldnt resist posting another pic of mommy's ballerina witch.. wearing her "dancing shoes" that her auntie michelle sent to her as a cruel joke on me since the munchkin wants to wear them with every outfit.. sweat suit.. pajamas... sparkly pink shoes.. thanks!

momma lena (and poppa russ) came up just in time to help us plant tulips! hopefully the squirrels wont dig them out and eat them.

helping mommy make cinnamon crumb cake for the school fall festival.. she's got skills! no really.

say cheese. or aaaaarrrgh!! having hot chocolate.. or as she calls it.. chocolate hot.

helping daddy with the leaves.. now that was LOADS of fun! only the mommy in me was mostly concerned with whether there were spiders lurking in all those leaves:-(

helped the munchkins boo and her favorite gal pals throw a fabulous circus themed 2nd birthday bash..

and we got the tree! .. we made popcorn and hot chocolate and it was cold enough to strike up the fire place.. and we even watched a little of this, this, and this, as we reminisced over old ornaments we've been collecting since the hubby and I got together..

so at any rate, i'm getting really excited about the holidays for no other reason than I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!! I even loved sweeping up the pine needles

okay.. just had to post this pic of the munchkin stuffing popcorn into this toy train although we asked her not too. i guess she just couldnt resist.

good for the soul...

2010-11-21T21:08:00.000-05:00

so i was having a little conversation with my sitter about life, and work, and the pursuit of happiness and she being the scholarly agnes scott student decided to pull out some of her conceps from her womens pychology class and psychoanalyze me. she went on to suggest that i read this book.

i would never have considered myself a perfectionist until reading this book which i'm only half way through. at any rate if you are like most women, you are great at making sure that everyone else is happy leaving your own happiness an afterthought.. this book might just be for you too:-)

and to go along with a little soul searching i decided to use my left over rotisserie (and some onions, celery, and carrots) to make something else good for the soul:-)

nite nite..

mommys little pumpkin...

2010-11-20T21:59:00.000-05:00

okay since we are nearing thanksgiving.. i thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and post some halloween pix. now that the munchkin can clearly express herself.. its a little fun and a little scary.. so i asked her what she wanted to be for halloween and she said.. a witch and a pumpkin.. and we were happy to oblige

since my mom is a baptist minister.. oh and we all love Jesus.. we thought maybe a princess "good" witch might suffice..

and here's my pumpkin...

and her pals, a little elvis and dare devil.. the cutest!

she went back for seconds.. and the bribery begins.. now that we've had a real experience with candy.. i can get her to do almost anything with the promise of some "em ems" so she calls them:-)

is he still looking at me?

2010-11-12T11:11:00.001-05:00

i had to post this pic.. i think its hilarious. its my munchkin and her boo at his 2nd birthday party! they were about to head off for a little hay ride at his circus themed party. more pics to come..

i cant believe they are so grown up.. he gave me the sweetest little hug..

happy birthday cole!!!

part 2

2010-10-10T20:31:00.000-04:00

just a few more pix from the munchkins 2nd birthday party.. just a few of her closest pals came over for the tiniest sunflower seed butter and preserves sandwiches and cup cakes...

we danced a little..

grand mommy was even able to come in and celebrate!! isnt her hair SO cute!

and we before its all said and done.. we cant go hoome without our favorite game... ring around the rosie.. pocket full of posies.. ashes! ashes! we all fall down!!

me likey:-)

2010-10-07T22:11:00.001-04:00

i've been meaning to talk about this movie for a while. i believe hubby and i saw it about a month ago now.. but we both really liked it.. actually hubby suggested that we go see it.. oddly.. i think its because he has a thing for drew barrymore.. she is kinda cute... at any rate, maybe i'm partial because darling hubby and i started out in a long distance relationship and lived happily ever after.. i thought he was the cutest funniest guy i had ever met.. i still do:-)

okay so i've known about this website for a while, but just recently checked it out when hubby showed me this hilariousness.. I remember this song like it was yesterday... but not quite like this.

Every Little Step with Mike Tyson & Wayne Brady from Mike Tyson

so i was looking back at some old facebook pix and ran across this.. in public and on most occasions hubby and i both appear to be pretty conservative.. but underneath it all we are actually a little on the "off" side.. so a few years back, newlywed, pre baby bunnie and h.. paraded around town dressed as flava flav and deelishis.. bad tv at its best.. dont judge us!

this always makes me laugh.. i wonder how funny the little munchkin will think it is 12 years from now?

okay its taken me forever to post this so, i think i’m going to call it quits.. enjoy!

on the docket...

2010-10-05T15:24:00.000-04:00

it's only tuesday and already i'm pining away for the weekend... here's what i'm thinking:-)

munchkin and daddy are going to plant bulbs so that we can have some of these next spring:

we'll be thanking this fabulous lady for having the good sense to make the best french toast ever at our favorite saturday morning spot:

we'll be getting ready for fall and HALLOWEEN! and picking out a few these:

and i'll be catching up with my girls while discussing this at our little sewing circus book club gathering..

and before its all said and done daddy will be putting this together since a certain someone has decided, "i can get out by myself"

moving right along...

2010-10-03T14:51:00.001-04:00

picking up where i left off.. i think i'll have to do this in a two or three part series.. the munchkin has turned two and is officially a "big girl".. she is very clearly requesting cream cheese with her bagel, asking for chapstick.. and has climbed out of her crib twice... somebody save me!!

here are some pics from her birthday:

i snuck around 530 a.m. and "trashed" her room.. she was a bit confused at first but once she realized what was going on, got into full celebration mode.. she has been singing all three verses of "happy birthday to you.. ever since..

munchkin's new favorite is pancakes with chocolate chips!

obviously-)

some of her closest friends joined her in the earlier part of the day to celebrate!

and nanny bre-bree and her bff cole joined her for a celebratory dinner at he favorite mexican cantina in glenwood village!

say cheese!

this time last year..

2010-08-24T20:22:00.000-04:00

gearing up for the munchkin's second birthday this week.. looking back at some old pics..

the hubby had to work, so we tagged along to colorado so he wouldnt miss her first birthday..

we stayed here. colorado springs is beautiful this time of year..

bearling walking..

bearly any teeth.

now she sings her abc's, and "somewhere Oduh duh wainbow:-) boo birds fye:-)

Woo Hoo! Munchkin's turning 2!

the saga continues...

2010-08-16T18:29:00.000-04:00

i must say i was absolutely mortified when commuter dude showed up at my door step with the commissioner. i was working from home and had my pajamas on, and had not even combed my hair.. so after i had a complete break down (dont worry i closed the door first) i slapped on a head band, shook the commissioners hand and had a little chat that was a little more civilized than my initial tirade. thankfully, they edited out most of my gibberish:-)

in case you are interested...here's the continuation of my little soap opera..

scroll down for part one in case you missed it...

so proud..

2010-08-15T21:33:00.001-04:00

trying to think of a way to express these feelings without writing a novel.. or bursting into tears.. or getting way too homesick..

what i really want to say is how absolutely proud i am to be born into a family that sticks together like glue and continues to show me the woman i someday hope to be...

my grandmother, who is the strongest, bravest, spunkiest, person i know gave us a little surprise recently which caused us all to stop what we were doing and wherever we were, pack up to be by her side. there is no place i'd rather be.

she taught us how infinitely important FAMILY is. And how important having a relationship with GOD is .

She planted a seed in her children that grew so deep and strong in my mother that she has since been called to teach and preach his Gospel. my mother is also, the strongest, bravest, and most selfless person i know..

their lights shine so bright. i would follow them anywhere..

such a big girl now...

2010-08-07T21:23:00.000-04:00

so i'm getting a little nervous...

today after swim class, and story time at the book store, and my little helper tip toeing to help unload the groceries from the cart onto the conveyor belt (and a nice long nap) the little munchkin digs through the laundry basket and pulls out a pink slip-on summer dress and says, "i wear this one!".. I responded, "you want to wear this dress?" and she says, "okay!" (which she says instead of "yes").. so then I said.. "well dont you like the dress you are wearing - lets just keep this one on".. to which she responded, "no, i wear this one"... as she holds up the pink dress. she then promptly goes to pick out shoes to match.

and so it begins:-/

the cutest thing...

2010-08-04T21:11:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to post these pics for a while.. while using the bathroom at a colleagues house (she lives with her mom right now), I saw the cutest thing hanging on the wall. It was one of her first dresses with a little plackard with her birthdate. I knew I had to give it a try.. These are a couple of the munchkin's first dresses. Her first birthday party was lady bug themed:-). I'll be working on her Christening gown next!!

If you thought this was a cute idea.. this mommy puts us all to shame..

her imagination is endless..

and priceless:-)

check it!

sugar and spice and everything nice...

2010-08-02T20:37:00.000-04:00

after work, before dinner, we found a little time to play dress up!

LOVES IT!!

this little munchkin melts my heart.

we love weekends!!!

2010-08-01T20:13:00.001-04:00

one of these days i'm going to figure out how to attend church on sundays regularly again.. it's been just a tad hard to do with a toddler. we've tried it a couple of times and pretty much get dressed to sit in church and entertain the munchkin until its time to go. mom says take her to the nursery at the church.. maybe if they had video cams streaming live to my cell phone.. in the mean time.. we've been resting on the Sabbath day (to keep it Holy:-) and spending much family time.. we did get out for a bit for some ice cream before the storm.. but before we had a little of this:

and did a little of this:

however the highlight of the weekend was celebrating the hubby's birthday.. we had a few friends over and made the most delicious little turkey and beef sliders... with the hubby's favorite brews and GiGi's famous Sangria.. it made for the perfect Saturday.. thanks to all who weathered the storm to help us celebrate..

munchkin made daddy this:

and got him this super cute classic trench to weather those days on campus.

i got him to do a little modeling for me.. he's such a natural:-)

happy birthday bubby!!!

my acting debut...

2010-07-29T20:53:00.012-04:00

So originally I was mortified.. but after watching this a couple dozen times today.. i decided i thought it was pretty hilarious.. i'm just glad I wasnt wearing the same dress in both interviews.. I'd like to thank my driver and stylist Lydia and Breona:-)

me likey..

2010-07-27T20:51:00.002-04:00

i've been pretty bummed for some reason for the last few weeks.. maybe it's because summer is almost over. at any rate, i decided to just keep it moving like it ever happened;-).

this stuff i've been eyeing for a little bit and decided to get it off my desk top and share it with you...

love this super cute crystal bracelet from you know who (j crew)

and these navy and red "caroline's" from tory burch.. would be perfect for fall.

ever since i saw these on that little girl in the park.. i've been adoring livie and luca shoes.. they run about 40 bucks.. (ouch)!!

i think these could even go into the fall and winter with some tights?

in decorating mode and looking for drapes for the munchkins room. found these on anthropologie.. they are in my basket:-)

this is what we've been up to on sunday after noons... can't believe she'll be two next month.. if you ask her she'll tell you exactly that!

hope you havent missed me too much.. i've sure missed you:-)

xox

mid summer nights dream...

2010-06-25T20:54:00.001-04:00

it was a perfect evening to throw a couple of things on the grill and hang out on the deck for a bit... we pulled out the little pool and let the little munchkin splash around for a bit while i cut up vegetables and skewered a couple of things.. some chilled beverages and a nice breeze. it looks like it might rain.. even better.

the little munchkin skipped her nap today so she fell asleep in the high chair before the plates were prepared and we were able to enjoy a little alone time.. its been a while since we've had dinner at home without the sound of the sippy cup crashing to the floor...

now it's time to snuggle up with a movie and let the weekend begin..

hope you have a great one!

berries were on sale this week so i was happy to throw these on top and cancel out the ice cream calories.. that is how it works right?

with out make up. dont judge me:-)

i wonder who did that?

2010-06-21T21:23:00.000-04:00

so well.. i keep a big box with all of my costume jewelry and such under my bed.. the little munchkin loves to play dress up, and i must admit i love to watch her:-) cant take my eye off of this one even for a second.

do you see anything that looks like it doesn't belong in this picture?

take a closer look...

i've had these little sequin coin purses for EVER.. the silver one is at least 20 years old... they seemed to have dried out okay. not that i plan on carrying a sequin coin purse anytime soon.

i suppose it has been SUPER hot lately..maybe she thought they needed to cool off:-)

ahh! the joys of motherhood.

team jacob.

2010-06-20T21:16:00.001-04:00

so it has happened.

i was totally not even giving any attention or a second thought to these kids... not interested.

now i do get in my occasional dose of US weekly, and i did see a little of the MTV movie awards (okay i TiVoed it) so i'm familiar with who's who and what. but.. i mean, seriously, i'm a grown up with a toddler. i'm a working mom and wife.. trying to start a business.. what interest would i have in some teenage love story?! vampires.. werewolves.. really?! who me? forget it!

not quite..

recently i was left to my own devices (hubby was on a business trip) and stumbled upon the Twilight movies.. and i must say... I WAS SITTING ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT AND CANNOT WAIT FOR NEW MOON!!

okay.. i'm a little embarrassed.

but my defenses were down. and i was a little lonely.. and so i got sucked in:-(

i'm a sucker for a good love story.. so

DONT JUDGE ME!

p.s. who's down for the midnight showing:-)

http://www.eclipsethemovie.com/

summertime yum!

2010-06-17T13:33:00.000-04:00

i've really been slacking on my blogging lately.. it makes me feel like a total drop out because i love doing it so much. trying to fit it all in now that i'm a regular working girl.. i CAN do it ALL right?

at any rate.. super glad that summer is underway!! although it's been pretty sweltering these last few days.. i've been making some super yummy stuff (some that fit into my new diet and some not so much:-)

just wanted to share:-)

i think i might be part hispanic because i love mexican food SO much.. anything that i can dip some tortilla chips into really makes me swoon.. so i usually keep some avacado on hand to whip up some impromptu guac on a moments notice!

we really love blt's!! especially with some home fries and onions!! this is actually turkey bacon.. i cut out the swine some years back.. i make a yummy spread with mayo and basil and garlic. mmm mmm good...

there is nothing better than smores.. i've never gone camping, but who needs to.. just fire up this little grill and keep the marshmellows coming...

grilled fruit and whip cream.. they cancel each other out right?

love, love, love veggies.. and this baby brocolli sauteed with some lemon juice and garlic and some kosher salt are a crowd favorite in bunnievillle:-)

any quick and easy summer favs you'd like to share?

special..

2010-06-10T15:41:00.000-04:00

someone refused to go to school today without her dolls stroller. she also refused to let it sit next to her... she was determined to keep a death grip on it the whole ride..

i made her promise to share with her friends.

mommy's special little munchkin;-)

happy belated..

2010-06-07T21:21:00.000-04:00

i'm not sure where to go with this but before the moment is gone i thought i'd post some of my favorite pics from my birthday... it got a little lost in the shuffle with an impromptu 3:00 a.m. emergency room visit. but not to worry all is well now thanks to the good Lord and an albuterol inhaler:-(

at any rate.. why didnt any one tell me that saba wasnt anything special.. i mean i wasnt looking for linen table cloths but it was kinda like mcdonalds with pasta... oh well.. these were the highlights..

my two favorite people can make any place seem 5 star:-)

so to kick the weekend off some very lovely ladies took me to see sex adn the city 2 (which i LOVED!!)followed by a night of grooving to eighties tunes at east atlanta loung.. way too much fun!

one of my dearest, affectionately known as "lee-lee" graced us with her presence and even spent some time digging and planting with the little munchkin!!

and then there was barbeque.. well sort of.. hubby grilled the best wings ever..and we topped them off with cupcakes and all the fixin's :-)

everyone even came in thier own rendition pearls and khakis..

another of my favorite people paid me a surprise birthday visit all the way from columbia.. yay!!

is that blackie-o?

supa sexy!

and there you have it.. another year older and wiser (hopefully)..

the weekend.

2010-06-06T20:00:00.001-04:00

getting over colds.

munchkin's first swim lesson.

trader joes' run for the week.

play date at the park with the munchkin's best pal.

daddy folded the laundry and fell asleep watching baseball.

getting dinner on the table while daddy and and the munchkin hung outside with the flowers.

thanking God for His many blessings.

time to snuggle up.

have a great week!

go bunnie!

2010-05-26T21:26:00.001-04:00

in honor of the big day i have finally reached my goal weight! I lost 12 pounds!! the bad part is.. none of my clothes fit.. and the good part is.. none of my clothes fit!! i wont run out and buy new clothes just yet.. let's see how long i can keep this up..

so i'm thinking about having dinner here or here with hubby and the munchkin to celebrate another year of life... now that i am an old lady - i usually like to keep it low key on the actual day and just hang out with my two favorite people:-)

i havent been to the decatur arts festival before but am thinking of hitting it up on saturday.. it should be a nice little family outing.. and maybe we can find some great local art and snacks!

super excited to take in sex and the city 2 with my girls! i had a huge belly and was waddling around when the last one came out. we are looking for a designated driver:-) who knows what other mischeviousness we will get into.. it's 80's night at East Atlanta Lounge.. so WATCH OUT!!

tinyprints.com

so i've been scouring the martha stewart site trying to come up with a little menu for a little birthday barbeque..

thinking about something like this

and this..

and we dare not forget this

okay now i'm REALLY hungry!!

i'll let you know how it goes..

looking forward to some sweet relaxation!! it's been a crazy week already... it's only wednesday and i'm already talking about the weekend!!

mommy's little munchkin..

2010-05-20T21:17:00.000-04:00

just hangin' out on the front porch..

LOVES IT!

guilty pleasures...

2010-05-19T23:00:00.000-04:00

a few things that make me happy before bedtime:-)

unfortunately ive been hooked on these kids since laguna beach.. thank goodness its the last season.. there's always The City:-)

hubby brought me these back from his business trip to colorado springs tonight.. i only ate one before bed i promise.. saving these for when i need a fix:-) get your own here.

hello lover:-) welcome home..

i wonder who did that?

2010-05-18T16:31:00.000-04:00

i dont think it was CoCo (her doll and bff). she was set up:-)

i should probably keep my bathroom door closed.

i should be sleeping..

2010-05-18T00:06:00.001-04:00

but instead i'm tooling around on the web looking for inspiration for my munchkin's 2nd birthday coming up at the end of august.. oh. and also working on some compliance modules for work:-(

didnt have much luck on the party planning front but i did run into these inspiring ideas for grown up outdoor shin digs for the summer..

I'm so looking forward to a little something like this.. I have a birthday coming up and a little birthday backyard (deck) brunch sounds perfecto!

I'm SO doing this for my next get together.. little bags.. check! scalloped scissors.. check! maybe i'll use grapes instead? Nah.. these red cherries really pop!

these fruit spritzers are making my mouth water even now... now if i just had these tall sleek tumblers... i think they would look just as yummy in my mason jars?

can someone pretty please get my hubby to build me one of these canopies for my back deck? it would be so super cute with some little paper laterns for a little deck barbeque?

just as soon as a get a sewing machine i'm going to make pretty slip covers for my teak deck furniture.. no really i am..

she made this table cloth by sewing 15 bandanas together.. dollar tree here i come!!

cute, cute, cute.. thanks martha!

i wonder who did that?

2010-05-15T14:53:00.000-04:00

starting a new weekly post. not sure what day of the week i'll do it. maybe it'll be random, or maybe i'll do it the same day everyweek? today is just as good as any to start.

so i've been finding things in the most random places. and i always get a little chuckle.. i can remember when i was just trying to get her to roll over.. now i've lost 3 cell phones in the last 7 months.. i found one of them under the stove?

at any rate.. i walked into my bathroom last night and this is what i saw..

i wonder who did this:-)

baby steps...

2010-05-14T15:56:00.001-04:00

check it.

i'm getting old...

2010-05-13T22:54:00.002-04:00

update: only one pound left to my goal weight!! thighs are rubbing together a little less. pants are a little looser... and there is even some extra room in my blouses..

down side: my bra's dont fit anymore and the junk in my trunk is missing the funk..

squats and pushups?