Circle of Love and the Craziness Around It...

A belated Valentine’s Wish….

2012-02-16T07:24:00.000-05:00

Happy Belated Valentine’s Day!! I just could not get my act together this week to blog on the appropriate days….lol! The kids had a million things going on….projects, parties, fundraisers and feel like I have been like the Energizer Bunny running all week!

So, here are my boys wishing you are very Happy Valentine’s Day (in the cute little shirts that I made them the night before…lol)….

I had seen these ‘tie shirts’ all over Etsy and I figured that they would be easy enough to whip up. And it was a score when I found both t-shirts at the Dollar Tree!! Even if they never wear it again or it becomes a smock, for $1, I don’t care!

I literally just cut the fabric in the shape of a tie and sewed it on. I kept the edges raw for a more rugged look.

I had purchased a box of chocolates for Christopher’s teacher. But when I was looking around on Pinterest, I saw a cute Valentine idea using Swedish fish. And funny enough, Christopher’s teacher loves to fish so we just had to make it for her.

Hoping that your Valentine’s Day was filled with lots of love and laughter…..

A forgotten little project….

2012-02-10T09:08:00.000-05:00

Good morning bloggy buddies!! Hope everyone is as happy as I am that today is Friday. We have a fun weekend planned and I can’t wait to get it started!!

Well, as I was scrolling through my phone last night (you know, deleting the hundreds of pictures that my children take) when I came across a cute little project that I never shared with you. Well, at least I don’t think I shared it…..lol. And if I did, well, then you are seeing it again. It was a diaper holder that I made for my friend Susan. Susan has a great store that she runs on FB called Lola's Baby Boutique. And it is named after her daughter Lola who is BEYOND adorable. The shop has hair bows, tutu’s, custom onsies and whole lot more.

Susan had made this precious wipes holder for herself…….

At that point in time Susan was not really sewing and had asked me to make her a matching diaper holder. She had some extra fabric and I knew I could whip it up quickly.

Here is what I did……

I love the fabric….so girly! I gave it to Susan and she was going to embellish it to match the wipes case. Perfect to just grab and go!!

Have a great weekend….

It’s my party……

2012-02-07T11:36:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to me!! Yes, today I am one year closer to 40. It is not so bad….I am hoping that 36 is going to be a good year for me and my family. Well, it has to be after last year….lol!

Today is going to be pretty low key. I have some errands to run, a PTA meeting to attend and then we will just order in dinner and I will make my own cake. It is all that I need on my birthday.

This past weekend was more of the celebration. The hubs took me to NYC overnight while my mom watched the kids. I always love going into the city since I don’t get to do it that often anymore. I went to college there and worked there and sometimes I just miss it. There is not place in the world like NYC. So it was nice to go back. And this year we were lucky enough to have our friends join us. That always makes for a better time….lol! We went to dinner at a swanky Italian Steakhouse called Macelleria. It is in the meatpacking district which is downtown. Did you watch Kourtney and Kim Take New York this season? Well, if you did, the restaurant is right across the street from where they stayed, Hotel Gansevoort. It is a great area. There are amazing restaurants, lots of shopping and tons of bars.

After dinner we headed here……

It was hilarious!! I needed a night of comedy. There were 3 comedians in all but the headliner was the best. He was very relatable as he made jokes about this marriage and raising a 4 year old son.

Here is the only picture we took all night since I forgot my camera at home. Thank goodness for camera phones…..lol!

Next stop on the list was looking for a nice little bar to get a few drinks. The funny part is, all of the places we were going to go seemed very young. We didn’t really seem like we fit in. You see, I was not wearing a skirt that barely covered my butt and I didn’t have on 7 inch stilettos. Now, had I been wearing a get-up like that, no one would have known that I was old!! LOL!

We ended up going to a bar that was more low key. He had a few drinks and then after that I was crazing some sweets. We headed to a little café for some coffee and a dessert. It was the perfect ending to a great night!

Thanks hubby!!

Adorable….

2012-02-03T09:52:00.000-05:00

Yeah…it is Friday. I am super excited for the this weekend. Do you want to know why?? Well, I am going to tell you. The hubs and I are going on our annual overnight getaway to NYC!! My mom agrees to let the kids sleep there (yes, the big one night a year…lol!!) while we go out for my birthday. So, we have dinner plans then we will go to a comedy show and then hit the town for a few drinks. I can’t wait!!! And this year we have friends coming along so I am sure we are going to have a blast!

But, for today I am happy to share with you something fun. I was contacted by a woman a few weeks ago. She is a photographer based in Florida, Missy K Photography.

Missy was preparing to do a mini princess photoshoot and was looking for items to use as props for the shoot. She saw the Princess Pillow I have in my Etsy shop and wanted to know if I could donate it to her to use. Of course I said yes. Every princess needs a pillow, right?? She sent me a few pictures from the shoot and I just had to share.

Too cute…..

I am glad I was able to help make the shoot a success!! Thanks Missy.

Be sure to check out my Etsy shop if your princess needs a pillow too…..

Have a great weekend.

Almost Wordless Wednesday…

2012-02-01T08:35:00.000-05:00

Lately I have been obsessed with these…..

They taste great, provide a ton of nutrients and are ZERO calories. Well, the other day I was sitting, having lunch, and I decided to actually read the bottle. I cracked up. There is a great saying on the side and I have to share…..

It reads….

C’mon, let’s see what you are squeezing into that purse…..or suitcase. Looky here, a giftcard ( .89 cents left), three hand lotions (melon, cucumber, cucumber-melon), and the ol’ wad of receipts (planning on returning that shirt you are wearing?). Your bags inspired us so we squeezed eight key nutrients from Vitamin A to Zinc into this bottle. Since it is zero calories and naturally sweetened, you can squeeze a few bottles into your purse….or ‘man bag’ (we’re not judging).

Great marketing and so true!!

A diversion…..

2012-01-30T07:55:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a great weekend. Ours started off good. Saturday Anthony was invited to his first official birthday party. It was so cute. He usually tags along to all of the parties that Christopher is invited too, so this was nice that is was something for him.

I am going to tell you about Sunday in pictures. I am sure you will figure it out….lol!

We had plans to pack up the kids and drive 3 hours to go here…..

But, suddenly in the middle of the night Saturday, we ended up here……

Because Christopher had this……

Lovely. I guess when you have kids, anything can happen. Plans don't always work out as intended....

Have a great day!

Guest post…..Other People's Shows

2012-01-28T08:17:00.000-05:00

Other People's Shows

Guest post from: Lara Kent

Sometimes I wonder when I go to my dentist’s office what kind of direct tv packages they opt for. I could imagine that they would need a lot of channels to keep everyone happy, especially when they have a TV in each patient room. I’m pretty open about my TV watching choices but I have seen some pretty strange channels at my dentist’s office. Some offices opt for the traditional news channel in the waiting room where you can get all caught up on what’s going on around the world while you wait. This is a pretty safe choice. I always love it when you walk in and are happily seated and watching something sufficiently mind-numbing when another patient thinks they can grab the remote and take control of the waiting room. Just because you like documentaries about ancient Greece on The History Channel it doesn’t mean that’s what I want to watch all morning! I know it’s hard to keep everyone who might walk through the doors happy, but I would prefer that my fellow patients don’t have control of what I have to watch. It’s bad enough that I have to deal with the shows my husband likes at home.
----------------------------------------------------

Almost Wordless Wednesday on a Thursday….

2012-01-26T07:17:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I am a day late and a dollar short here!! But, don’t they always say ‘better late than never”? LOL! It has been a busy week around the house and so my posting slacked bit. You understand, don’t you?

Christopher loves to draw (he is like me) and is forever coloring, cutting, and crafting. His imagination is amazing and I love that about him. But, I don’t love his new art gallery….

He seems to be taping his creations to every inch of his bedroom door as well as all over the walls!!!

And yes, he is missing a doorknob if that is what you are saying to yourself. LOL! The hubs replaced the door and hasn’t gotten to add the new knob yet.

Have a great day…..

Tweens…..

2012-01-20T08:45:00.000-05:00

TGIF!!! I hope everyone had a great week. We are already in weekend mode here. The kids wanted their pj’s on yesterday when they got home from school (yes, at 3:30pm) so they could ‘lounge around’…..lol! I have a feeling it is going to be a lazy kind of weekend and I am fine with that!

I wanted to share a project that I had made for Christmas. My 2 cousins each have daughters that are ‘tweens’ and they are true fashionistas. Although they do love sports, they love bags and clothes more. Around Thanksgiving they had each asked me to make purses for them. And of course, they put in a hand written request with colors and design ideas. Too funny.

The girls each wanted a white fabric with colored polka dots. And while one wanted flowers, the other wanted peace signs. I took a trip to JoAnn’s and of course, no white polka dot fabric to be found. Really Joann’s?? I did find a black dot and that was just going to have to work.

To make life simple, I made the bags the same shape. One would be a messenger and the other a shoulder strap bag. Yes, those were my instructions….lol.

Here is what I came up with for the should strap bag….

I embroidered the letter ‘K’ as her name is Kaylee. I just did a zig zag stitch with my sewing machine. A few hand made flowers and some ruffle added some youthfulness to the bag. I had never used a shoulder strap before, but it was pretty simple to attach. There is a snap closure for easy access to open and close.

The second bag was a messenger style…..

Here I made a peace sign out of felt and sewed it on the front. A hot pink ribbon finished it off. Again, a snap closure.

Both bags looked the some inside with hot pink lining and a pocket…..

I gave the girls the bags as part of their Christmas present and they were ecstatic!! My hard work paid off.

Here is Alexa modeling her bag….

Have a great weekend….

Almost Wordless Wednesday….

2012-01-18T09:43:00.000-05:00

A boy and his Chipmunk friends……

Happy Hump Day….

Chocolate lovers….

2012-01-13T09:04:00.000-05:00

Yes, my kids are chocolate lovers. All things chocolate. Aren’t we all?? LOL!

On our trip to NYC on New Year’s Day we stopped at the Hershey’s store and Christopher found this….

I think this is the largest Hershey bar I have ever seen!! And he wanted to eat it all in sitting. Talk about chocolate overload!

Have a great weekend!

Tuesday Randomness…..

2012-01-10T14:31:00.000-05:00

Well, is there still a ‘Miscellany Monday’ linky party anymore?? I used to participate but it has been so long since I have done so, that I forgot where to go….lol. And even though today is Tuesday, I have some randomness to share today.

ONE. This past Sunday was about me. Yes, I deserve a day to focus on me and not feel bad about it. First, I went to have this done….

Yes, a little sparkle always makes me feel good.

But I felt even better when I went for this….

And I topped off with this….

I told you it was all about me!! And I wish it would happen more often because I felt like a whole new person when I came home.

TWO. We de-Christmas-ed our house this weekend. When you sit and really think about all of the hours and hours that goes into preparing for Christmas, it is insane that we all are stupid enough to do it. Shopping, wrapping, decorating, baking, cooking…..is it all worth it??? Sometimes I say yes, sometimes I say no. But as long as I have kids, I guess the answer has to be ‘yes’….lol!

THREE. There has been so much sadness around our family as well as our friends families lately, that isn’t is a must that things can only get better?? I am not the most religious person out there, but I know that if there is a God, that he knows when people have had enough. And I know he will make this a good year for my family and for all of those around us!!

A day trip…..

2012-01-06T07:49:00.000-05:00

TGIF!! Hope everyone had a great week and is looking forward to the weekend. I know I am. I swear, I feel like the weeks are going by faster and faster. Does that just mean we are all getting old quick?? LOL!

In my post the other day I mentioned that we tried to take advantage of the nice weather on New Years Day and so we headed to NYC. I had originally wanted to go earlier in the month of December to see the Radio City Christmas Show and to take the kids to see the Christmas tree but it just didn’t work out that way.

We hadn’t taken the kids to the Museum of Natural History ever so that was going to be the plan. I thought the kids would love to see the large dinosaur bones. And I haven’t been there since I was a kid and I was looking forward to it too.

Well, I guess everyone had the same idea because the place was packed!! And did you know that most museums are really free and the the prices listed are just a ‘suggested donation’? I just learned that….lol.

Getting out of the car and ready to walk up Central Park West….

Christopher and I in front of the museum…..

Some inside shots…..

Now, remember, my kids went to bed at 1:30am the night before so they look exhausted….lol. Well, they really are exhausted. Anthony was great. He sat in the stroller the whole time. I think they were getting a little bit bored. They are probably too young to appreciate what the museum is really about.

After we packed it in from the museum, Christopher decided he wanted to go to Times Square to the Hershey’s store. Now, many of you do not know, but parking in NYC, especially Times Square, is a nightmare. But, since we were already int he city, we attempted to drive over there. We actually lucked out and got an awesome spot. Then of course the kids we hungry for dinner. And where do the want to go? McDonald’s!! We are in the best city in the world and we eat McDonald’s for dinner. Nice.

Here is the calm after the storm of Times Square…..

Can you imagine the millions of people that packed the streets just hours before?? LOL. I ventured to Times Square on New Year’s Eve once in my life and I would never do it again. It was nice to say that I did it once, but that was enough to last me a lifetime….lol!

My boys….

Now, hopefully our next trip to NYC will be just me and the hubs and we can enjoy a ‘nice’ dinner and a few drinks!!
Have a great weekend….

Happy New Year….

2012-01-04T08:31:00.000-05:00

Happy 2012!! Yes, we are a little late with the well wishes, but we are just finally settling back in to ‘normal’ life around here. I am so glad that we are in a new year, with new adventures and hopefully much health and happiness. Oh, and a little money would be nice too!!

We ended up having a few friends over New Year’s Eve with their kids. It was nothing crazy, just drinks and snacks while the kids played and we waited to ring in the New Year.

Here are the boys waiting for our guests to arrive….

Of course we also tried to take a shot of ourselves…..but it is way too close for my liking!! LOL!

The kids played in their new cardboard playhouse (you know, the one they have to color….which hopefully takes them hours to do…lol).

And the adults talked and drank. We even reminisced about old music and ‘cassette tapes.’ My husband then had to show the girls his collection of tapes that he will not part with!! Really?? I think ‘cassettes’ are pretty much extinct honey…lol.

The kids all made it up until well after midnight. Let me tell you, my kids can party. No early bedtime for them!! The next day we were all exhausted. But that didn’t stop us from making the best of a day off. We ended up going into New York City to the Museum of Natural History.

I will share pictures from that adventure tomorrow….

For now, Happy New Year again. Wishing you and yours a blessed year filled with all of the best things life has to offer!

Christmas recap….

2011-12-28T19:34:00.000-05:00

The aftermath of Christmas is still upon us. There are boxes everywhere, toys to still be put together and leftovers to be discarded. But all in all, we had a great Christmas. The kids got everything on their lists and more. So much that it opens up another project of re-arranging the playroom and the toy closet. Great, more work!! LOL!

Christmas Eve we did the big Italian fish dinner with my side of the family at my parents house. The kids had a ball with their cousins and Santa even made an appearance!

Then we opened all of the presents that Santa left at our house Christmas morning…..

Now, by this time I am exhausted, but I need to man up because I am having 20 people over for Christmas dinner. Yes, my husband’s side this time. Thank goodness it all went pretty smoothly. Well, except for the fact that I almost burned the prime rib. But that is a whole other story….lol. I was so busy that I barely took any pictures. We managed to snap a quick photo when we were opening presents yet again!

Geez, I am glad it is all over. Holidays are a lot of work. Now, on to a better New Year and hopefully back to regular blogging!

I will be okay….

2011-12-21T14:09:00.000-05:00

I am still here. I have been completely overwhelmed. And not because of Christmas as I had been telling you in my last post. Sadly, we have had 2 deaths over the last 2 weeks. And one was my half brother. Not that any of you even knew I had a half brother because I have never mentioned him. I actually have two brothers. We were not close in our adult life, yet we were together constantly when we were kids. He was a only 30.

I am emotionally and physically drained. I am so behind on my shopping and wrapping because of what happened, and understandably so. I haven’t even thought about what I am cooking for the 25 people that are coming for Christmas. But it will all be okay. I will be fine. I will do what I can and if something isn’t done the way it would normally be done, well, then, so be it.

Life it too short to worry about the small stuff. I hope that something positive comes of the sadness from these last 2 weeks. And I know it will. I know I for one am going to re-evaluate the things that are important in my life.

I have missed all of my bloggy buddies and I hope to be back to ‘normal’ soon!

A shopping discount…

2011-12-09T08:08:00.000-05:00

TGIF!! Hope you all are having a great week. Christopher is off today for parent/teacher conferences. So, I am bracing for a ‘good report’…..lol. I am sure it will fine.

I just wanted to let you know about a little discount for my Etsy shop that is going on. Head over to visit my friend Daphne from Flip Flops and Pearls to check out the details. And while you are there, stay while, she is a great Southern gal with a beautiful family. I just love the accents on those ladies….lol!

Off to meet the teacher…….

Almost Wordless Wednesday….

2011-12-07T08:43:00.000-05:00

Holiday cheer is filling the air around our house! To keep with the spirit and to de-stress from all my shopping, I went to get my nails done the other day.

Cute, right??

Happy Hump Day…..

A message from Santa…

2011-12-02T08:09:00.000-05:00

TGIF!! Hope everyone is having a great week. Are you gearing up for another weekend of crowded malls?? I know I will be one of those people STILL scouring the racks for the perfect presents….lol. But, I have crossed a lot off of my list this week, so that is a big accomplishment!

One thing my kids always look forward to this time of year is a personalized email from Santa. Hello, when we were kids we were lucky to get a LETTER from Santa. But I guess now he emails!! Someone had told me of a site a few years back and I wanted to share it with you. Many of you may already know it. It is www.portablenorthpole.tv.

It takes a few minutes to get set-up, but it is worth it. You are able to customize the message with a photo of your child. You can also add in their age, grade and what item they most want this year. It even lets you add pictures of important events that may have occurred with your child so Santa can look back and ‘see what kind of year’ your child has had.

It really is very fun! When I told my kids they got an email from Santa this week, they were jumping up and down!! And of course we watched it a gazillion times. Check out the site, your kids will thank you. Oh, and I use it as leverage when the kids are bad too. Santa can always resend his email to put your kiddo on the NAUGHTY list…..lol!

Have a great weekend….

Almost Wordless Wednesday….

2011-11-30T08:25:00.000-05:00

Happy Hump Day! Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. We spend Thanksgiving with family and had a great time. And it was even better because I did not cook or have to clean up….lol!

The last few days have been all about preparing for Christmas. Decorating and shopping have been taking up a lot of my time. Hence, the lack of blogging!

So, I am off to continue my journey for the perfect presents…..

But, before I venture off into the wild crowds, I will share the only one photo I took of my boys on Thanksgiving! Aren’t they handsome??

Money??

2011-11-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

Happy Almost Thanksgiving…..lol!! Is your turkey stuffed and your pumpkin pie in the oven?? Well, this year I am not cooking. I usually host Thanksgiving and I do enjoy doing so. But my cousin wanted to switch this year, and so I get Christmas instead. It is a harder holiday to host, but I get that I need to play nice. We all need to take turns, right?

With that said, my house will look like this on Christmas morning…..

In my post last week I talked about gifts and how much is the right amount to spend on the kiddos. Do they need to get the same amount of presents? Well, it got me to thinking. How are we paying for all of this?? LOL! Seems as though the holidays are costly no matter how much you spend. Not many people have extra spending money these days.

After the holidays, I always look forward to the new year when we do our taxes. Just like most of the population, there are years we have to pay and years when we get some money back. Of course I want to get money back to help pay off the Christmas bills! I always call our accountant right after the holidays to schedule an appointment. But although I think I call early enough, we sometimes don’t get in with him until right before tax day.

It made me think that it could be time to try to do our taxes on our own. This way we can do it when we want. And just in case we need an e-file tax extension! I know a lot of people who go this route and it seems to work well for them. Regardless, I guess it needs to get done one way or another, right? LOL!

Happy Turkey Day!

A Surprise Party….

2011-11-21T07:54:00.000-05:00

There are very few times in life when we are surprised. Maybe when we get engaged. Or when we have our first child. But these days, many of us need to ‘prepare’ for these big events and we don’t want to be surprised. Well, I can say with a smile that my sisters and I pulled off a surprise 60th birthday for my mom last week. There was a lot of preparing and thus it has had me quite busy lately. But it is over, it went great, and now I move on to focusing on the Holidays.

The first part of preparing for any party is the invite. And instead of having one printed or buying invites, I designed it myself. I scanned the internet for some fun sayings and went to work. We went with a ‘shoe theme’ since my mom is a lover of shoes….lol. We combined that with fun words like ‘sassy, and ‘fabulous.’ The colors we chose for the party theme were black, pink and zebra print. I printed the invite and out in the mail they went.

Next was the favor. I was so excited to come across these adorable high heeled shoe wine stoppers. Aren’t they great??

They fit our theme perfectly. I made a tag, wrapped them up, and called it done!

Oh, I bought a few extra’s so some of you may be seeing these for Christmas….lol!

We thought it might be fun to make a collage of pictures of my mom over the years and display it at the party. So, that became another project. Searching through pictures is always fun though. We decorated the board and tied the collage into our color theme. Bad news, I forget to take a picture…lol!

By the way, when my mom saw this she said to us ‘aren’t you supposed to make a collage for a funeral?’ Real nice mom!

The cake. We were going to have a true custom cake made of a pillow with a shoe on top. But after pricing it out, it was not worth the money. Instead, we hired a magician for a little bit more….lol. But we found a great Italian bakery that made a fun sheet cake for us. It was chocolate cake with ice cream, covered in fondant. I love how it turned out!

The thank you’s. Of course I made those too. Are you seeing a pattern here?? “I” made most if the things for the party….lol. Ha, ha...so much for having 3 other sisters!

Oh, I guess I should show you some pics from the party…lol.
Okay…this is my mom walking into the restaurant. She just thought she was meeting her friend for dinner. That is her ‘surprised’ face…..

Here is my mom and all of her grandkids, except for my Anthony. He was exhausted at that point and wanted no part of the camera. So, yes, there are 6 boys and only 1 girl!

My littlest sis Jeanna, older sis Michele, my parents, me, my other little sis Nicole…..

That about wraps up the party! We all had fun, shared great food and good times.

Now I can prepare for my Black Friday shopping!
Have a great day...

Enjoying leftovers more than the Thanksgiving meal ....

2011-11-18T23:32:00.000-05:00

Guest post written by Hannah Bennet

I'm not so sure what it is about Thanksgiving
leftovers, but I would just much rather
prefer to eat the leftovers than the actual food.
I just think that all of the typical Thanksgiving foods
are so much better than when they're fresh. I've
always been that way, so I make so much more
food on Thanksgiving than I know that we can
possibly eat so that we can have it for Thanksgiving
afterward.

So I like to cook with that in mind. I was online
looking up some good leftover recipes to use in the
days after the big meal, when I ran across the site
www.clearwirelessinternetservice.com. I looked
through it a little bit and after that I decided to
change over my home internet service to one of
those packages that I read about on that website.

I did find some pretty good recipes, including a
wrap that you make using turkey slices and leftover
cranberry sauce. Is it bad that I'm more excited
about that than the actual Thanksgiving meal?
Maybe a little bit, but I'm not ashamed of it.
-----------------------------------------------------

A necessity…..

2011-11-17T08:37:00.000-05:00

Happy Thursday! Hope you are all having a great week so far!

With the grand opening of my Etsy shop, I was in need of a business card holder. I sat down the other night and in 10 minutes, whipped up this little puppy! Isn’t it cute??

Now I have a stylish holder that I can pull out at the PTA meetings….LOL!

I just added a few new items to the shop, so check them out. And thanks to all who have placed orders with me and helped to get my little business started!

Have a great day……….

Preparing….

2011-11-14T23:41:00.000-05:00

All women love flowers, don’t they? Flowers make me smile. The smell and the bold and beautiful colors seem to make me happy. Well, most of you know that my little sister got engaged a few months back. We planned her engagement party with success and now we move on the wedding. And when I say ‘we,’ I mean that I have volunteered to help her as much as possible. Having planned my entire wedding, I think I have some good advice to offer…lol.

We started to look through some magazines and tear out some ideas of wedding centerpieces and bouquets. Then we hopped on the computer and looked for flowers online. We found some amazing ideas!!

High centerpieces, low centerpieces, candles and jewels….so many options to choose from! We were talking about even possibly doing them ourselves since flowers can be so costly. And in this economy, saving every dime you can, makes a difference! I am not sure we will take on that task though. There is a lot involved in making sure the flowers stay fresh. And I don’t know if I am ready for that responsibility….lol!

Well, I know that we have a lot to plan, little details to fuss over. But thankfully we have a year and half to figure it out!!

Have a great day!

Almost Wordless Wednesday….

2011-11-09T08:59:00.000-05:00

Christopher getting ready for his first trip into the woods…..

Happy Hump Day!

Dear Santa….

2011-11-08T08:20:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday blogland! I hope everyone is off to a great week so far. Oh, I should say ‘Happy Election Day,” right?? LOL! My kiddos are off today and we have a ton of errands to do. Christmas shopping is one of the things on my list.

Which brings me to the issue I have with myself. Have you started to get the million toy catalogs yet?? Well, we have and my kids have ever so carefully flipped through the pages of each one. Inspecting each toy. Being sure to make perfect circles around every item on their list.

That list looks about right. There must be a hundred things that they each want. Are these things that they need? No. But Christmas is supposed to be about getting what you want, right? I am sure that most of us don’t NEED much. Thankfully.

We try to get them as much off of their list as possible. But, do you try to spend the same amount on each kid? What if one has a ton of items that are relatively inexpensive? Do I get him more so I spend the same? Do they need to open the same amount of presents?

Of course, we try to teach them the ‘real meaning’ of Christmas. We donate toys to needy children. I take them to buy presents for people so they understand it is about giving. But let’s be serious, they are 5 and 2. They want presents!!

All I know is that I never got half of the things that kids these days get. A $225 IPod would never have made it off of my list. Are we spoiling our kids too much?

I just hope that I can teach them to appreciate all that they have while trying to let them enjoy a great Christmas!

Almost Wordless Wednesday…..

2011-11-02T08:52:00.000-04:00

Halloween….it is was a blast. The kids had so much fun. We are going to be on a sugar high for quite awhile. I think I have enough candy to last me until Easter!!

The boys were……

They picked their costumes and since they are obsessed with the Mario Brothers, it seemed only fitting for my two little Italian boys to play the part…lol.

We were so busy trick-or-treating that I didn’t snap many pics. When we stopped at a neighbor’s house she was kind enough to take a picture of me and the boys. My costume was a little sad this year. I was a witch, but it was totally last minute so I didn’t really do the make-up and the whole broomstick thing. I wore a hat and I sewed up a skirt that had some spiderwebs on it and I called it a day…lol. The kids were just happy I had some costume on.

Now, we all know that time is going to fly by since Halloween is over. Be prepared for Christmas music starting this weekend!!

Have a great day!

Happy, Happy Halloween…..

2011-10-31T08:12:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween everyone!! I hope it is a beautiful day where you are. This morning it is sunny but chilly. I will take it. Not sure if you saw that the Northeast got hit with SNOW this weekend. Yes, you heard me correct. SNOW. In my 35 years of life, I never remember it snowing before Halloween. We had to cancel some Halloween plans due to the weather, but we will make up for it today!!

In the spirit of Halloween, I decided to do a little baking. I usually get together with a group of friends and we do a big Halloween thing with the kids. And I would normally make tons of goodies. But this year since all of the kids started Kindergarten, it didn’t happen. Schedules are crazy these days.

Now, you all know how much I love Target. And I love it even more when I score a great find. Well, get a load of this……

No, get a closer look……..

Do you see the price?? .44 cents…….SCORE!

You can’t even buy a stick if gum for less than a dollar these days. I was thrilled. I rushed home to bake these puppies. I added a roll of Pillsbury Halloween cookies and I had some nice treats to bring to my friends house!!

Yes, I know what you are thinking, I didn’t really BAKE.

But hey, a find like that at Target is better than baking!!

Be safe today and have a Happy Halloween!!

Almost Wordless Wednesday on a Thursday….

2011-10-27T08:32:00.000-04:00

A day late and a dollar short….isn’t that the saying?? LOL! Things around here have been nothing short of crazy. This is my first post all week. Where does the time go??

I wanted to share a pic that my hubby sent me last week from on top of one of the buildings at Ground Zero. It is truly a spectacular view (although not sure I would want to be up that high…lol)!!

Until tomorrow……

Open for Business…..

2011-10-21T08:07:00.000-04:00

I have finally taken the plunge. I am joining the 9 million other mom bloggers and opening an Etsy shop……

The name of my new venture is Sew Simply Jenni. Do you like it??

It will have a variety of accessories for her and her home. Most of which I have featured at some point on my blog.

There are cosmetics pouches, pillows, aprons and more. I will always be adding new items. Ok, maybe not always….being a mom and wife still has to be first priority….lol.

Please, if there are any items you are interested in, but don’t see, let me know. I will can always try to make it.

This blog has taken me on a great journey this past year and I just want to thank everyone for all of your inspiration as well as your friendship.

Now, head on over to my new Etsy shop and start your holiday shopping!

Oh, and I want to thank Shannon for designing my new logo. She rocks!!

Have a great weekend!

Almost Wordless Wednesday…..

2011-10-19T08:35:00.000-04:00

Peek-a-boo……I see you!!

Surprise….I am in here!

It’s coming, it’s coming….

2011-10-18T08:32:00.000-04:00

I know you are all so excited. You can’t wait, right? Do you even remember what you are waiting for?? Of course you do....

It’s my Etsy Shop!!!

Don’t get too excited because there aren’t going to be that many items in the shop just yet. It takes time. And time is limited when you have two kiddos…lol.

I am hoping to have my big reveal this Friday. So be sure to stop back and check it out!!

Young bloggers....

2011-10-14T07:56:00.000-04:00

Today I have a special treat for you my bloggy freinds. No, it is not a yummy apple crisp dessert or advice on my amazing parenting skills (yeah right....I am kind of questioning myself this week as far as parenting...lol). It is a little inspiration. Inspiration to show you that creativity can come in many forms and is within all of us. Even at the ripe age of 16. Abby is a 16 year old high school who has started a blog to share with the world her creative side. She loves to bake and craft. She loves to blog. Abby is stopping by to show us a fun tutorial. I hope you enjoy it and take time today to do something creative!!

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Hey everyone! I blog over at i---create and I love every minute of it. On i---create, there are a variety of crafts and pictures I love. I hope you can come by and take a look! Thank you so much for having me. I am going to show you how to make Clothespin Magnets today!

These clothespin flower magnets are very cute and fairly quick to make! They are great for hanging up artwork on the fridge or lockers at school. From start to finish to make 3 will take about a hour.

Here's the tutorial!

Step 1: Paint the tops of the clothespins. I had to do 3 coats of white before they were opaque.

Step 2: While the clothespins are drying, cut out 9 circles of fabric. They should be about 1 inch wide. (the cap I am using is from a large tide bottle.

Step 3: Fold the circle into quarters.

Step 4: Put a dab of hot glue onto the clothespin and press the petal down. If it pops up like it did in the picture, just place a little hot glue on top of the petal and press it down.

Step 5: Repeat the petal process until there are 4 petal on the clothes pin. Next, add a second layer of petals and place them as shown in the picture.

Step 6: Make the center petal as shown in the picture and place it in the middle. Make sure you have a large portion of hot glue in the center before you place this petal. Aren't these flowers getting cute!?

Step 7: Add a magnet if you like. My magnet is from a large roll of magnetic tape. You can buy it at a craft store for under $5. Magnet dots would also work.

I hope you enjoy making these and thanks again to Jennifer at Circle of Love for having me!

P.S. Here are some more of the magnets I made. Some would say I have an obsession! Currently they are in my locker and they make it look super cute!
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Have a great weekend!

Almost Wordless Wednesday….

2011-10-12T08:45:00.000-04:00

Happy Hump Day! Hope that everyone is having a great week. We had a great extended weekend as the kiddos were off Monday for Columbus Day. We spend some quality time with friends and together as a family. The hubs was off on Sunday so we took the kids pumpkin picking out east near the Hamptons. We are fortunate enough to live within an hour of all of the great farms that are on the eastern tip of Long Island. It is so crazy…..it is like a whole different world out there.

Most of Long Island has neighborhoods where the homes are close together. So close that I hear Ethel behind me talking on the phone…lol. But out there it is so different. The homes have acres of property and it is truly just serene. Along with that peacefulness comes REALLY, REALLY high priced homes and taxes that are as much as some people’s yearly salary!! Thankfully we get to enjoy going out there this time of year for apple picking and pumpkin picking. Not sure we will be moving there anytime soon : )

Needless to day, here are some pictures from our latest trips to the apple and pumpkin farms!!

This is the closest Christopher will ever get to milking a cow!!

There were hayrides and tractor rides as well as wooden play structures for the kids to enjoy.

At the pumpkin farm, Christopher got to walk a goat! He was so excited.

They even had potato sac races……

There were very few pumpkins left to pick….lol. We did manage to get 3 small ones, thankfully!

All in all, we had a great time. I love this time of year. I did, however, come to the conclusion that I will NOT be a farmer in my next life!

Halloween Wreath….

2011-10-07T10:56:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday!! I will have you all know that the stove is now fixed. Thank the good God that we did not have to buy a new stove. We were able to buy a replacement ceramic top and the Hubs was able to install it himself. So, spending $300 was better than the $1200 for a new stove!! Let’s hope that never happens again. I may need to lock my boys up until they are about 20!

On to happier things. As we are all loving Pinterest right now, I needed to try a quick project I saw a few days ago. It is a wreath made from foam tubing. You know, that foam that covers the pipes in your home. Brilliant. Who thinks of these things??

I bought the tubing at Lowe’s for $1….and I was actually able to make 2 wreaths from the one tube. I hit the Dollar Tree for some Halloween ribbon and trinkets. And I got some orange fabric at Joann’s. I cut the fabric into strips and wrapped it around the tube, adding hot glue along the way. Glue your bow and scary spiders and your done. Simple and fun….all for only a few bucks. Gotta love it!!

Have a great weekend!

Bad to worse…..

2011-10-06T08:35:00.000-04:00

Well, this week started out okay….just super busy. Super busy for a good reason. I am trying to sew and craft and create for the opening of my Etsy shop. So, be on the lookout for more info soon!

But yesterday Anthony was acting a little crazy, more than usual. I tried to go shopping and he refused to say in the stroller. I let him walk and that was it…..he was gone, hiding in the rounders of the store. Then we went to his My Gym class and he decided to pinpoint a little boy and give him a ‘hi-ya’ for no reason. Lovely.

It when from bad to worse last night when I was cleaning up in the bedroom and I heard the boys yelling. A door slammed in the bathroom and then a loud BANG. What was that?? I didn’t see anything off of the walls in the hallway or the bathroom. I headed to the kitchen.

Well, the door slammed so hard that this is what happened…..

When the door slammed it vibrated the walls and a decorative bottle fell from on top of the cabinet on to my new stove……

I didn’t know whether to beat that child or just laugh!! Having two boys is always going to be an adventure, I get that. But I hope costly things like this don’t happen so often.

Hey, after I thought about it, I am getting out of cooking for a few days. I guess it isn’t so bad :)

House Warming Present…..

2011-09-30T09:26:00.000-04:00

Well, I should actually call it an ‘apartment’ warming present. You see, my little sister (you know, the one who just got engaged and I had made all of those nice presents for) and her fiance just got their first apartment together. Well, it is really more like his apartment for now. She stays there on the weekends and will move in some time closer to the wedding. But, regardless, she is super excited to have a place of their own. She loves to go out and buy all new things….it is like playing house for the first time. We have all been there before :)

I wanted to make her something for her new place but wasn’t sure exactly what. Then I realized that they had gotten new furniture for the bedroom but she didn’t have any art on the walls. That was the answer….I was going to make her some pictures.

After thinking about it, I decided I was going to create the pictures using my Silhouette and some Mod Podge. I am not a big Mod Podge gal, but wanted to give it a try.
Here is the final result….I think they came out pretty good. Not perfect, but pretty good!!

I used canvas that I had purchased at Michael’s along with scrapbook paper. I used the paper to create the background of the pictures. With my Silhouette machine, I cut out the words. I Mod Podged it all together.

After it was all dry, I added ribbon around the sides and ribbon on the front. I used some other embellishments to jazz it up a bit.

Now she has at least has 2 pictures on her bare walls!!

Have a great weekend…..

Almost Wordless Wednesday….

2011-09-28T09:55:00.000-04:00

Shopping with toddlers is great. You turn your head for a second and find them on the aisle floor of Target like this…..

Happy Hump Day….

Where is the Fall?? And a winner….

2011-09-26T08:15:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday!! Hope everyone had a great weekend. Ours was nice. My husband was finally off from work on Sunday so we decided to take the kids to the first Fall Festival of the season. Living in NY we really do experience the weather of all four seasons. And I do appreciate that. Each season has something that I enjoy, but my favorite is the fall.

But where is it?? Fall is officially here and I expect the weather to get a little cooler. I want to wear a light jacket. I want to be able to light the fire pit and toast marshmellows. I want to see the leaves start to change to beautiful colors and I want to start to decorate for the upcoming Fall holidays.

I want it to look like this……

But it doesn’t. Not yet anyway. We went apple picking at the festival and it was 85 degrees and humid. The kiddos were running in potato saks and they were sweating. Not my idea of the fall….lol.

We did get a ton of apples and the kids had a great day and that is what counts. Although the weather might not feel like fall, I can make some warm apple crisp and have a pumpkin latte and in my world, it will be fall!!

Okay, for some exciting news now!!! The winner of the Easy Canvas Prints 8x10 canvas is…..

LeeAnn…..who said:
I like Easy Canvas Prints on Facebook

Congratulations!!!

Sorry, I still do not know how to take a snapshot of the screen when using Random.org. If anyone wants to let me in on that secret, please do.

Have a great day!

An organized bag….

2011-09-23T08:45:00.000-04:00

I am a bag lady! By that, I mean I love handbags. I probably have more than I need, but it is an obsession. Aren’t most women like this?? LOL!

I found this cute bag at the Gap Outlet for $20….a bargain for sure!! It is super big, which I need since I carry everything but the kitchen sink.

The downfall is that it only has one little pocket.

I knew I needed to whip up a purse organizer for myself to fit with this new bag, so I went to work.

Now that is much better!! Organization is essential for a mom :)

I think I might make a few for my new Etsy shop…any thoughts??

Have a great weekend!

Almost Wordless Wednesday….

2011-09-21T08:09:00.000-04:00

Here is my cousin’s daughter Zoey……isn’t she a cutie!! And look at her fabulous bow! My girlfriend has an awesome company that sells hairbows and tutu’s and all things girly. More to come from her shop soon……

Happy Hump Day!

Picture Perfect….a Giveaway!!

2011-09-19T09:10:00.000-04:00

To start the week off right, I am excited to share an awesome giveaway with you. As many of you know, I am not a ‘review and giveaway’ blog. I am more of a ‘random and crafty’ blog….lol! I have been contacted by a few companies in the past to do reviews and I almost always say no. I don’t want to review or giveaway something I would not use or that I think my readers would not use.

But when I was contacted my Easy Canvas Prints I knew I had to consider this one. They are a company that allows you take your favorite photos and turn them in to beautiful canvas pieces of art. I am great about taking photos, just not so great about printing them out. So when the opportunity presented itself to be able to print a photo….I took it. The hard part was picking a photo. Although I take many, there are few that actually come out good. With 2 young kids, someone is always making a silly face.

Here is the original photo that I chose. It was from our summer vacation at the lake.

I was able to go on to the Easy Canvas Prints site and easily follow the instructions for uploading my picture. There are quite a few options for sizes and borders which I liked. You can also crop your photo as well. After I completed the order, I waited patiently for it to come in the mail.

I just received it last week and I was so happy. I got the 8x10 canvas and it turned out great. The quality of the canvas is nice and thick.

I chose the 3/4” thick canvas and had my photo wrap around the edges. Again, there are quite a few options you can do for this step.

I knew exactly where it was going….on the shelf in Anthony’s room next to his monkeys!!

It is picture perfect!

Now, the exciting part is that Easy Canvas Prints is going to give one lucky reader and 8x10 canvas just like mine!

All you need to do is leave a comment and tell me where you would place your canvas.

For extra entries you can do the following:
- Like Easy Canvas Prints on Facebook www.facebook.com/easycanvasprints
- Like Easy Canvas Prints on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/easycanvas

Please leave one comment for each entry. Be sure to include your email. This contest is open to anyone living in the U.S. and will be open until Friday, September 23rd at midnight. A winner will be selected using Random.org.

Good Luck!

The forgotten engagement present….

2011-09-16T08:11:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday!! I hope everyone is winding down from a long week. I know I am ready for the weekend. The weather is getting slightly cooler and I feel like Fall is finally upon us. I am just waiting to pull out my cozy sweaters and leggings!!

Yesterday I scrolled through my phone to clean out the 90 random pictures that my kids take….lol. I came across some pictures of pillow I had made for my sister for her engagement party. I guess I had forgotten to share. We have a few boutiques in our town that sell beautiful things for the home. Everytime I go in to browse, I end up in awe and spending more money than I should. I had found a few pillows that I knew she would love and decided to make one myself.

I love how it came out….I think I might be making one for myself .

I used a linen for the pillow base and a soft black lace for the edges. I drew the outline of the form on the pillow and then went over it with black thread on my sewing machine. I added some ribbon for the bottom of the skirt and embellished with a bow from the Dollar Tree.

I added initials to the back of the pillow with fabric paint. But after I did it, I was mad that I did….lol. The next pillow won’t have that.

I am breaking down and opening an Etsy shop. Yeah!! Hopefully I will make some money doing what I love. I am still working on the logistics as well as crafting some merchandise to put in it the shop…lol!

Have a great weekend. Be sure to stop back Monday as I will have a great giveaway!!

Almost Wordless Wednesday…

2011-09-14T08:46:00.000-04:00

I needed to unleash a little wild in me so I went for fancy fingers and feet this week……

We will never forget, I will never forget…..

2011-09-12T09:09:00.000-04:00

I could not let today pass without a quick post to commemorate the events of yesterday, 9/11. I know it was all over the news, on every television channel and in every paper to keep us reminded. I watched in the morning, but after a bit I needed to turn it off. I would have cried all day otherwise. To see the children who never got to know a parent was overwhelmingly heartbreaking. I looked at my own kids and thanked God that I was not in that building that day.

I was working in NYC at the time. I won’t go into all of the details of what happened to me that morning, but it changed all of our lives forever. I kicked off my heels, put on some sneakers and walked. I walked over bridges, I walked and walked. For hours and hours I walked to get home to see my loved ones.

My husband is down at Ground Zero now working to build the underground system that is going beneath all of the buildings. The hard work, long hours and constant reminder to those construction workers needs to be recognized. With them, the family and friends of those lost will now have a place to go to reconnect.

So, thanks to all of those who are helping to rebuild a bigger and better NYC, a bigger and better USA. And for those who have lost someone, my heart aches for you. Know you have a guardian angel to always protect you.

Back to life…..

2011-09-09T08:55:00.000-04:00

Wow…it has been a week since my last post. I am a slacker for sure. I shouldn’t say that. I am not a slacker. I am a woman who is extremely busy with two small kids and a house and a husband to take care of. Something has to give sometimes, right? We can’t do it all all of the time.

The most important event this week is that Christopher started Kindergarten. Yeah!! I wouldn’t be an official blog mom if I didn’t at least show you one picture. The whole experience was great. He was excited to go to school, he was excited to go on the bus. He even woke up early without a fight…LOL! I knew ahead of time I was going to follow the bus to see what the route was and how long he was actually on the bus before it arrived at school.

The bus came that morning and he got on and waved goodbye. Done. No looking back, no tears on his part. I got in the car to follow him and then I cried. I knew I would. It is so bittersweet to come the next chapter in our lives, the school years. As a parent you want them to learn and grow and explore new things. But you also want to keep them little forever.

The school did a great job of organizing the whole arrival process. A teacher came and took the Kindergarteners off of the bus first and lined them up outside their classroom. He was the RED room so he was to look for the red balloons outside the door. The good thing is that there is a door from outside the building right into the Kindergarten classroom. We watched him line up and got to see him go inside the classroom and sit at his table. I could not have asked for a better experience.

I think the only downside to the morning was that is was raining. I had to try and hold Anthony, hold the umbrella, takes pictures and try to video. Needless to say, there weren’t too many pictures…LOL!

Yes, Anthony needed to wear his backpack to walk Christopher out to the bus stop :0)

The harder adjustment is going to be on Anthony. He is so used to being with Christopher all day that I think he is going to have to learn to play alone. He will at least get more one on one mommy time. Well, until he starts nursery school next week. I guess I will be crying again.

Now, hopefully we can resume our regularly scheduled life.....

What all mom’s are thinking….

2011-09-02T08:27:00.000-04:00

I am happy that it is Friday of Labor Day weekend yet it is a little bittersweet. This is the last weekend before Christopher starts Kindergarten. Next week starts the next chapter of our lives, the school years. I think I am ready though. Especially these last few weeks. No matter how many play dates we have or how many trips we take, they are always still ‘bored’….LOL! We need to get back on a schedule and start fresh.

But, as I have tried to keep them entertained, they have tested my patience. As all kids do. And as mom’s we all start to get frustrated and say and do things that we are not proud of. I happened to be talking to my girlfriend about this and she proceeded to tell me about a great book she was reading. As much as I am not a big fan of reading (well, anything except People and US…LOL), I knew I needed to get this book as soon as I heard the title.

I WAS A REALLY GOOD MOM BEFORE I HAD KIDS – a modern approach to motherhood by Trish Ashworth and Amy Nobile

I am only a few chapters into it, but it is great. It talks about all of the feelings we have as mother’s but don’t always like to share or to admit. It will probably take me a few weeks to read it as I have no time amongst the hundred other things I need to do. But I will finish it!

Have a great Labor Day weekend and go and get this book…

Almost Wordless Wednesday…

2011-08-31T08:33:00.000-04:00

We all know how much my boys love Angry Birds. Anthony was thrilled when he saw these larger than life birds….

Happy Hump Day…

An eventful weekend….

2011-08-29T08:33:00.000-04:00

I am writing to you from my laptop, with my air conditioning running and my lights on. Not many of my friends and family can say that they have those luxuries. Actually none of them can. Well, not today at least.

Hurricane Irene past through New York early yesterday morning.

We were ready. I had made numerous trips to the grocery store to stock up on water and canned goods. Really just soup. I can’t see eating a can of corn for dinner…LOL! I don’t ever recall a time when the supermarkets were out of water and there was a line to fill your car with gas. But this week there was. Home Depot and Lowes were out of batteries. It was amazing.

I am not one to fall victim to the news and listen to the bad weather threats. My husband on the other hand, is a prepare-er. He was ready and waiting. The plywood was cut and the generator plugged in.

The winds picked up and we decided to have a ‘slumber’ party on the first floor of the house, farthest away from the bedrooms where there are trees outside the windows. The kids laughed and we played play-doh and had a family night. Although sleeping on the couch was uncomfortable, I was really just nervous to go to sleep. What if a tree fell on my house? What if the power lines started a fire? I tossed and turned all night.

When the morning came and the storm had died down, we assessed the damage in the neighborhood. Streets were flooded. Trees were down, homes were destroyed. But we were okay. We had power. Nothing on our house was out of place. I felt so thankful. So blessed to know that these little faces were safe.

My heart and prayers are with those less fortunate……

Mountains and the lake….

2011-08-24T09:26:00.000-04:00

Well, our trip to Lake George this year was as good as it always is. We go and see the same families every year when we are up there which is so fun. We pick this type of vacation because it is all about relaxing and the beautiful scenery. It is a lot of work for me because I have to bring everything but the kitchen sink to the cabin!! We try to grill most nights while we are there and I am still cleaning and tidying up, but the good times we have and the memories we create make it worth it.

This year a friend of mine came with her three kids which made for even more good times. I think I have come to realize that going on vacation with other families is great, but you need to make sure you still have separate time with ‘your’ family. And we did.

This is view outside our cabin….what is not to love??

Anthony trying to catch a fish….

But Christopher got it instead…

On a scenic drive we found a little lake that had a ton of frogs and tadpoles…the kids were thrilled!

And we did get dressed and go to dinner one night….

All in all it was just the trip we needed to spend some good quality time together as a family.

And now….back to reality!!

Back from vacation…..

2011-08-22T08:10:00.000-04:00

Ah….we are home. It is nice to be back. We spent a week up in Lake George, NY doing what I call ‘glorified camping.’ It was so nice to be on the lake surrounded by beautiful mountains, relaxing with family and friends.

I will have some pics to share in the next day or so. As soon as I get out from under here…..

I have a ton of catching up to do….both cleaning and blogging reading :)

Have a great Monday…..

Freezer Paper Stenciled Bride Gift…

2011-08-12T09:10:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday!! I hope everyone had a great week and is planning an even better weekend. Seems as though these last few weeks of summer are just flying by. I know most of the southern schools are going back already….thankfully we have a until the week after Labor Day to enjoy the rest of the summer.

With that said, things will be really quiet here next week (not that they haven’t been a little quiet already…LOL). We are planning on spending some good quality family time together and I can’t wait. I need to just relax and reconnect with my loved ones.

But before I go, I wanted to show you a quick little project. I have seen so much on freezer paper stenciling that I wanted to try my hand at it. I have to say, I love the idea and I think it would work well if you were doing simple shapes. I tried to use the freezer paper in my Silhouette machine and that didn’t work so good..LOL! I am not sure if the only way to cut your stencil is with an exacto knife….but that doesn’t seem to work if you have a more detailed design. I have used my Silhouette vinyl as a stencil which works great, but seems like that is kind of wasteful.

Regardless, I had made this cute tote for my sister a few weeks ago for her engagement party. I figured that every new bride needs a place to store her venue information, magazines and clippings and dress inspiration.

I am all about the “Keep Calm” sayings lately…..

The stenciling isn’t as crisp as I would have liked, but the ring came out really cute!! I used a glitter fabric paint and added some bling with my Hot Tools.

My sis loved it and I had fun trying something new, that is what matters…..

Have a great weekend!

Almost Wordless Wednesday….

2011-08-10T10:30:00.002-04:00

There are no words for this child…

Happy Hump Day….

Rainy day Angry Birds….

2011-08-08T08:56:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday!! Hope everyone had a great weekend. The weather here was a little on the dreary side this weekend. It was a nice break from the hot 95 degree days we have been having!! With that, I took the opportunity to clean my house and catch up on laundry.

But, we all know that kids do not like the rain and therefore, it was also a good time to do a quick craft project with them. If you remember my post on the ‘Angry Birds’ project fail, you will also remember that Christopher is obsessed with Angry Birds lately. He was watching a You Tube video on a kid who made Angry Birds out of clay….so we need to mimic what the video and headed to Michael’s. I have never really used clay before, expect probably in high school art class….LOL! I was not really sure that to expect.

Well, we got the clay that you ‘bake’ so that out characters would stay nice and hard. I just took a picture of the Angry Birds and went to work modeling the clay. For my first time, I think that they came out pretty good. Needless to say, it turned into a project that “I” did and the kids just watched…LOL!

Here are our Angry Birds…

In addition to out clay project…I whipped up a quick t-shirt with fabric markers.

I think I am over Angry Birds this week…..LOL!

Have a good day!

Almost Wordless Wednesday….

2011-08-03T08:50:00.000-04:00

Mall rides are the best!!

Have a great day….

Gifts for the Bride….

2011-07-29T09:02:00.000-04:00

With my newly engaged sister starting to plan her wedding, I knew I wanted to make her a few gifts. So, for the engagement party last weekend, I put together a little package in addition to the ‘money’ we gave her. We all know newly engaged couples want money to use towards their wedding…LOL!

There are so many things that I want to make that I had a hard time narrowing it down. I wish I had more time to spend crafting, but I don’t, so I chose three different items for now. Everything else will have to wait for the bridal shower and the wedding.

Today I will show you the ‘Bride’ flip flops that I made. I have seen some really cute one’s on Etsy that helped me to figure out what I wanted mine to look like.

Here are the completed flip flops…

My good friend Silhouette helped me to add the word ‘Bride’ in vinyl….

I wrapped some what satin ribbon around the sides with glue. Then I used my Hot Tools to add some bling. Every bride needs bling…LOL!

The flower was a new ‘burning’ technique that I tried. You cut your fabric into circles and then ‘burn’ the edges with the tip of a candle. I liked how it came out, but it probably would be better on a different colored fabric as the burning on the edges made it look a little dirty…LOL! And finally I added a cute embellishment to the center.

Lastly, I tried them on to make sure they looked cute :)

Have a great weekend!

Almost Wordless Wednesday..

2011-07-27T07:31:00.000-04:00

This is the awesome cake my sister had at her engagement party. It looks like it came from 'Cake Boss.' The sad part is, I was so busy chasing my kids around that I forgot to eat it...LOL!

Happy Hump Day!

Engagement Party…

2011-07-26T08:44:00.000-04:00

What a week!! The weather has been UNBEARABLE here and we have been busy, busy, busy!! The big news was this past weekend was my sister’s engagement party. She had gotten engaged a few months back and I have been helping her plan her party. I think I am also going to be the ‘unofficial’ wedding planner..LOL! I enjoy it though. Having planned my own wedding and been through the process before, I know what mistakes not to make this time.

We did a few things before the party, including making the favors and wine glasses for the bridesmaids. We went back and forth on the favors and finally decided on chocolate candy bars. I have done them in the past and knew it would take me no time to whip up a wrapper. The ‘theme’ per say was Kim Anderson’s images of the little boys and girls getting married. Funny, I did the same thing at my engagement party 9 years ago. I guess sister’s think alike..LOL!

Here is what we came up with….the front image matched the balloons on the tables so it was all cohesive.

The back image had a saying that she liked…“behind every great love is a great story’ along with the cutesy ingredient wording.

We wrapped plain Hershey’s bars in foil and then added the printed wrapper and we were done!

I then used my handy Silhouette machine to add the names of all of the bridesmaids on to wine glasses. She saw this idea on Etsy and was going to buy them but I knew I could do it for virtually nothing. She picked up the glasses at the Dollar Tree and I went to work again.

In addition to the names, I added an engagement ring next to the name (you can’t see it, sorry my picture is bad!). Wrap a ribbon on the bottom and stuff with some printed tissue and call it a day.

The party was fun. My sister Jeanna and her fiance Greg had a great time as did everyone else. The music played and the kids danced and it was a blast. It was nice to get ‘dressed up’ with the whole family and close friends for a good time.

Here is Jeanna and Greg….

Me and all of my sisters….

And of course, me and my kiddos (with my nephew giving Christopher the horns…LOL)!

More engagement posts to come…..

Project Fail…..

2011-07-21T08:05:00.000-04:00

This week has not be so great for us. The weather has been HOT, the kids have had fevers, I have gotten thrown up on twice and I worked on project and after completion, it FAILED!

Christopher has been obsessed (like most the world) with playing Angry Birds on my phone.

Now that this game has become so popular, there is merchandise popping up all over the place. T-shirts are in all the stores but I also saw some cute flip flops online. I thought to myself “I can make those.”

Joann’s had flip flops on sale for $1 so I picked up a white pair and went to work.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to do…then I thought that Sharpie’s might do the trick. I drew the red angry bird on the flip flops with a pencil first and then went back over it with the Sharpie.

I waited until the next morning to make sure they were dry. I was really excited that they had come out great. But as soon as Christopher put them on, the marker was all over his foot. Okay….how can I fix this? My genius idea was to Modge Podge the bottom and that maybe that would act as a ‘sealer’ and keep the Sharpie from running.

Well, we went to a backyard bar-b-que and Christopher wanted to wear them to show all of the kids. Needless to say, my idea FAILED.

They looked like this after only an hour of playing!! The marker had run and the Modge Podge all peeled. Oh, and I had added the words ‘Angry Birds’ on the straps (after I took the first picture above) and that all peeled off too!

Sadly, I threw them in the garbage. I thought Sharpie’s were permanent?? What the heck??

Does anyone have any ideas what medium I can use to try and make these again??

Hopefully this project and the rest of the week will be a little bit better for us :)

Almost Wordless Wednesday….

2011-07-20T08:27:00.000-04:00

This pic speaks for itself…..

I scored a pair of jeans at Target for $5.98!!!
Happy Hump Day!!

Can I patent a phrase???

2011-07-15T08:48:00.000-04:00

I am in love with all of these type of signs…..

I just think they are so fun and actually quite inspiring! But I was thinking about it the other day and it appears that there is one “Keep Calm” phrase that seems to be missing. I decided I am ‘patenting’ the phrase and maybe I can make some big bucks….LOL!

I grabbed a plain white tank, fabric paint and I used my Silhouette vinyl to create a stencil. Here is what I came up with…..

Hot Tools rhinestones added a little ‘bling’ to it…LOL!

I love it…I may even make more in different colors. I just want to see if there is another stenciling option that will work well. Seems like using the vinyl from the Silhouette can become costly :)

I will be taking orders too…LOL!! So 'Keep Calm and Mom On'....

Happy Friday….

Almost Wordless Wednesday….

2011-07-13T08:29:00.000-04:00

Happy Hump Day!!

Since the weather has been so HOT, I have been taking the kiddos to the splash area at the beach to cool off. Thankfully it is fenced in so I am not chasing them all over the place…LOL!

When we were there the other day, there was a woman wearing this…..

Do you see her in the background with her shower cap on??? Forgive me if she has some kind of illness where she can’t get here hair wet!! But I think she really did just not want to get her hair wet…LOL! I was hysterical. Could you imagine, shower caps are the new fashion summer accessory??

Have a great day :)

To Etsy or not to Etsy….

2011-07-11T08:29:00.000-04:00

Good morning!! Hope everyone had a lovely weekend.
Today I am in need of some advice. I have been thinking about this for a long time…..

I love shopping on Etsy. There are so many amazing items out there that are handmade. The creativity is so inspiring to me. I love to create as well. It is so satisfying to see a project or an idea come to life.

My issue is this….I have been wanting to open an Etsy shop for a while now. But I can’t decide on what I want to sell. I love to sew but I also love to craft. If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know I have made a million and one things. From tutu’s and wipes cases to dresses, aprons and bow holders. I can’t decide on that I want my ‘niche’ to be. I want to do it right and come up with a name, a logo and a product selection that is going to really brand me.

I need your thoughts on which items I should consider making. I think I need to focus on just a few items and not make it mish mosh of stuff. Once I get this going, then I will try to take it to the next level and do some craft fairs.

Thoughts or ideas?? Are there any items that you feel need to be on Etsy but you have a hard time finding? What are your favorite Etsy shops??

Thanks ladies and have a great day : )

“Park’ bag….

2011-07-08T09:38:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday!! I swear, the days and weeks are flying by. I look at the clock and it is already 9pm before I know it. The summer really does keep us busy.

Part of the reason we are so busy during the day is that we are always here……

My kids love the park!! They are could go everyday and spend hours there. That is the reason that I have not invested in swingset for the backyard. My kids love going to different parks and we are fortunate enough to have a lot of great parks in the area.

But, when I go, I never sit still. I am chasing Anthony all over the place. With that said, I really do not need to take the stroller, but I do need something to carry a few of the essentials. I always need drinks, wipes, my wallet (because the ice cream man always so conveniently shows up at our parks..LOL) , my phone and a little snack.

I knew I need to make myself a ‘park’ bag. Something that would go across my chest and be small, but big enough to hold the essentials. Here is what I came up with…..

I used denim since that will ‘go’ with almost anything that I am wearing. I knew it needed a little something, so I stenciled on the butterflies. I still think it needs something more but haven’t decided what that is yet : )

The bag has a fun summer print on the inside with 2 pockets.

It is perfect for our trips to the park!!

Have a great weekend!!

Almost Wordless Wednesday…

2011-07-06T08:10:00.000-04:00

Happy Hump Day!! I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. Ours was filled with lots of family fun and sun.

This picture was taken while out on our boat over the weekend….

It makes me so thankful to be able to enjoy the water and the calm that it brings.

Like most of blogland, you may have noticed that things are a little quiet around here. I am trying to keep the kiddos entertained, the house clean and the fridge full. That means, fewer posts. But don’t worry, I am not going anywhere (not that you were too concerned…LOL).

Have a great day!

Wordless Wednesday on a Thursday…..

2011-06-30T10:01:00.000-04:00

I am a day late and a dollar short here….LOL! We went to a 70th birthday over the weekend and I just had to share the cake. I am hoping I look this good at 70!!

Have a great day!!

Tell me something good…..make-up

2011-06-28T08:50:00.000-04:00

I have had a revelation. A truly life changing one. One that I wished I would have had 20 years ago. It is….
“EYESHADOW PRIMER”

On my last shopping trip to my favorite store, Target, I was browsing the make-up aisle. As we all sit there and get totally overwhelmed by the millions of choices, I struck gold. I am not that picky when it comes to make-up. There are times I spend way too much money on certain items and there are times I will buy the dollar store eyeliner. If it works, that it what is important…not how much it costs.

My pot of gold is this….
N.Y.C Individual Eyes Eyeshadow

It comes in different color palettes to match the color of your eyes. I loved it so much that I went back and bought all of the palettes regardless of the eye color it matched…LOL!

The awesome thing here is that it includes eyeshadow primer. I have never used primer before and I am totally amazed how great it works. Your eyeshadow stays on the entire day without fading or smudging. It is totally fool proof as the outside of the case tells you where to place all of the colors on your eyes.

It totally can help you to achieve this…

The best part of the whole thing, each color palette costs less that $5!!

Now that is something good!!

Words to live by…

2011-06-24T08:34:00.000-04:00

My sister sent this to me and I had to share. The story it tells is one that we should all live by.

HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out non-essential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them.'

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen.Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips.Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Worry about nothing, pray about everything!!!

Pre-K Graduation…..

2011-06-22T08:36:00.000-04:00

As you know, last Friday Christopher had his ‘graduation.’ I knew I was going to be so happy to see my little boy up on stage, singing his heart out. I also knew that my heart would sink as I thought about how it seemed like just yesterday I was taking him for walks in his infant carrier. Sitting in the rocker singing to him as a baby is now a distant memory.

I was not sure what to expect of a Pre-K ‘graduation’ and the school did not tell us much. We went in just hoping for a nice celebration. And of course Christopher wanted to dress appropriately for this special occasion. By that I mean, he wanted to wear a suit. Thankfully I found a suit jacket at Walmart for $17 so I couldn’t help but make the child happy and let him look his best.

Isn’t he so handsome???

We got to school and as we waited to go inside I was able to grab a few pics of him and his school friends. He tends to be quite popular with the ladies…

As we sat in out seats in the hot, un-airconditioned gymnasium, my heart melted as I saw him walk in in his cap and t-shirt. In my mind I was just thinking that it is not going to be long before this is his high school graduation. I need to cherish everyday because the days, weeks and years are just flying by.

For 45 minutes we sat and listened as they sang and sang and sang. Some of the songs had lyrics where ‘the child was talking to their parent’ and as they sang, they pointed to us. That put the lump in my throat. I held back my tears and tried to keep it together.

After the singing was over, they received their ‘diploma.’ Christopher’s face lit up as they called his name. I was so proud of my 5 year old…LOL!

When it was over we said goodbye to his teachers and thanked them for a job well done. We gave them the presents we had made for them (see them on the chairs??) and handed out the goodies to his classmates.

We stayed for a few more pictures and off we went….ready for Kindergarten!!

Happy Hump Day…

Teacher Presents…..

2011-06-20T08:01:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday!! It is the official beginning of summer for us…YEAH!! Christopher had his graduation on Friday and it went really well. I did not cry at all…..I may have had a lump in my throat a time or two, but I held it together. I will tell you all about it in another post : )

Today I just want to share with you what we decided to do for Christopher’s teachers. The class mom had put out a note to all of the parents that she was taking up a collection to get a gift certificate for the teachers. I was going to do it but then decided instead of taking the easy way out, I would make them a gift. This was his last year at the school and one of his current teacher’s he has had before. So, I wanted to do something special.

Good old reliable Pinterest helped me out with a few cute ideas. This was my inspiration….

I thought this was perfect since this year the kids really focused on handwriting and letters. What better way to showcase what he has learned?? The bags needed some color in my opinion so I changed them up a bit.

It was a simple, inexpensive project but it was a tiny bit time consuming. I just took a plain white tote and used some Sharpies to draw the lines to make it look like a sheet of paper. Next, Christopher used a pencil to draw a picture of the teacher and write her name. I then used embroidery floss to go over his work. Instead of black I used colored thread.

Here is what we ended up with…

I filled the bags with some goodies and we were good to go!! The teachers loved them!!

Have a great Monday….

Classmate gifts…

2011-06-17T08:28:00.000-04:00

Today is going to be bittersweet. Christopher has his Pre-K ‘graduation.’ I am so excited that he is going to be moving on to Kindergarten and starting this next phase of his life. New experiences, new friends and new beginnings are all just on the horizon. But I am sad as I see my first born child now becoming a real ‘big boy.’ Soon are going to be the days when he doesn’t want me to kiss his boo-boo or hold his hand as we walk through Target. I am thankful that I still have one more kiddo to go through his early years of nursery school : )

This being the ‘final’ day of school, we thought it would be nice to give each of his classmates a little something on graduation day. Nothing too fancy, just a way to celebrate. I have just recently started Pinterest and have had so much fun getting inspired. One of the things I most recently saw were these…

I thought they were perfect to make for all of the boys in Christopher’s class. I used my handy Silhouette to cut out the shapes and we quickly threw a few together. I think they came out cute and it only cost me $1 for the package of pencils.

I knew I wanted to do something different for the girls. My bloggy bestie Allie did a really cute lollipop flower a few weeks ago.

I was going to attempt to do it….but I was limited on time. I took the same concept and did the quicker version…LOL! I saw these at Dollar Tree and knew it would be able to do use them to make a flower.

I cut up the Lei, grabbed a Tootsie Pop and some hot glue and came up with this little number. What little girl isn’t going to like getting a flower from a cute boy??

I also made his teachers a few presents as well. Stop back on Monday to see what we did.

Have a great weekend!

Semi Wordless Wednesday….

2011-06-15T08:53:00.000-04:00

Do you think my little man has been hanging around his mom too much?? LOL!

Happy Hump Day….

Some Monday Randomness…..

2011-06-13T09:13:00.000-04:00

Good morning Monday! Hope everyone had a great weekend. Ours was kind of quiet since the weather was horrible. It rained and was cold. How does it go from 98 degrees and hazy, hot and humid to downpouring and 55 degress?? I will never understand the weather systems…LOL!

I figured it has been awhile since you have heard me babble some of my random thoughts. So today is as good a Monday as any to participate in Miscellany Monday….

ONE. One day last week my husband came home with these…

It was nice to get flowers for no reason. It has been awhile since that happened. With two kiddos, my husband’s long work hours and life getting in the way, it was nice to be reminded of how things were many moons ago when we were newly in love…LOL!

TWO. Christopher has only 2 more days of Pre-K left and then his ‘graduation.’ I am excited to see what the kids will be doing. He has tried to keep it a surprise but every now and then he slips up and starts to tell me about a song or two they will be singing…LOL! All I know is that time is flying and I want it to stop : )

THREE. Ok…are we the only family that eats ice cream or Italian ices everyday in the summer?? I swear, as soon as the weather warms up, my kids become ice-cream-o-holics!! It doesn’t help that this guy comes around about 3 times a day….

FOUR. I will sum this story into the abbreviated version. We had new neighbors move, a younger couple that seem to like to party. I have barely spoken to them, but heard through the grapevine that they are getting married soon. Well, the the other night we went for a bike ride with the kids around the block. We see the man moving all of his belongings out of the garage an into his truck. He had a few friends there and they were all taking stuff and packing their cars up too. My husband says to me ‘something shady is going on there.’ I always try to see the good so I am thinking that maybe they are having some work done on the house and they need to move a few things. The next morning I see the girl outside on the phone and she is yelling. Of course I have to go on my deck and see that is happening. I call over to her and ask her if she is okay (she probably thinks I am crazy since I have never spoken to her before..LOL). Well, she was at her final wedding dress fitting the day before and when she came home, the house was completely emptied and her fiance was gone. No note, no phone call, nothing. He took it all. Can you imagine??? They were supposed to be getting married next week. I called the hubs to tell him he was right…there was something shady happening that day!! I am sure there is more to the story that we will never know, but I can’t help feeling terrible for her. I swear, men can sometimes really stink!!! It makes me glad I am an old married lady : )

Semi Wordless Wednesday…..

2011-06-08T09:22:00.000-04:00

These always make me giggle…..

Hair, hair and more hair….

2011-06-07T08:34:00.000-04:00

Hello all….happy Tuesday! It is nice to be back to blogging after taking a little time off in order to pray for those affected by the horrific tornadoes. I hope everyone still continues to say prayer for those in need : )

I am all about hair lately. I guess with the nice weather and the warm temperatures, we all want to make some changes. Buying some new make-up or getting some cute new flip flops always makes me feel better. One thing I have always liked to change though is my hair. I have had really short hair, really long hair and every shade of red and brown! I do not get attached to my hair like some people do. I enjoy being able to change my look through changing my hair. The issue is that my hair is very fine. I somehow did not get the thick, shiny hair that my sister’s got…LOL!

I have always thought about these…

Hair extensions seem so much more popular these days. I know they can be quite costly and I am not going to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on my head. So I started to so some research and found that there are a lot of cheaper options out there. I went to the local Sally Beauty to look and thought I would try something fun. I bought a drawstring ponytail that goes over your own ponytail. I took it home and tried it. It was a little too heavy and it was way too long. I did some surgery on it and cut it in half and tried to clip it in around the base of my head like regular extensions.

No too bad…LOL! It doesn't lay right on me since it was not really supposed to be used this way. I am now addicted to finding some extensions that are inexpensive and fun. I read the reviews on the Avon ones and they seem to be pretty good. I might try them. Anyone have any suggestions??

I went back and bought a different ponytail clip-in. I am so excited that I can look and feel better with some new hair : ) Now that is something good!

Winner, winner….

2011-06-01T08:36:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday. Wow…I can’t believe that May is already over. Where did this month go?? June brings the end of the school year and the end of a chapter. Christopher will be graduating preschool and off to Kindergarten in September. I can’t even believe I am going to have a child in elementary school!! It is bittersweet to watch him grow and have so many new experiences. I am sure I will have plenty of posts in the future as I anxiously and nervously await September : )

Well, I am keeping it short today as I am participating this week in Daphne's ‘time of social media silence’ this week. You can read about it on her blog or see my post below.

But I did not want to let the week go by without announcing the winner of my purse organizer giveaway. There were only a few entries, so thanks to you that did enter. I know, I might not be the most popular kid at this school…LOL! And without further adue (spelled wrong??)…..

#1 CoastalPines says…
I'm excited to have a shot at the organizer ~ loved it the first time I saw it!

Congratulations Traci!! I will send you an email shortly.
I used random.org to generate the number but have still not yet figured out how to take a pic of my screen…LOL!

Enjoy the rest of the week and I will be back on Monday!! I leave you with a few pics from our Memorial Day weekend….

Happy Weekend……and some prayers!

2011-05-27T08:30:00.000-04:00

Today is the start of the unofficial summer season for us!! Yeah!! It is so nice that the weather here is finally starting to warm up and we can actually head out to the parks. My kids are total park kids….we are at the park practically everyday. And that is why I am not investing thousands of dollars in a swing set…I know they will not enjoy it was much as going to different playgrounds!

It is so amazing that nice weather can actually put you in a better mood. I know I feel better and I am noticing people in general seem to be nicer too. You know, us NYers tend to not be so social….LOL! I am glad I can wear flip flops and bright nail polish on my toes : ) These small things just set the tone for feeling good and being happier in my book!

With that said, I just want to wish everyone a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend. Hopefully you will spend time with family and friends and take time to remember what the holiday is really about!

I will be around next week but in limited supply! LOL! I am joining my friend Daphne in ‘a time of social media silence.’

This is to recognize and pray for all those affected by the tornados in Missouri and around the country. Each time you would sit and open your laptop to write a post or read a blog, say a prayer instead!! Hopefully with lots of prayers and the hard work of volunteers and rescue workers, the damage can get cleaned up sooner rather than later. Check out Daphne's site for a linky that she will be posting on Monday if you would like to participate.

Also, don’t forget to enter my giveaway for the purse organizer!! A winner will be chosen on Tuesday, May 31st!

Tell Me Something Good….....a Giveaway!!

2011-05-24T09:36:00.000-04:00

Good morning all!! This is a quick post to share a some goodness.

As many of you know, a few weeks ago was my one year Blogiversary. With that, came a new look for my blog…..thanks to my buddy Shannon. I want to do something nice for all of my readers, really my friends, so I decided I am going to do little giveaway of something I make. Now, remember, I am not a professional (not yet..LOL) in the sewing department. So the item will not be perfect : )

I am going to make one of these to giveaway….a PURSE ORGANIZER!! With the new seasons comes new bags for many of us. A purse organizer is great for keeping your belongings organized and easily transfering from one bag to the next. This is the one I made for my sister a few weeks back. It will be like this one, just possibly in a different fabric.

All you need to do to enter is be a follower and leave me a comment….it is that simple! Be sure to include your email address so I can get in contact with you.

This giveaway will be open for one week, until Tuesday, May 31st. A winner will be chosen via random.org and the winner will be notified by email.

Thanks for being there, reading my little corner of the blog world and for being my friends!! Now that is SOMETHING GOOD!!

Kindergarten…...not like when we were kids!

2011-05-23T09:30:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday!! Hope everyone had a great weekend. A new week is upon us and my only hopes are for some nice weather!! Well, I had a few things I wanted to post the end of last week, but I was having some problems with Blogger. Yes, again!! But, you will see directly below this post is some random post that my kids somehow published from my phone!! LOL! Yes, I uninstalled Blogger from the phone as you all do not need a ton of nonsense coming through your Google Reader that my kids have published!!

Anyway….about to last Friday. Christopher had his Kindergarten orientation. We were so excited to go. Neither of us has ever been in the elementary school before so we were anxious to see the school and meet the teachers. I really had no idea what to expect from the two hours that we were scheduled to be there but I knew Anthony was not coming!! LOL! It was nice to have some special one on one time with Christopher for this special day.

We got to the orientation and we saw a few familiar faces which was nice. There were some kids we recognized from the library and soccer. None of the kids that he currently goes to school with will be with him in Kindergarten so it is kind of sad. But he will make all new friends and he never has a problem doing that. As soon as we got there they separated the parents and the kids. They took the kids into 3 different classrooms and they alternated an activity in each room. The first room the teacher read a story, the second room they did an art project and the third room was free play.

While the kids were doing that we sat in the cafeteria and listened to the principal talk. Now, here is where I see the Kindergarten is not like when we were kids!! I mean, I knew that. But this all made it so real. I will tell you some of the things that I was amazed at. The first being cupcakes.

You remember when you were a kid and your mom would bring up cupcakes for your birthday in the bottom of a gift box?? LOL! Well, our school district is all about being healthy. And yes, I get it to a certain extent. But you are not allowed to bring in any foods baked from home. You can bring in a store bought snack as long as it meets the guidelines (x amount of calories, x amount of sugar, x amount of fat, etc..). I am sad about this. I will never be able to bake for my sons class. Who wants to bring in carrot sticks to celebrate a birthday?? And, by the way, they celebrate all the kids’ birthdays for a particular month together on the 15th of the month. So, it is not like your kid is even getting a special day to himself!!

I am sure you all agree that the curriculum these days is crazy. And again, yes, I get that we want our kids to be smart and excel on all of these tests. But really. They need to know so much going in that I feel they don’t really have time to be kids anymore. As the principal went over what the school day entailed, I was flawed. What happened to playtime and nap time?? I know that there is going to be an adjustment just from going to a full day. But on top of that, it seems like we will be doing a ton of homework too!! As we went on a tour of the building we saw third grades sitting at their desks on laptops!!! If we had one old computer in school when we were kids, it was a blessing..LOL!

They finished up the orientation by taking the kids out to sit on a school bus. Wow….Christopher was ecstatic!! He can’t wait to ride the bus in September. They also let the kids go through the cafeteria line and get a snack. He said that was the best part of the day!

Lastly, we went on a tour of the school. Oh, did you know that kids play this is in gym??

Well, I can sit an go on and on about what I like and don’t like about the Kindergarten. But I do know that my son is so excited to go. It is going to be a new experience for the both of us. A new chapter. We will both learn new things together. I know that I had tears in my eyes as he walked out of the cafeteria. I can’t believe that time has gone by so fast. I love my little boy and want him to stay little forever!!

I know for sure I will be a mess on the first day of school! LOL!

sAwa

2011-05-19T10:20:00.001-04:00

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Semi Wordless Wednesday….

2011-05-18T08:26:00.000-04:00

Happy Hump day ladies! Hope your week has been great so far. Ours has been kind of BLAH. The weather here has been rainy. I mean really rainy…since Saturday. So rainy that you do not want to leave the house or get out of your pj’s!!

With all the rain it reminded me of a picture that I took last week when the weather was beautiful. Everyday last week we had clear blue skies and temperatures in the 60’s.

I drive the same way everyday when I take Christopher to school. Pass the same houses and see the same cars. Kind of like ‘Groundhog Day’…LOL! Well, I snapped this pic in the middle of the winter as I was driving…..

Here is the same street last Wednesday…..

It makes me so happy that Spring is finally here!!
Now…we just need the rain to stop so I can enjoy that view again!!

Have a great day….

Something new and a fun weekend….

2011-05-16T08:26:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday!! Today we are starting off the week a little different around here. Have you noticed anything new?? Of course you did….how could you not?? This little blog of mine has a new look….yay!!! Isn’t it awesome?? A few weeks back my friend Daphne hosted a blog makeover giveaway. I was all over it once I saw that the designer was Shannon from Sweet Bean!! Shannon is amazing….not just as a designer, but as a person : ) She is so easy to work with and listened to all my needs and comments. She came up with my new look in no time. I feel it totally represents me. So, thank you Shannon for giving my blog a great new design. You are the best!!

So, now on to some more awesomeness. This past Saturday night we had a wedding. The girl getting married is a close family friend…and my hairdresser. It isn’t often that we go to weddings anymore….I mean, really, more people we know are getting divorced these days, not married…LOL! I was really looking forward to a night out with good music, good friends and good food.

I wasn’t sure what to wear or how to do my hair. I ended up wearing a little black dress (yes, the wedding staple that we all have in our closets) and just bought some fun new shoes. More on those in a minute. My friend Lisa loves to do hair and she offered to do mine, so I was super excited. I wanted to wear it up since I really never get the chance to do so anymore. Well, she did a side french braid and it came out great. Thanks Lisa!

The wedding was really beautiful. Unfortunately the weather was not so great and the ceremony was outside near the beach. But the rain held off until later that night. Doesn’t she look stunning?? Her dress was gorgeous. Weddings just make me so happy!!

The great part about the whole thing was that my entire family was there. Meaning, my sister’s and my parents minus the kids. It is not often that we are all together without the 7 little darlings in our lives. So it was nice to be able to have a drink and have adult conversation.

Me and Chris (in a blurry picture…LOL)….

Oh…back to my shoes. Aren’t these cute?? Guess how much I paid for them?? Are you ready?? $5

And yes, you are getting to see more of my tattoos!!

This is me and Chris with my 3 sisters and brother-in-laws….

This pic includes my parents….

And lastly….the wedding cake. It was beautiful and looked delicious but we left before they served it…LOL! That is what happens when your kids are with the sitter : )

Happy Blogiversary to me….

2011-05-13T13:23:00.001-04:00

Today is a special day here at ‘Circle of Love’ as it is my 1 year Blogiversary!! This blog started, like most blogs, as a way to document what was happening in our family life about 3 years ago. I was pregnant with Anthony at the time and wanted to let our friends and family know how my pregnancy was progressing and what new things Christopher was doing. Well, it didn’t last very long. I posted a few times and then I got so busy that I let the blog slide.

Well, last year I decided to start it up again. But this time it was not only to share what was happening with my family, but as an outlet for me. A way for my to be able to write (yes, keep my brain functioning) and to share my ideas and thoughts with others. And in turn, to search for tips and tricks from other mom’s on a variety of topics….from raising my family to cooking, decorating and crafting.

I can honestly say that this blog has been very rewarding personally. I never in a million years thought I would be so inspired to do and try so many new things. Sewing being the major one. I always wanted to dabble with it, but the last year has really been amazing as I have learned so much. And most of it was by being inspired from others.

I have thought about trying to make money with this blog. I have thought about doing reviews. I have wanted to have hundreds, even thousands of followers. But in the end, what I got from this blog was a great group of friends (ladies….you know who you are!!). Women that live all over the country that I have connected with. Women I truly enjoy talking to and hearing about their lives. Women who walk in my shoes and who understand me. And that means more to me than anything!!

So, thank you ‘blogland’ for being a great part of my life. I do not know what the future holds for me or this blog, but I do know that there will be some fun things happening in the next few weeks. So, stay tuned and THANK YOU for taking this journey with me!

Have a great weekend….

A quick little project….

2011-05-11T16:24:00.000-04:00

A few months ago my younger sister Jeanna went to the ‘Regis and Kelly’ show. Now, most talk shows tend to give things away to the audience. I have gone to my share of shows in the past, Rachel Ray and the View being my favorite. I was lucky enough to get a $250 Coach gift when I went to the View….it was awesome. Yes, living outside NYC does have its advantages!!

Anyway, when my sister went to ‘Regis and Kelly’ they featured a lot of great products in the show, most of which the audience got. The one thing my sister wanted that they did NOT give to the audience was a purse organizer. She was mad that she did not get one….LOL. Many of you have seen them on TV and even in blogland. You place all of your belongings in the organizer and you can easily transfer it from bag to bag. And us women usually like to change our purses quite often, so it can come in handy.

Jeanna’s birthday was a few weeks ago and so I knew I wanted to make her one. I had some leftover fabric and I thought it would be a perfect gift. The only problem was I wasn’t sure how tall to make it. Not knowing what her bags look like or what she was going to put in it made it a little difficult to design.

She was super excited when I gave it to her. Here is what I came up with…..

I could have made it taller, but now I know for next time : )

It fit perfectly in her bag. Now I need to make one for myself!!

Tell Me Something Good…

2011-05-10T08:52:00.000-04:00

Happy Tuesday!! I hope everyone had a great weekend and an even better Mother’s Day! Our weekend was filled with sports, errands and parties…as usual. But I got to enjoy and awesome morning at the spa on Sunday and I was thrilled. I totally needed it. It is sad when the massage therapist says to you in the middle of your massage ‘do you have trouble relaxing?’….LOL! After that, I came home and ‘relaxed’ for a bit with my three boys before going to visit my mom and my mother-in-law. All in all, it was just what I could have asked for for Mother’s Day.

Now…I have something good to tell you.

I am thrilled with the fact that I have found an awesome new face cream. I have to let you know that I have very dry skin. I have tons of skin issues, the main being psoriasis on my many areas of my body. The funny part is that I never had skin troubles until I met my husband. I always tell him that I am ‘allergic’ to him…LOL! Anyway, I do not have psoriasis on my face, thank God. Hey, that should be my ‘something good’ for today : ) But I saw an ad for this cream…..

I tried it and I love it!! It is so hydrating. You apply it to your face and neck before bed and you wake up with a nice glow! I highly recommend it. On my trip to Target yesterday I bought this one….

Hopefully it works just as well!

Spread some positivity, link up, and tell us something good in your life!!

Weekend Wishes…

2011-05-06T09:26:00.000-04:00

Today I am attending a Mother’s Day Tea at Christopher’s school. I have no idea what to expect, but whatever it is, I am sure it will be adorable. This is such a fun age when the kid’s are able to actually ‘make’ you presents…..it truly is just so sweet! And of course, I keep all of the cards and pictures my kids make : )

I wanted to quickly share something I got myself for Mother’s Day 2 years ago. I wanted something to symbolize my kiddos….something I would have with me forever. And I am sure you guessed it….a TATTOO!

I had always loved the jewelry with the mom and the kid. I also collect figurines that are called ‘Circle of Love’ by Kim Lawrence…hence the name of my blog. LOL!

Here is an idea of what they look like….

So, when I went for the tattoo, I brought some pictures of some mom jewelry that I liked as well as some of my figurines. This is what we came up with….

I love it. It is simple and just what I had envisioned! I guess I cannot have any more kids…not sure sticking a third head in the tattoo would look good…LOL! I will let you in on a little secret, to your surprise, I have SEVEN tattoo’s!!!

Anyway….please enjoy your Mother’s Day with your family and friend’s. Celebrate the awesome, but hard, job we have as mom’s. Take some time to relax and reflect on all that you are blessed with!

Teacher Appreciation Day….

2011-05-05T08:05:00.000-04:00

Okay…I may be a little behind on this one ladies! Last week all over blogland there were posts on tons on 'Teacher Appreciation' crafts. I am kind of confused…apparently the whole week is Teacher Appreciation week but yesterday was Teacher Appreciation day??

Well, I decided to do a little something for Christopher’s two teachers. I had wanted to try a new recipe too...that being said, I made some sweet treats. I made Apple Snackin’ cake….something I saw recently on an episode of Kitchen Boss. It looked so yummy and it contained apples….get it, teachers, apples?? In addition to that, I made my good old stand-by MUGS…LOL! Then I thought it was perfect, some sweet snacks and a mug for a nice cup of coffee to go along with them : )

Of course I needed to make a cute little ‘apple’ gift bag and card to go along with gifts. Oh, and I had to decorate the bakery box too!! Since I didn’t have too much time, I had to keep it simple.

Here is what I came up with…

Gift bag….

Card (inside and out)….

Treat box….

Mug….

The entire ensemble….

When I gave the teachers' their presents, they were so thankful. They did not even know it was Teacher Appreciation Week….LOL! It makes it all worth it when you know someone really appreciates your hard work.

Until tomorrow….

Tell me something good….

2011-05-03T08:29:00.000-04:00

Happy Tuesday blogland! I did not post yesterday…I think that was the first time in awhile that I was not around on a Monday. But the calendar is getting quite full these days and there are simply not enough hours in the day…LOL!

I couldn’t let Tuesday go by without linking up with LeeAnn. I am all over this ‘positive’ thinking and spreading the word of some happy thoughts.

Well….I am surely happy this week. And the reason being is this……THE SPA!!

I have had a gift certificate that I got from the hubs and the kids last Mother’s Day that I had yet to use. Sadly, I couldn’t find the time in a whole year to make myself a priority and to go and relax. So, this Sunday, on Mother’s Day, I am headed for some quality time with myself!! I can’t wait!!

Hope you all are having a good week!

What every woman needs….

2011-04-29T08:25:00.000-04:00

TGIF!! Hope the week was good for all of you. We were busy as usual. I tell you, the days and weeks seem to be flying by lately. Not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing!!

Just wanted to share a quick little project I did earlier in the week. I saw this pillow somewhere and thought it was a cute idea for a bridal shower.

I am sure that this is what most of us say to our husband’s at night…LOL!

But if we are feeling a little fun, we may say this….

Here is a close-up. I planned on making it a little more detailed with some embellishment, but decided to just keep it simple.

Thanks to my friend Brandy for helping me out this project. Since I do not have an embroidery machine, she was kind enough to do it for me! Thanks Brandy : )

Hope you all have a great weekend…

Some positivity….

2011-04-26T10:44:00.000-04:00

Good morning everyone!! I was not planning on posting this morning since we are going to be headed out the door shortly. But I wanted to quickly play along with my friend LeeAnn who has a new linky starting today. It is ‘Tell us something good’……

We should all take the time a little more often to think about how blessed we are and stop focusing on the negative. I know I am guilty of dwelling on the bad sometimes. So, no more negative thoughts.

My something good today is this….

I discovered these tasty treats a few weeks ago. I have been TRYING to eat better and shed a few pounds. These are only 100 calories. I add a few scoops of Cool Whip on top and it is like have dessert for breakfast!

Enjoy your day!

Easter Monday…

2011-04-25T09:26:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter Monday!! Not sure about other places, but here in NY most schools are still off as they celebrate ‘Easter Monday.’ So we have a day to rest and recover from the weekend’s festivities. But yes, this Easter break is feeling longer than ever! LOL! I am ready for Christopher to return to school on Wednesday : )

We had a nice day yesterday as we celebrated with my family. To our surprise the weather ended up being sunny and warm. That changed what my kiddos were wearing…lol. I had bought them nice long sleeved linen shirts and sweater vests….needless to say, those will be returned. But I will take the sun over nice Easter outfits any day.

We colored our eggs Saturday night. Now, the funny part is this. When we were kids my parents used hide the eggs that we had colored. We would find them and then eat them for breakfast on Easter morning. That is what we did…so that is what I am used to. The hubs’ family used to hide plastic eggs filled with money, candy and goodies. And apparently they did not eat the eggs that they colored. So, with our kids we are trying to do our ‘own’ thing. We colored the eggs, I ate them for breakfast and then we hid plastic eggs filled with candy. The hubs says I was tormented as a child for having to look for hard boiled eggs…LOL!

Here are our eggs. They were a little sad looking as it is way too hard for a 2 year old to try and color and decorate eggs!

I made a bunny cake to take to my sister’s house….it came out okay. It kind of stuck to the pan so I had to try and fix it….lol.

My sister Jeanna made a Hello Kitty cake as we celebrated her birthday and my niece's birthday. It came out really cute.

Needless to say, this is not Christmas. The kids went on an egg hunt in the house and at the end of the hunt they got a basket filled with candy and one toy. That is more than enough. Plus they got candy from my in-laws and my parents.

Do you think my kids are going to be on a sugar high all month???

Mug Happy……

2011-04-22T08:58:00.000-04:00

TGIF bloggy buddies! Hope you all are having a great week and have all of your Easter preparations done and ready. I, on the other hand, do not have not accomplished much. I just went out last night to get the kiddos some candy (and ONE toy…this is not Christmas!) for their baskets. I have a some cooking and baking to do and I haven’t even made my shopping list….LOL!

Instead…I was playing around last night with my Silhouette making some more mugs. I happened to be at the Dollar Tree and they had the plain white mugs…..so I picked up a few. I only have black vinyl…..so now I need to get some additional colors. My mugs could be so much nicer with a little color.

I made this one for my father in law for his birthday. My kids call him ‘Grandpa Kitty’ because the have a cat. My parents have a dog, so naturally they are Grandma and Grandpa Doggy…LOL.

These I made for my sister and her new ‘fiance’. I saw them out in blogland somewhere and thought there were adorable (forgive me for not remembering where I saw them).

And while the Silhouette was going strong….I added this to my phone sleeve : )

That’s all for today folks!! Wishing you and your families a very happy and healthy Easter!!

Semi Wordless Wednesday….

2011-04-20T09:36:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to my little sister Jeanna and he boyfriend Greg…

He just gave her this…..

My hubs tells her this… “this is your first of three rings…engagement ring, then wedding ring and then the SUFFER-ring”..LOL!