Dessert or Diet!

happy hump day!

2012-02-15T18:58:00.000-05:00

so i am starting out with the 5 things that make me happy/smile/content

because i have like zero memory

and i always forget and then have to

come back in....

edit....

add those suckers in there...

and, well, you see where this is going.....so here....5 happy dappy smiles:

394. my fun job. (yes, the one that allows me to blog while i work!)

393. fabulous food. (yes, i am food obsessed)

392. sweet lil valentines for my lovies. i am a giver of all things fun/cool/rad. yes, i just said rad. arrgh. wth? at least i think my gifts are way cool....

391. french meringue buttercream. recipe coming. pinky swear.

392. the best vanilla cupcake recipe i found over at annie eats!

yes, i made the following for the man friend's vday din.

truffled mac and cheese. meh.

parmesan potato cups. meh.

jalapenos stuffed with herb cream cheese. easy peasy and amazing.

scallops w/dijon mustard sauce. easy peasy too, and seriously melt in your mouth amazing.

vanilla cuppies w/french meringue bc. TOO. DIE. FOR.

remember, my motto....everything is good in moderation...

lol.

we werent really moderating anything last night.

i ate.

and ate.

and

ate.

and still had room for a 1/2 of a cuppie.

dont worry.

i will eat the other 1/2 in about an hr!

so tell me this....who celebrated V day??

and did you get anything super

fabulous??

like that shiny sweetness?

i. did. not.

boo.

or these:

nope. didnt get those either....

i did get a super sweet card, some adorable vases,

and some hot lingerie...

geeze...i wonder who benefitted from that???

have a great day/night blendsies

xoxo

happy days.....

2012-02-13T19:11:00.002-05:00

think back to those days when we had no ATM machines, we survived on maybe cash alone or one

credit card...

ahhh. maybe simple is best....

i was literally doing bank stuff for the first 3 hours of my morning and then left to visit the bank in

person.....

i have found, when you have a banking issue, its best to just show your smiley face.

when you try to do ANYTHING over the phone, it NEVER gets done RIGHT.

so after being told that my card was cancelled d/t the wonderful hackers that

invaded my space, i was told today, that they

never stopped it.

WHAT??? mo fo.

yep. so the fraud dept and the actual bank had said it was cancelled and guess what?

it WASNT.

here nor there, the accounts have been closed and hopefully

i will have changed all accts that i am aware of that have auto payments, and

all will be well again in love and war.

speaking of war....

have y'all seen the movie

this means war???

uuhhhhhhdorable.....

yep. thats my word for adorable.

REESE witherspoon and i am not sure who the hotties were that chased after her,

but whewwww.

pretty damn hot. ok. smoking hot.

lucky beotch.

yes....there they are...3 cutie patooties.

go. see. it.

you will laugh.

very light hearted.

oh, and if you want to lose 2 hrs of your life that you will never be able to get back,

then go see,

the grey.

DUMB.

1 hr and 57 mins. only to have the stupidest ending EVER.

that my friends was the extent of my weekend. cleaning. working. writing another

lovely paper for school.

what are you all up to for valentines tomorrow?

ANDDDD....

if you could have one wish come true what would it be?

have a lovely week!!

xoxo

happy list continues:

399. seeing my sweet 18 yr old's beautiful face, who is away at college....

398. getting a text in the middle of the day of my 'grand dog'...and his ever so cute face!

397. sun on a winter day

396. chipotle. (yep. for realz.)

395. the feeling of the white nugget jumping on the bed right before the alarm goes, off, to snuggle for a few minutes......

hacked

2012-02-12T10:35:00.000-05:00

soooo my bank just called....

apparently some lovely THIEVES hacked into my checking acct.

via my debit/credit card.

i am so beside myself right now i want to cry.

has anyone had this happen and if so what did you do?

HELP.

ok, lets face it....its not like i have millions in my checking acct.

this is the acct that i use for EVERYTHING.

so as of now, i have no access to my cash....

(savings is tied to this acct as well)

i had to stop that card.

i have bills that automatically are assigned to that card.

i am a hot mess.

ok. thats all.

way to start my funday sunday.

love

5 fun things!

2012-02-11T14:35:00.001-05:00

why hello there!

what's up buttercups?

well, it is 21' here in the land of cleve town and snowing buckets.

we have had such a mild winter thus far that apparently mother nature

has felt the need to bless us with

6 inches of the white goodness....

i am working at the hospital and thought i could squeeze in a quick post. seeing how my

days/nights run together and i can never seem to find the time during the week.

princess # 2 and i drove up to see princess # 3 last night. we stopped on the way to

pick her up to get some sugar cookies and cuppies. (mama was too busy to bake them... :O(

but are you ready? for 6 teeny sugar cookies and 4 cupcakes....

THIRTY DOLLARS!

say whaaa??

yes, my friends 30 bones.

i was like ok.....these better taste magically delicious. princess # 2 and i shared a sugar cookie

and i have to say they were good. just ok good.

i guess i am partial to my recipe....but i still love trying others.

anyway, princess # 3 thought P#2, could not make it up....but because we are tricky....

we decided to surprise her. ah ha. mischievious minds...

so when we were pulling in, P#2, climbed into the trunk through the back seat (yes, i have a super secret

door that opens to the trunk....lol.....) kidding. i drive a nissan altima....its not super secret...

so i called P# 3 and said, I"M HERE, come on down....and oh, btw, your little treats are in the trunk, so

go ahead and grab them. i will pop the trunk....

so, i pop the trunk....and up pops PRINCESS # 2, screaming, surprise....I"M HERE!!!

princess # 3 almost died. like if you could have seen it....it was freaking hysterical...

and i may or may not have almost peed my pants.

it's the priceless moments that you wish you could box up and on a bad day, replay all over.....

we laughed so hard we were all crying.

we had a delightful dinner and did some shopping and then princess # 3 had to make princess # 2, some CD's so i crashed in the dorm...on the top bunk. this mama is getting old. i mean it was after 10pm.

i took a little cat nap and then we made the drive home....

sweet little nuggets. i love those peanuts...

oh and i should mention that while we were dining, the fire department shows up....lights, full gear and just

casually stroll thru the restaurant....our server was like ok, do you ladies need

anything else.....and i was like, well, no....all is well, but is the restaurant on fire???

he said, well, no not really....just some towels in the kitchen caught on fire...

yep. just some little towels...alrighty. insert another fresh cut fry into my mouth and forget that

i asked.....and just saw a fireman, walking in front of me, with his gear and flashlight....

so what fun stuff have you planned for vday?

i am not a big fan. never have. probably never will. but i still like to make special

treats for the kiddos and usually take some to work.

here are few sweet things i found while ~~surfing the internet,~~ i mean, working....lol...

free printables from mooo.com!

yes, free stuff...i love free stuff...

and just look at these:

credit: etsy!

so adorable, yet not difficult to make....or you can buy them if money is no object...

they are 39.00 / dozen.....ouch. kind of makes my 4 cuppies and 6 lil cookies sound CHEAP!

how bout this for your favorite lovie:

a simple i love you. the end.

credit: etsy!

ok, this one just cracks me up. and the funny thing...i almost bought it.

for all our man lovers....you know how they sometimes

have like 'chafing' issues...

down 'there'...lol...

(i never said that i would hold back anything on this blog. just sayin)...

credit: etsy!

the good news is that all of the natural products on this site, are sooo reasonable. i dig

natural and nothing excites me more than CHEAP.

well.....maybe a few things....might. maybe.

and the last fun thing that caught my eye:

we could not forget our furry friends on v-day...after all, they make heart pitter patter...

i had purchased a collar and leash for kolby from this etsy shop. i LOVE it.

the shop owner was so easy to deal with and the collar and leash were

so well designed...mr. k's collar is lime green and blue argyle...cuz he's metro like that...

and i think we will order miss keeley a matching one like this:

credit: etsy!

i hope you all have a super sweet valentine's day and i hope you spend it doing what

you love or with whom you love!

xoxo

494. my warm house.

493. blueberry crumble coffee.

492. ability to work out.

491. my sister.

490. my soft sherpa blankie, especially on days like today.

yippy skippy! funday sunday....again

2012-02-05T11:47:00.000-05:00

oh, hello there!

greetings from cleve town!

it is another funday sunday!

superbowl plans anyone?

i have one lil party scheduled and i have made some yummy cuppies and sub sammies....

but it will be low key, as this chick does have two jobs to attend to bright and early

monday morning!

guess what?

i am getting a new nugget.

this time a lil chocolate MINI doodle.

to keep K-man company...yeesh. yeah, i feel that

as i have to be entertained 24-7, so does my freakishly energetic white fur ball.....

so this little sweet " KEELEY JOY" will be joining our happy home in about a week:

(this is not her, but looks just like her!) this is one of her siblings

from a previous litter.

anywhosies, keeley only weighs 2.4 lbs as of last week and she can not

go to her furever home until she is 3.0 lbs....so we may not be

able to get her on valentines day....

we are anxiously awaiting! i am a little nervous to do the puppy training

thingy again....and lets not forget, mr. k is still really a puppy himself....
he is only 9 months young.....

so wish me luck.

keeley is a labradoodle, F1 and kobly is an F1 goldendoodle...so

basically same type of pup.

they are incredibly smart, energetic and loving creatures!

alrighty, i am off to enjoy my funday sunday....

i also wanted to share a list of 500 things that make me smile.....starting with sunshiney today!

(and yes, 500 is quite random....just wanted to because why??? well, cuz its MY blog and i can share

anything my little heart wants!!!!!)

love and hugs,

xoxo

500. wet sloppy kisses from my love nugget ball of fur.

499. sweet emails during the day from princess # 2 while she is at her new job.

498. a text from princess # 3, just saying 'ello MUM'....(melts me)

499. a phone call every morning from princess # 1, driving home from her night shift at the hospital

495. the smell of chocolate chip cupcakes baking

hi there!

2012-01-29T19:51:00.000-05:00

hello blends

(blog friends)

happy funday sunday.

i cant believe the week is starting AGAIN.

where does the time go?

no. seriously.

where the heck

does

it go?

i had a sad weekend.

one of my very close friends, lost her dear, 'sassy' sweet beautiful

mother to cancer.

ugh.

yes.

another cancer victim

it broke my heart to see my friend and her family so sad

and see such a gorgeous lady

give her life to

this horrible illness.

yeesh.

she was only 57 years young.

which brings me to another topic.

i read a super uber dee duber blog

called

lil blue boo

the sweet creator of this blog is a sweet gal named ashley, who most recently was

diagnosed with a form of cancer.

anyway, in addition to being diagnosed with cancer, ashley also

lost her father very unexpectedly this past year as well.

heartbreaking.

ashley has an amazing blog and has been sharing her

trials and tribulations with the cancer.

she even shares the video of her shaving her head.

(do not watch if you are pms'ing or extremely hormonal, or unless you have buckets of kleenex near by)

if you get a second, please pop over and just read this girls journey.

when you are having a bad day it really puts your life

in perspective.

anywhosies, ashley made some

choose joy

bracelets that she sells on her site.

if you head over

here

you can read all about why she chooses joy

and if you want you can help her cause.

i just ordered my set of 20!

10 adult size and

10 lil nugget size!

i just wanted to help ashleys cause and be reminded when i am

wearing my lil purple bracelet:

k, thats all i have for you tonight....i am off to do what you ask????

why, write another paper!

dont forget to choose joy!

smiley sunday!

2012-01-22T18:44:00.001-05:00

a wee while back i used to post more regularly.

then this crazy thing called life, took a dive for the ground

and i stopped.

but i missed blogging.

its not that i dont want to.

i just dont have a lot of free time.

between going to school, and working two jobs, one being full time, i honestly

just do not have much ME time.

happy me time.

my weekends are often filled with running errands, working and just doing all the

usual things that everyone does. you know, like,

laundry,

dishes,

floors,

organizing,

paying bills,

grocery shopping....(i actually love this one)....

but before you know it, my weekend is over

and it's back to

the dreaded work environment.

but anywho,

a while back, i started smiley sunday. it was

just simple things that make me smile

and with that, i try to embrace what little time is left of the weekend.

a girl in the work kitchen the other day, said, something like, oh, it's almost friday....

i was like, uhhh yayyy! hooorayy. yippeee skippeee!

and then she said 'isnt it awful how we just wish our life away'....'instead of just embracing today'....

hmmm. well there's a thought.

embrace.

today.

so my little bloggies, i want you to stop what you are doing...

well, dont stop reading this....

but when you are done....

think about it....

be HApPy for TOday.

EMBRACE what is going on in your life right now.......

the sad thing is that we never know if this is our last day here.....so why live it wishing for

tomorrow, or the weekend, or whatever....

and just be happy at the present!

so to make you smile, here's a few lovelies that made me smile today....

(while i am supposed to be working.....i was doing a little web surfing...hehe)....

hahahahaha. sorry for such a small pic.....

croc waterproof boots. my beating heart.

and the best part: 20 bones. out the door...free shipping too! happy dance!

i bought a pair of wellies, (black ones with different color polka dots...and i {{{LOVE}}} them.

living in cleveland....you need them....

and then taking the white nugget outside to go potty....well, need i say more....?? lol...

ok, on to our next contestant:

credit: closet cooking

um, seriously....does this not look fabulous?

reuben dip....

ohh emm gee.

i am running to the store to get the ingreds for this dip. not even kidding.

(it doesnt matter i have already been to 3 grocery stores in 2 days) :O)

credit: very jane!

if you do not know what very jane is, let me explain....they send daily emails with amazing deals

for handmade cuteness.

i have bought hand stamped necklaces, pins, pillow covers, the list is long...

i bought 3 sets of these to go with the 3 princess' valentine pressies!

and my last little lovely, is another v-day gift for the crazy princess' of mine:

credit: west elm

arent these mugs oh so cute?! i am imagining the girls guzzling down their hot bevvies drinking

from this heart mug!

and the best ?

6 dollar hollar AND

FREE FLIPPING SHIPPING!

k, thats it my dear blends....i am off to enjoy some mediterranean fare with

princess # 2.

embrace the moment and

enjoy the rest of your sweet arse weekend!

love and hugs,

fabulous brownies

2012-01-17T16:52:00.000-05:00

hi y'all.....

(yep. i still wish i had that sweet southern belle accent!)

i am FUUUHHHRRREEEZING. not even kidding.

i am sitting in my office at work right now...and my fingers literally feel like they are

going to fall off.

i am queen of procrastination. i guess i should have added this to my list of resolutions!

i have a paper i have to write for school and i just do not want to do it.

and yes.

due

in about 8 hrs. 11:59 EMT. which would be one AM. here.

ahhhh...why do i do this to myself....hmmm. i guess because i am literally so busy

working two jobs and have no time to do anything.

fully legitimate. doesnt make me feel any better about not having it done.

i do not want to do it.

anywho,

i am going to share this recipe for these delightfully delicious diet sabotaging (spellling?)

BROWNIES....

you need to run to the store and get the goods to make these.

they are gooey. chocolatey.

melt in your mouth maddening.

do i have your attention YET?!

i found them over

here~@ my baking addiction!

i had a work pot luck luncheon, which i should admit right now, the truth.

i {{{LOVE}}} pot lucks.

it's cuz i am seriously food obsessed.

i had this conversation with princess # 2. she said the same thing. i think this was her

direct quote

"like, i just love food....it makes me so happy".

god i love that kid.

and the fact that yes, she is young a size two and can still eat like a pig says nothing.

like, i love food too. yet, i am no longer a size two and probably will not be. ever.

so what were we talking about?

oh yeah....

heavenly brownies.

i doubled the recipe.

i will also show you where i did a couple different things.

and honestly. they were easy peasy. you will never want to eat store box brownies again.

ever.

pinky. promise.

and the best part........

i had ALL of the ingredients in my pantry. :o)

bonus points for that fo sho.

so here ya go homies....and let me know if you try. the only complaint i had

from someone at the evil potluck, was that,

they were too rich.....wahhhhhh???

too rich? are you freaking kidding me?

they ARE BROWNIES PEEPS.

arent they supposed to be?

best brownies ever

preheat oven to 325'
prepare a 9x13 pan. i lined with stick free foil......so you can just lift and cut them at the end!

2 sticks plus 4 tablespoons butter. ( i used 1/2 butter, 1/2 margarine)

1 cup chocolate chips. I used 1/2 dark and 1/2 semi sweet.
1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 and 1/2 cups pure white sugar. yep. thats right.

1 1/3 cups flour

4 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
3 large eggs

mix dry ingredients together in large bowl. set aside.
melt over low heat the butter. add in the chocolate chips stirring to melt. my baking addiction recommends double boiler but i am lazy and just heated on low and worked perfecto.
when chips and butter have melted stir in sugar and vanilla. add eggs one at a time. stirring between each one.
pour chocolate mixture into bowl of dry ingredients and mix until blended.
pour into prepared pan and bake. i think i ended up baking mine for about 32 minutes. my baking addiction states DO NOT OVERBAKE. you want your toothpick to be moist and wet crumbs! so true.

i love gooey madness. seriously. i was in heaven. will you think poorly of me, if i devulge that yes, i brought the leftovers home from the pot luck and by sunday had consumed about 6 brownies? not kidding. i feel the butter stuck to my glutes as i type this. help. i have issues!

source: my baking addiction

bake up kiddos. i promise you wont regret.

snowy saturday!

2012-01-14T14:59:00.000-05:00

yes, it's saturday.

and

yes. it's snowing.

poo.

no, it's not snowing poo. it's just snowing!

i feel that we have been really blessed this winter because up until this point,

we really havent had a lot of the white stuff.

everytime i have to dust my car off, i pout. i mutter under my breath that i am moving

someplace warm and sunny. year round. period.

and yet, another year literally FLIES by and lo and behold, here i am AGAIN,

pouting when i have to pull out the boots, gloves, hats and or scarves. usually all of the above.

on a good note, i have a lot of new coats to dress warm.

i bought a pair of wellies that have been a savior when taking out the

white fur ball.

i received a beautiful pair of UGGS from the sweet princesses.

so i guess bottom line, if you have to put up with the icky, yucky, messy snow.

dress like a fashionista at least!

sooo a little late, but

happy new year!

care to share any of your new year resolutions?

i dont make a lot. i just feel that typically they are gone by the wayside in about 2.7 days anyway, so

why bother???

however, this year was just a tad different. i did make a few.

they are not really different then everyone elses, but i have resolved to keeping them.

save more money.

pay off some type of bill, or attempt to each paycheck.

maintain my healthy living standards, which means working out, eating healthy, enjoying my

treats here and there, (because after all my motto still stands: everything is good in moderation)....

and be thankful for WHAT i have in my LIFE at this very second.

i think that is the key to obtaining more in life.

that about sums the extent of those resolutions!

everything else in my life is great right now. (remember, thankful..... :O)

princess # 3 made the deans list her first semester at school. sooo proud of that peanut.

princess # 2 just started a wonderful new job as a sales/marketing assistant. way to go pretty girl!

and princess # 1 continues to bust her arse working as a medical ICU RN....keep it up lil cupcake!

i honestly could not be more proud of them! xo

and of course my empty nester puppy, kolbydoodlebug......

he continues to MELT my stinkin heart. that boy is a handful.

he is a never ending supply of kisses and smiles to brighten me up even on the worst days.

he is now being called the monster of destruction, because he has graduated from

his crate at night to sleeping in my room. however, he starts out on the floor next to me, and i swear, once he

knows i am sleeping (cuz he is smart like that)....

he gets up and starts his path of destruction. it is typically his stuffed animals that he rips the guts (aka:stuffing)

and the squeakers out of EVERY single one....

and then he will 'sneak' back up to bed, this time, in my bed without me hearing a thing.

it's so freaking funny. i swear he's like a serial killer who sneaks out at night and then sneaks

back home after he has done his damage. oye vay.

however, he could probably destroy anything......(within reason....) and he would still melt me with those

big big big brown eyes. hes a heart breaker indeedy!

k, i am off to visit princess # 3 at college. woooo hooooo. no, i will not get all

wild and crazy. i know how to behave....yeesh...

xoxo

stay warm if you are anywear near winter and if not then, well you stink! :O)

monday funday!

2011-11-21T19:49:00.000-05:00

hellllooo dear lovies!

it is monday and we are back at those lovely little things we call JOBS....at least

those of us who do the nine to fiver thingy.

i am doing the 6:30, 7ish to like 8ish thingy. yikes.

yep. my fun part time second job has

started.

it is a seasonal job that i love.

and why you ask?

cuz.

just cuz.

lol. nope. seriously. i am a health and wellness nurse at one of our local hospitals.

i literally get to teach clients how to improve their lives.

and

love.

it.

i love that i am helping people lower their cholesterol, get skinny and improve their outlook on life.

and the best part about it????

get

PAID.

yep.

any whosiedoodles. what is going on with everyone?

are you ready for the funnest day of the year?

aka.

uh....you dont know???

yes.

please tell me you are thinking it....

uh, der....

BLACK FREAKIN FRIDAY!

hollar.

it is by far my fav day of the year. not even kidding.

we get up at the A$$ crack of dawn and find lots of fun things to buy.

our biggest deals last year, were 150.00 boots from JCPENNEY for

30 buckaroosies each.

yes. i bought 7 pairs.

no. i dont have a problem.

a couple were for me and the others for the princesses.

that's what i get for having girls.

so what are ya thankful for this holiday?

i am thankful that i have a job.

wait, i have TWO.

(very thankful)...

i am thankful that i have 3 amazing daughters who NEVER EVER cease to amazing me.

not only are they adorable, but they are kind and loving and fun.

AND beautiful.....

(proud mama, here)

i am thankful that my sister from Cali is here for the holiday AND will be back for christmas.

i am thankful for my sweet mama who always tries to feed me no matter what time of

the day or night i am over.....

and i am thankful for my lil fluffy nugget who is by far the best friend a girl

could EVER have.

that boy melts my heart.

he is a handful.

but he melts me.

here are a few little FREE printables i found on

pinterest

credit:

here

i want to wish you all a happy and yummy turkey day....

i also want to know

who will be joining me for the mad shopping craze on FRIDAY?

my new bestie!

2011-10-27T11:08:00.000-04:00

happy fall y'all.

there i go again with my sweet southern wishful accent!

i mean who doesnt love a girl with a cute little southern twang?!

i swore up and down i was going to keep up with my blogging, so my apologies.

(its apologies to myself, because i know that people are not waiting and waiting to read my posts!)

but anyway, i have been so busy with this little man

whom, i might add is going to get his little boy surgery tomorrow. i am freaking out.

not just like a little, but seriously i am anxious right now

thinking about taking him.

let me tell you this. if you have any stress in your life, feel like you need a bestie, feel

like your pretty much drowning in sadness....

GET A PUPPY!

not even lying. this little man, has brought me so much unconditional love and happiness

i can not even begin to tell you.

he is a living teddy bear.

and the best part:

he is so forgiving.

he doesnt lie.

he doesnt yell at me.

he doesnt scream because he is missing a sock.

he doesnt get mad at me because i left a peanut butter spoon in the sink.

he is outright the BEST thing that has happened to me in a very long time.

now, let me reiterate.

he is a LOT of work.

puppy classes, potty training, etc. but it is SO

worth every last darn second.

he has become my life and has kept my sanity.

thats all i have for you.

xoxo

happy weekend!

2011-10-07T14:47:00.000-04:00

hi blog lovies!

happy friday happy weekend!

i wanted to just share something really quickly that i found extremely touching.

in remembrance of steve jobs,

we have been hearing all of his quotes, many that were given during different speeches.

i think many times we become engrossed with our lives that we

trudge along and bypass many things because we are too busy or we are in a hurry.

i have had a difficult past few weeks, but i think i am enlightened by things i come to find.

one of them was this quote/speech given

by steve jobs.

i hope all of you take something away from this, like i have......i have said it before, life is short. too short. make the best of it while you can!

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. – Stanford Commencement Speech, 2005

rest in peace, steve.

love you guys,

have a wonderfull weekend!

xoxo

wordless weds!

2011-09-28T09:34:00.000-04:00

why, hello there!

believe in yourself and in your dreams!

xoxo

and

have a fantabulous hump day!

fun stuff!

2011-09-27T08:48:00.000-04:00

happy tuesday friends!

we are one day closer to friday.

love that.

how is everyone's week starting?

yesterday started out not so great. my cable went out and i could not get it to work......

thus no news in the morning before work!

the news helps me plan

my outfits, my day, etc.

then i forget, something trivial happened and i was like, whooaah. is this really how the

day is going to go??? i quickly changed my WHOLE brain set

and redirected my thoughts into positive ones.

guess what?

it works!

the rest of my day was wonderful.

i ended it with dinner at princess # 2's golf club!

and then i watched the new show,

heart of dixie!

did any of you get a chance to see?

i LOVED it.

i have a special place in my heart for the south though, so that could have been

some of the reason...

just sayin.

rachel bilson is ADORABLE.

anyway, i wanted to share something that i received in my in box this morning.

i subscribe to joy's hope!

if you are not familiar with her blog, run right over there. it is filled with

a LOT of goodies. but more importantly read her 'about me'.

this girl is just too cute and her story melted my heart.

well, once again, this sweetheart is promoting a

site that was made specifically to help a girl who

needs a heart AND double lung transplant.

it breaks my heart to hear of these situations, because so many times i

think we take life for granted.

please head over

HERE!

you will find a wide variety of tutorials, printables and ad space available to help support this girl,

whose name is sharlie, btw.

many times we spend money on little things, so take a few mins and see

if there is something you could possibly use! there are adorable prints

for like 5.00 bucks. that's the price of one

starbucks latte.........

AND you are helping a girl in need!

blessings to each and everyone of you!

remember life is short and never take one moment for granted!

stressful sunday

2011-09-25T20:49:00.000-04:00

hey friends!

tis the end of the weekend AGAIN. argh.

dont they just go by way TOO quickly?

it's like it was friday at 4:00pm and i was running out of work....

and bam. it's sunday at 8:30pm.

i am sooo stressed out.

i have a 6 page paper due at 11:59 mountain time.

(uh, yeah, princess #1 and i had to google to see what time exactly that would be in EST.)

what did we all do before google???

no. really.

so here i sit.

pondering. listening to the fluff nugget chew a squeaky toy.....debating about

starting the paper. well, i HAVE started it. i just am stuck.

i know. this is coming from a girl who NEVER is short or at a loss for words.

ever.

sooooo anyway, i am stressed over my job. i am stressed over my school.

i am stressed over my life. (well, LOL. that's just standard around here!!)

what do you do to handle stress?

a massage?

a bubble bath?

maybe a relaxing run?

i honestly do not have time for ANY of those, but when i am done, or tomorrow....

whichever comes first, you can bet your sweet doopa. (yes, doopa)

i will be doing something way relaxing!!!

here's a few things that make me smile on this sunday....

(remember i used to do those way back when....7 smiles on sunday....when my

life was BORING and MUNDANE!

so here ya go sweeties~

enjoy and keep smiling.

this is sssseeerrriously the most decadent dessert. and easy.

i will post this soon. cuz. you. have. to. make. ASAP.

cinnamon, crescent rolls and sweet cream cheese. hollar.

well, i mean how uber suuuhhhweeettt are these little nuggets? i want to breed k dawg with a
chocolate lab. lol. that will never happen...but just sayin....

ohhhh emmm geeee. say adorable. just say it.

um. pumpkin pie milk shakes?!? like seriously. who the H comes up with this shiznit??

some day.....maybe.....if i am lucky......

who has read or seen the movie?? i want to. no time to read right now, but would love to watch!

and lastly, the final 7 smileys:

cheesecake pops. ohhh heaven. i love cheesecake...on a stick? heyyyyyy!!

have a wonderful start to your week friends,
love your stinky hearts!
xoxo

fashion friday!

2011-09-23T14:43:00.000-04:00

whats your latest obsession with the new fall clothes?

i have to say i am still obsessed with boots.

i replenished all my boots last year

and i am so happy to say,

ALL

are

still

good

new!

(although, i have determined that this little monster, has a severe foot fetish!)

not even kidding.

he is a hoarder.

he steals my boots.

all of them.

but here nor there what's your favorite style?

here a few of mine:

a good pair of riding boots.....for what you ask???

well, when i gallop off into the sunset on my

HORSE....duh!

who doesnt need a pair of christian loboutin's?

well, i NEED them....

i just can not afford them....

wedges....love me some wedges!

they are the most comfy....mine are black tho...

maybe i should look into this lovely color?

i just bought these in black....BUT....i bought a purse in this color....hhhmmm...

decisions...decisons....

so tell me....are you as obsessed with BOOTS as I?

i also just picked these up:

for when i take the fuzzy nugget out for potty breaks....

mine are black with lots of pretty polka dots!

what's your clothing/shoe/fashion obsessesion?

what's the one thing you just keep buying more of?

have a fabulous friday, lovies,

all the best,

xoxo

thirsty thursday!

2011-09-22T11:26:00.000-04:00

so long gone are the days of hanging out on thirsty thursday!

i can now live vicariously thru my lil peanut

whom, i think may be

enjoying more of her share of thirsty thursdays, fridays AND

SATURDAYS!

yikes.

i love her honesty, but yikes. it scares me to think that my lil peanut is out there

in the world making life decisions...

lol...ok, maybe not life decisions....

but even if it's deciding to

eat or not eat pop tarts for dinner....

you see where i am going...

but that's what college kids do, right?!

so in honor of thirsty thursday i wanted to share a few healthy smoothie recipes!

enjoy!

red, white and blue fruit smoothie

Ingredients

1/2 large banana, cut into pieces and frozen
2 large fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced
1/4 cup blueberries
1/2 cup milk (i use skim....just sayin....)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt
2 ice cubes

Directions:

Place the banana pieces, strawberries, blueberries, milk, vanilla extract, yogurt, and ice cubes in a blender. Blend until smooth.

drink it up! sooo tasty!

green smoothie! (aka. the green monster!)

Ingredients

1 banana, thickly sliced, frozen
2 cups chopped kale
1 tablespoon flax seed meal (optional)
1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional)
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup orange juice (again, i use the lightened up version!)

Directions

Place the banana, kale, flax seed meal, and coconut oil into a blender, pour in the milk and orange juice. Cover, and puree until smooth; serve.

Enjoy!

and lastly for all you chocolate yuppy guppies.....

chocolate/banana smoothie...heaven...

ingredients

1 banana

1 tablespoon chocolate syrup

1 cup milk

1 cup crushed ice

directions

In a blender, combine banana, chocolate syrup, milk and crushed ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

source: allrecipes.com

happy thirsty thursday!

do y'all have a fav smoothie flavor?

xoxo

feng shui or dumb shui?

2011-09-20T12:48:00.000-04:00

do any of you follow your horoscope or practice feng shui?

i read my horoscope daily and there are two sites that

i have followed for a while as far as

monthly scopes:

astrology zone!

and

Bridgett Walther

i find it amazing how many times these monthly readings are so dead on.

fyi~my sept. horoscope basically sucked.

it said that i was going to have a horrible end of the month, and

honestly the first half has not been that good,

but for what its worth....it's all playful fun!

so on to feng shui....not exactly the same thing, but do any of you practice?

i found this really cool article and i would like to

incorporate some of these into my morning routine.

usually i am running out of the house like a

crazy woman, but if i allowed just a few extra minutes.....

Instead of just rolling out of bed when the alarm clock goes off and doing the same old thing, try switching up your routine by including some feng shui in your a.m. rituals. This Chinese art of placement has been around for thousands of years. People practice it to bring health, relationships and wealth into their worlds. What you do when you first wake up is essential and can empower you long after you’ve left the house. Five is the number of change in feng shui, so here are five easy steps to follow each morning to help you change the direction of your life

Step 1: The Sun has always represented the purest form of energy in feng shui. It is constant, bringing light and warmth to coax life into living things on Earth. When you first get up in the morning, face the rising Sun, close your eyes, let your arms hang loosely at your sides with the palms facing out, and breathe deeply and slowly nine times for long life.

As you inhale, state a personal affirmation such as, “I am strong. I am healthy. I am one with the universe.” The ninth breath should coincide with a thought of one personal goal for the day. It can be as simple as befriending a new coworker or finally finishing that book you’ve been reading. When you’re done, slowly drink a glass of warm water to begin cleansing your body from the inside out.

Step 2: Wear a color that supports what you want to achieve that day. In feng shui:

Black/blue = communication, career, individual creative pursuits

Turquoise/teal = self-development, academic achievement, knowledge

Green = new ventures and beginnings, individuality, independence, progress

Yellow/gold = partnership, motherhood, marriage

Gray/silver/white/metallics = attracting mentors and supportive people, organization, unity, social and family responsibility

Red = fame, celebrity, completion, harvest, rewards

Peach/pink = romance, love

Step 3: Arranging your cosmetics in a way similar to the order in which the feng shui elements give birth to each other (wood, fire, earth, metal, water, wood) brings ease to your morning beauty ritual, ensuring that you always look refreshed and feel balanced. On your dresser or vanity, line up from left to right: your brushes, lipsticks, foundation/powder, tweezers and nail clippers, eye shadow/liner and, finally, moisturizer.

Step 4: Feng shui and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are directly linked. TCM takes care of the inside of our bodies while feng shui manipulates our external environment. Following a daily routine and the rhythms of the seasons will align you with Earth’s energy. Eat breakfast daily and consume foods that are abundant during each season, especially fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, nuts and grains. This helps to regulate your body’s functions naturally and keeps you looking and feeling healthy.

Step 5: Remember that feng shui is all about energy — yours and your environment’s. While you prepare for your new day, enjoy your favorite music to uplift your spirit and attract positive energy to you. The Chinese also apply feng shui principles to the zones on your face, from hairline to chin — so even a small change like keeping your lips upturned in a smile can change your attitude and your destiny. So don’t forget to flash those pearly whites as you walk out the door and into the world!

so there ya have it!

are you ready to put a little feng shui in your life?

in addition to daily prayers

AND

asking god and the universe for what i want

this

adds

a little pleasure to my life!

enjoy your day bloggies~
XOXO

credit:

pinterest!

happy dance monday!

2011-09-19T15:22:00.000-04:00

hi all!

happy monday! !

what's on the agenda in your world today?
do you ever wish you could not work?
i do.
or at least do something that is fun...all the time!
i am still working on that.
do you ever have so many ideas, projects, lists
that
it
seems
almost
impossible to get it all
DONE??
i do.

boo. whoooo.
(insert fake crying...or maybe real tears).......
i have to get back into list making and time organization skills. i feel that my days run
together with no time for anything.
with me going back to school, it's a constant struggle to accomplish it all.

what do you use to stay organize?
i just bought a new planner.
i love new pens, notebooks, paper, etc.
i can not ever NOT walk down "those" aisles when i visit target, walmart or anything inbetween.
not even kidding.

so please share ways that keep you organized. i would love to hear....

i found this on pinterest!!

i love it.
it's clear. concise. my kind of listee!

and here are some free printables from
bhg aka. better homes and gardens!

have a great day/night dolls,
xoxo

back into IT! and a fall recipe too!

2011-09-15T14:45:00.000-04:00

why helloooo there blends! (remember, blog+friends)....

has

been

WAY

too

long!

because my life often becomes busy or sad or crazy or for some other reason,

tend

pull

away from my blog.

there is not any good reason.

but

i miss

it.

MISS

YOU!

i want to get back into my blogging.

let me fill you in on what is going on in my life:

princess # 1 passed her state boards and is now a FULL TIME, ICU, registered nurse!

yep. i know. (i dont feel old enough to have OLD children!) what the hey?!

princess # 2 is working as a FULL TIME event planner. yayyy! i dont think she is loving

her job quite like she thought. i just think she needs to find a more specific

event planning facility.....it's ok...this looks great on a resume!

AND

princess #3, the baby, left for college. fashion design major.

ahhhhh. empty nest syndrome has set in....

so to help with all this,

look what i got....

meet:

KOLBY. yes, like cheese.

aka. K-dawg. K-snizzle. K-doodle. Pissy Pants!

he is such a sweetie pies and melts my heart.

i feel like we have a toddler again.

there is never a dull moment.

EVER.

and then I decided to go back to school....working on my masters degree. oye.

i feel mentally challenged. a lot.

i started back at my part time wellness/coaching RN job so that is keeping me busy....

and i really, really, really am working on getting my

etsy shop up and running.

what have you all been up to?

fall is quickly approaching and i am loving apple, cinnamon and pumpking scents....

here is a yummy recipe for you! i guarantee you will LOVE it.

Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients

4 eggs
1 2/3 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir into the pumpkin mixture until thoroughly combined.

Spread the batter evenly into an ungreased 10x15 inch jellyroll pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven. Cool before frosting.

To make the frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Stir in vanilla. Add confectioners' sugar a little at a time, beating until mixture is smooth. Spread evenly on top of the cooled bars. Cut into squares.

warning: these bad boys are ridiculously addicting. not even kidding.

do NOT say i did not forewarn!

big hugs and kisses,

frosting for a cause!

2011-07-02T10:16:00.000-04:00

hi all!

yes, it's been a while.

i have had a lot going on and i have taken

some time

for

my family and i.

hopefully

things

will finally be calm

some day

again....

but for now, please head over

and

see

HERE!!

i am guest posting at frosting for the cause.

i made my donation to the susan g. komen

fundraiser 3 day, as well as baking

cupcakes for our local hospice

center!!!

it is a wonderful opportunity to share

your story of how cancer has

affected you, as well as share

your love of baking, while helping

out those affected by cancer at the same

time.

have a safe, happy 4th of july.

i will be back around soon...

xoxo

princess # 2

2011-05-07T20:26:00.000-04:00

for realz diamonds.

i am so stinkin tired of rain, wet and cold.

i am THAT girl who will wear flip flops as long as it is

over

45'

true story....

but....

i am still wearing boots.

yes.

winter boots.

what the hay?!?

anyway,

princess # 2 had her fabulous day today!

and thankfully, it was sunny for

graduation.

bless her stinkin heart!

pinterest.com

she was a cutie patootie, (will post pics later)

and i have to say the tears were flowing before i even got there.

i still am in shock.....it seems like yesterday she was a 3 yr old

flipping her long hair,

staring in the mirror,

outrightedly, (is that a word) admitting

to herself, (and anyone listening)....

"i am sooooo cute"....(with a little hair flip as well!)

at that point i realized, i needed to stop ASAP telling the kid how flipping adorable she was.

you've come a long way tiffany lynne....

and i, could not be more proud

your

accomplishments.

you

will

far

in life.

and who knows....maybe it really did have something to do with your mama

telling you every 5 minutes

how

freaking

CUTE

you

WERE!

pinterest.com

have a great night bloggies,

love. you. bye.

xoxo

wonderful weds.

2011-05-04T13:04:00.000-04:00

oh, why hello there!

happy hump day!

i don't have a lot to say....

happy may to you!

this, my lovies is a VERY busy month for me!

are you ready?

can you stand the suspense?!?

ok....

deep breath....

my.

three.

adorable.

loving.

beautiful.

princess'......

are

ALL

graduating.

yep.

all stinkin 3 of them...

(insert sad face and a few tears)

background:

May 20, 2011

princess # 1. will graduate from college with a bachelor's degree in registered nursing.

(awww, she's going to be a nursie girl like her mama!)

May 7, 2011

princess # 2. will graduate from college with a degree in business and marketing.

(she's going to do what i really want / wanted to do!)

May 28, 2011

princess # 3. will graduate from high school. yep. my little peanut butter cup is all done with school.

holy heck.

she will be going off to college in the fall to pursue a degree in fashion design.

i cant believe it. i seriously get tears and choked up everytime i think about it.

soooo that, my loves is what is going on in my life......

what cha all got planned for mother's day?

xoxo

love. you. bye.

and its monday, again

2011-04-25T20:55:00.001-04:00

rain rain go AWAY!

seriously.

dear mrs. spring. i realize with a strong passion

that the

grass, the trees, the tulips and all the other flowers need

mucho H2o to fluorish.

HOWEVER,

we havent been dry since, um, i don't know like NOVEMBER?

it has either snowed every day or rained.

OYE VAY.

we did have a 77 degree sunny day on saturday, which was a blessing, seeing

how i was sitting outside at a track meet all. day. long.

(not complaining in the least)

it's princess # 3's senior year. yeoww! sad. sad. sad.

i even scored a wee bit of sun on this nose.

(i have sworn off tanning, well, fake tanning, and let me tell you:

I FREAKING MISS IT.

tanning beds are 15 mins of pure warmth and bliss.

i mean who cares if it causes undue wrinkles and skin cancer, right?!?

well, apparently, my health conscience did get the best of me, because i quit.

the fake tanning anyway.

not saying i won't lay out by the pool til i am roasted like vegetables.....

just sayin i quit the 'bad' kind of tanning.

k. enough malarky.

HAPPY EASTER all.

day

late.

xoxo

i will post the amazing pics of some cute little snuggle bunnies but

they are on a camera none other then my own. go figure.

patience is of the virtue, right?!? i promise they will come.

kk, onto more funnnnn STUFF!

lookie lookie what i found:

i follow the TomKat Studio

and she featured this adorable etsy artist. oh my heaven to betsy. etsy. i rhyme. lol.

yes. i am a dork like that.

so flipping cute!

did you really think i could let a post go by, without mentioning something about my fav lil treat?!?

der. de. der.

the answer is: um, NO!

these were tomkat's favs...and i could not agree more!

head over here!

to see carrie's work. ahhhhmazing my dearies!

k, i am off to eat my 4 point pizza. broiled zucchini, yellow squash, garlic and red onion.

tummy hungry.

have a fantabulous day/night (depending on when u r reading this!)

love. you. bye.

p.s.

i am skipping for joy! i lost 8 lbs! HOLLAR! this chick is getting skinny!

monday,funday!

2011-04-18T10:22:00.000-04:00

hello lovies!

i am trying to be excited about jumping back into the work week.

i typically ALWAYS have the monday morn blues.

but i am trying to view life differently and

appreciate

every

little

thing

that

brought

my way.

weekend was uneventful. i sat at princess # 3's high school invitational track meet on friday night.

brrrr.

it was flipping freezing.

this poor lil gal is having relationship issues and has been a basketful of tears lately.

when you are young and in love.

(or old like, me)

you know what it feels like to have your heart ripped out.

poor lil babe. my heart hurts for her.

saturday:

went up to college to visit princess # 2.

here's a recap of our visit.

took g'ma along for the ride. she loves hanging out with us.

first of all, i should say while parading thru the mall, we came

across these:

yep. utterly HUGE, ridiculously ENORMOUS,

easter bonnets!

yikes.

or i guess, kentucky derby worthy bonnets?

your call.

of course we had to have a fashion show right there in the middle

of the aisle.

even my sweet 72 yr old mom....isnt she adorable?!?

like, people really wear these???

lol.

actually, i have to admit....there were a couple that i loved.

i guess, i can tend to be a little extreme in the fashion sense tho....

we made a stop at a place called the cookie jar...

imagine:

hottttt, warm, fresh baked cookies, made to order.

full

deliciousness.

here's my two models while we waited for the baking!

my lil mini me! lurrvvee that kid!

ok, one last note, if you are feeling crazy and want to vote

for my blog, head over

here:

k, have a splendid day!

love

you

tons.

bye.

xoxo

why, hello there

2011-04-15T09:54:00.006-04:00

why hello there, blends!

i am so happy today is friday.

i don't like wishing my life away, but i truly love my weekends.

i guess everyone does, right?!?

yesterday a friend at work gave me this to look at:

have you ever read?!?

it actually had some really cool things to check out.

i belong to

maghound

which is a magazine subscription service that 'manages' your monthly mags.

i am addicted to magazines. i am like a magazine hoarder.

i ALWAYS, and i reiterate, ALWAYS,

get suckered into buying yet another magazine at the checkout line.

SUCKER.

but, i find that a lot of times, i don't have time to get into a full blown book, but a magazine

will allow me to

'surf' along at my own pace.

the cool thing about maghound is that you can switch it up.

just say you ordered a mag you didn't like....

well, next month you can get something TOTALLY different. way cool, huh?

anyway, through my friend's magazine, i found this cool website

and i started dreaming about summer.

mydeco.com

ahhhh....only about a month longer of rain and cold and

"hopefully" we will be on our way

to 90' scorching HOTTTTT sunshiney days!

but lookie at all this fun stuff......

credit: pinterest

i love playing outside in my little flower gardens....how bout you?

do you like getting your fingers in the dirt?

have a happy weekend, lovies!

xoxo

p.s. linkin up with

for what i'm lovin!

hump day happenins

2011-04-13T14:43:00.000-04:00

hoppy hump day.

hoppy in regards to the upcoming easter holiday!

do you celebrate easter?

i thought i would share some

fun

tutorials

recently

stumbled across.

pottery barn knock offs.

ok, not just for easter but they are awfully springy like!

credit: D and G Stories

or this lovely FREE spring printable! me love some free art work!

credit: landee see, landee do!

lurve these. so fresh and fun. AND
i
can't kill them! :o)

credit: running with glitter

ohhh eeeemmmm geeeee. i love love love pom poms.
i always have. my mama taught me how
to make yarn ones when i was a wee one.

but these are gorgeous. ideas are endless....wedding shower. baby shower. birthday.
get the point?

credit: lolly jane boutique

and last but not least a yummy lil sweet treat for you my loves,

credit: making memories

so there ya go. a few fun little projects for your spring filled days.

anyone going to attempt these adorable projects?

ok. let me know. love you. bye.
xoxo

tuesday tales!

2011-04-12T11:26:00.000-04:00

HeLLo BloGWorld!

it is fabulous tuesday!
ok, so really tuesdays are not actually fabulous, but it sounds good, right?!?

it is rainy and a lil chilly here.
we went from 82 degrees, windows wide open, birds chirping,
to 42 degrees, cold and windy.

welcome to the midwest woes.

at least it's not snowing right?!?
yet........

lol.
here nor there.
weekend was uneventful.
quick run down.
my WW meeting. i fell off the wagon. so i jumped back on saturday.
at
7:30. AM. yikes. who in there right mind schedules a date with weight watchers at
7:30 on a saturday morning.
hello. me.

i love the spunk of my 'leader' ....i have tried other meetings and i just love her. she is cute.
a little dorky.
but energizing.
in a bunny sort of way.

then i hung out
here!

if you are ever in the cleveland area.....you MUST try one of michael symon's yummy burgers.

(way to kick start my weightwatchers, eh?!?)

then headed over

here!

for lots more fun........

like this:

don't you just love that color BLUE?!?

shower curtains w/lots o ruffles!

the 'happiness project'....i want to read this! i actually saw it at target

the other day....

but since i am an amazon kind of girl, i will go in search of it there....

for a WHOLE lot cheaper!

love all the vintage glassware and bowls. i am a sucker for bowls.

yeah. i am nerdy like that.

whooooo do you love?!?

how cute is HE?!?

what did you do over the weekend?

do you shop @ anthropologie?

in reality, i am WAY to cheap to pay their prices. i would much rather

find real vintage goods at a thrift store

or look alikes @ homegoods aka. TJMAXX or MARSHALLS!

just sayin....

you can have all this fun stuff without paying those ridiculous prices!

oh one last note....for all the april showers...how bout these cutie patooties??

find the tutorial

here!!

enjoy your wonderful day, lovies!

xoxo

thursday rambling!

2011-04-07T14:12:00.000-04:00

oh, well hello there!

what up bloggies?

just wanted to share a few pics with you of the beloved princess # 2 after her

long ARSE bike for tykes ride this past weekend.

she, along with 131 other crazy kids, raised over 65,000 to benefit

they rode in RAIN, HAIL, SLEET and freezing cold temps.

sunday morning the last leg of the journey, the temps were

topping out at a whopping 37'.

whoop! whoop!

it is the most exciting feeling to see all of these bikers come riding down a state interstate,

lead by the local sheriff's department.

it honestly makes you cry and shiver.

AND, i think i mentioned before, she was riding the entire way
on a tandem with her college roomie, whom she
has
known
since
4th grade!

these kids are all heros in my eyes.
of course there is a special place in my heart for my own, but
hey....

the sweetest thing, is that this child o mine was STILL smiling after all that riding!

she has a personality like nobody i have ever known. i like to think
she
got
that
from
ME!
(she is way sweeter tho!)

so for your viewing enjoyment,

thats princess # 2 and princess # 3.
and i think they are FREAKIN aDorABle!
um, how bout the pipe cleaners on top spell out her name?!?
and how bout she
loves sparkles and glitter as much as ME? helloooo~look at the helmet!?

that's the second member of the dynamic tandem duo!
goooo miss lauren!!

that's grandma. (my momma!)

whooooaaah. who's that sexy mom?!? haahahaha

(i hope y'all know i am TOTALLY kidding)

i need to lose some ellllll beeeeeeessss as in LBS.

and my THREE beautiful lil princess' all together!

can you spell,

P-R-O-U-D?

okeydokey artichokeys,

i am off to do my day job.

love you with all my stinkin self,

xoxo

brave girls club!

2011-04-05T15:31:00.000-04:00

this is the shortest post everrrrrr!

i am super duper pumped.

i signed up for the

soul restoration class over

here

i need to buy my supplies! yikes. last minute lucy here.

hop on over to bravegirlsclub.com

and read all about the fun!

they even have retreats. totally putting on my bucket list!

ANDDDDDDD

PUHLEEZE

their

daily

truth

emails.

they

are

BEAUTIFUL.

just.

like.

YOU.

love you,

bye.

xoxo

smiles on sunday

2011-04-03T06:29:00.002-04:00

so happy sunday funday!

my mood has improved about 10%.

i have cried a lot of tears. what the hey.

i decided i cry a lot.

is this like some huge discovery?

um. no.

i cry at just about anything.

(i cried watching that dumb show MOBBED the other night)

but, anywhosies, i went out after my 'engagement' discussion

and

tried to cure my mood with a little retail therapy.

and

then

ate

a big

fat

f'ing

gyro.

with extra sauce.

oh.

fries.

too.

i can feel them stuck to my hips as we speak.

i can't sleep. it is only 6:10 on sunday morning

and

i am being honest.

my feelings are VERY hurt.

whatever.

i prayed a lot last night and know that the big guy

upstairs will handle this

as it's supposed

down.

in the interim.

what can i do?

think.

worry.

i guess my whole thought about the situation is this:

don't tell me one thing, make oodles of promises, beg me,

and then when you

get comfortable

you decide

you

are

not

ready.

here's a thought. don't say anything.

don't make promises you have no intention of keeping.

you know the old saying:

why buy the cow when you can get the freaking milk for FREE?!?

who's the dumb one here, really?!?

ok. done ranting.

onto fun stuff.

stuff that will truly make me smile.

and hopefully you TOO!

like really? how can you not think this is the sweetest lil pic, eva?

woof.

i bet he'd want to marry me.

hahahahahahaha

ribbet.

there is something really weird about this......but it sort of made me giggle.

meow.

moving right along.....who do we have here?!?

it's a hamster. on a leash. yep.

and last but not least.

i want to snuggle with him:

source: pinterest, squirrels007

k, i am off to do some laundry.

today princess # 2, makes her way back from her million mile

bike ride!

she has rode in hail, freezing weather and says her BUTT hurts like hell.

god bless her.

say a prayer that all the little bikers make it back safely!

love. you. bye.

xoxo

un-sunny saturday.

2011-04-02T13:20:00.001-04:00

hi lovies.

my saturday has started out pretty sucky.

ahhh. isnt it funny how you think you know someone or you think your life is supposed to

down

the straight path, but makes an unexpected stop or abrupt turn?!?

let's just say i am a vocal girl. i tend to say what's on my mind

whenever i want.

sometimes with repercussions.

sometimes not.

today repercussions.

anyway, just to share.

when the mr. and i got back together to work out our differences, i made

VERY

clear

want to be married.

want

a commitment.

we have dated for 6 years (almost).

we have had our share of battles, turns in the roads, etc.

yet

we always end up

back

where

we belong:

with

EACH OTHER.

i love this man more than icecream, high heels, shopping, gerber daisies.

you get it right?!?

i dedicate my entire life to him and do ANYTHING he asks.

i cook, clean, support etc.

anything the man wants or needs is there for the taking.

i am a giving girl.

i get joy when i give to others. it makes me smile.

but sometimes, you want to know that you are

appreciated.

that the other person DOES want the same goals as you.

want

a freaking

engagement

ring.

i think i am fair in justifying my reasons.

i dont want to be 40 and 'dating'.

i don't want to be someone's girlfriend.

i want to be married to the man who is my soul mate. the man i have fought so hard for.

he tells me i am definitely the glue that holds us together.

i want to be married.

this is not rocket science.

sooooo with that being said.

i think you can figure out how our conversation went today and why i am home

blogging on a saturday afternoon.

life sucks.

feelings anyone? don't hold back. i can handle anything. trust me. i have been down

more winding roads then this.....

but

wtf?!

excuse my language.

and sorry, i forgot a few apostrophes above and i am WAY too lazy to correct.

photo: pinterest.

am i being dumb? am i overreacting. is it silly for me to ask for this commitment?

thanks.

love you,

bye.

fun friday!

2011-04-01T11:22:00.000-04:00

hey all!

HaPpY FrIdAy!

hip hip hooray! the weekend is here once again....

my agenda:

friday night:

the boy that i cohabitate sort of with, is taking his two hooligans to the indians home opener.

this allows me some much needed

girl time.

i am hoping to conjure up princess # 3 into joining her mama for some lovin.

promising to buy gifts at the mall is almost always good for some

mom/daughter bonding.

maybe we'll even get crazy and go get a pedi.

saturday:

nothing too wild. i know hard to believe.

i am not even going to say we are going to try to make it to

the westside market, because

we live by

the

seat

our pants.

when i have set plans it never goes as thought.

i need to go to the bank and open up a new savings acct.

every year i say i am going to do this for christmas and

guess what????

i don't.

BUT...

this year, my friends is THE year. yep.

sunday funday:

princess # 2 is doing her BIKES for TIKES bike ride.

yay for her.

she is biking almost 400 miles over the course of the next three days.

i am so proud.

this bike ride benefits the

children's miracle network

here she is prior to her adventure yesterday afternoon.

like, seriously how cute is she?

i know i am her mama and all. but honestly, her cuteness

matches her personality.

she is a sweetie pies.

and

guess what?

she is riding a tandem with her friend lauren. yikes.

here they are:

silly willies. cute outfits, girls!

tif is on the right. miss lauren on the left.

i worry (from a mom's perspective) about rocks, cars and other crazy stuff

while

they

are on

that million mile bike ride....say a little prayer for them.

alrighty, i have been 'attempting' (and i say that loosely)

to get back

into

my insanity workouts and healthy eating habits.

oye.

ya know when you can't have something or you start to watch your intake

how you want to eat EVERYTHING?!?

sooo here's a little listy to help all of us stay on track:

opt for low cal fast food options. um, der. this is not rocket science peeps.
cook at home. i find preparing really does help. as in prepare your lunch and snacks in advance.
laugh out loud. lol. laughing burns 10-40 cals/10 mins
focus on what foods you will add to your diet....instead of thinking about what you are cutting out!
exercise. yep. it actually works. when i was really crazy about running, i would go at lunch and work out like a mad woman for almost an hour. i, then found that even fitting in a half hour will give you results! don't slack. put it on your calendar and DO IT!
shop the perimeters of the grocery store!
perfect your posture.....try adding in a yoga or pilates class. for every inch you slouch, you look like you weigh 5 lbs MORE. holy crikeys.
indulge in small splurges. this is why i {{{heart}}} weight watchers. you CAN eat absolutely anything your little heart desires! anything! and honestly the plan works.
keep a food diary. i know this is big for me. hold yourself accountable. seeing it on paper is a reality slap. if you're not recording, you tend to 'forget' that bite of this or that bite of that.......
snack during the day. i try to keep baby carrots, peppers and cut veggies in the fridge. this way you are more likely to grab these instead of those potato chips! (and actually, when i am really watching, i will not even buy 'bad' stuff. out of sight. out of mind. if it's not there, guess what???? i can't eat it!
eat the 'magic meal'....BREAKFAST. when i do this, i really do seem less hungry throughout the day!

so there ya go. looks like much easier on paper then actually doing it.

what helps you stay on track? anything i did not suggest?

cheers to a healthy and fun weekend!

love. you. bye.

xoxo

oh and p.s.

in honor of princess # 3's bike ride:

isnt this the cutest darn bike/basket/flowers/color you've ever SEEN?

credit: ashleigh flynn via pinterest

time flies!

2011-03-31T14:03:00.001-04:00

hello beautiful dolls!

tis almost the end of the week, yet again!

want

latest

cupcake

obsessions

i have

found!

seriously? how freakin cute are these plates?

i guess we could put some SuGaR in here for our caffeine addiction!

how bout a cute lil journal to record our most intimate feelings??

ohhhhh eeeeemmmm geeeee. i {{{LURVE}}} these.

a new recipe book, perhaps....

allright, it's back to workie work....

ahhhh.....and to dream of my favorite dessert....

xoxo

p.s. credit for all pics can be found

right here!

hi friends!

2011-03-22T19:54:00.001-04:00

hi lovies!

by the time you read this, it will be hump day....

so, a happy happy hump day to you.....

i just finished scholarship letters for princess # 3. yes.

scholarship letters.

applications.

what.

the.

hey.

little peanut butter cup will be leaving the bunny nest in 5 very short months.

insert sad sad sad face, here.

when you have your children you can't wait.

you can't wait for them to

walk.

then they never stop.

you can't wait for them to talk.

then they never stop.

you can't wait for them to sleep the night.

then they do that too.

you can't wait for that first day of school.

then look.

my teeny weeny baby girl is getting ready to leave.

bless her sweet stinkin heart.

i want my little baby doll back....the one who ALWAYS asked for shoes for her bday...
instead of toys....(hhhmmm see a pattern like mama like daughter?)

when she was a little girl she said i could go with her to her prom.....

do you think she still means that?

credit: sydnibug1 via etsy.com

wish she was super duper small like this again........
just sayin....

xoxo

party recap!

2011-03-21T18:30:00.000-04:00

well, hello there!

happy monday lovies!

how was the weekend?

i did not have much of a relaxing weekend.

operation DESSERTS devoured ALL of my weekend.

not complaining...

JuSt SaD it's monday already.....again!

so here's some pics of the goodies!

let it be known that the table we had to work with, was barely large enough

accommodate

all

our

delicious madness.

BUT.....

we made it work.

we had to leave off some of our decorations, but hey......

it didn't seem to bother anyone.

first of all....

my most prized possessions:

from left to right: princess # 1, princess # 3 and princess # 2.
aren't they so darn cute!
(bragging rights. they are mine!)

insert the baby mama, kelly ....in between princess # 3 and princess # 2!!

evie: short for genevieve! isn't that sweet.
those are onesies, btw.

yep. those are piggies. pink polished little girl piggies!

the color scheme was orange, pink and yellow which i absolutely adore!

i found the tutorial for the cupcake towers
first seen on chickabug....
here!!

but it was actually first
seen over at annie eats,

here!!!

it was fairly simple and i love that you can cater to make it ANY color!!

linking up with these lovelies:

k, gotta run!
love you tons,
bye.
xoxo

greatful saturday!

2011-03-19T09:49:00.000-04:00

oh hi there!!

thanks for stopping!

i just wanted to let all of you know the things that make me smile.

in the wake of japan's natural disaster,

it's so easy to see how quickly

one's life can

turned upside down.

literally.

so random list of what makes me happy and greatful!

#1.

my kiddos.

(you knew i was going there, admit it)....

lol. i am a mom.

they make me laugh, cry and everything inbetween.

i am thankful they are in my life.

i always tell people we are a VERY open family. sometimes they share TOO much.

(do i really need to know that you got THAT drunk at the college FRAT party?)

um, no.

but we DO keep it REAL!

i have never been one of those moms, to say, "OH, my sweet lil angel

would never do THAT"...because a. they probably will. or b. they probably

HAVE!

ok. # 2.

my bff. aka. jpw.

for a while he wasn't in my life and i was MiSeRaBle. not lying.

he makes me laugh, cry and everything inbetween!

lol. do you see a pattern here?!?

he makes me belly laugh like nobody's business.

we think a LOT alike. i will be thinking something in my head and

all of a sudden he verbalizes it. weird. i know.

we have had our share rough roads and i know that there is not a perfect

relationship.....but i LoVe him. a. lot.

we have a lot of upward battles tho.

like 6 kiddos between us. yikes.

and

they

are

all

very

different.

i think we make a great team WHEN we are both working toward the same GOAL.

and

just sayin.....i would love to see a

~~little~~ BIG, FAT, sparkly diamond. SOON.

just sayin.....

i deserve it. (at least i think so. but it's the truth)

#3.

you.

yep.

if you are taking the time to read this teeny weeny little blog then you are as special

to me as white chocolate raspberry mocha lattes!

i love reading each and every comment you make.

they ALL put a smile on my face

and a lot of times when i am having a bad day,

it's here where i come for comfort!!

(no pressures to comment or anything!)

this blog has become a venting ground and a place where i can

ramble about, well, whatever i am feeling at that moment!

i like that.

not to mention i have made so many friends via this crazy blog world.

it humbles me.

#4.

my life. i love that i have a nice life. i love that i have a warm bed to sleep in

every night and a nice little kitchen where i can create

yummy baked goodies. i love my job and the flexibility that

i can work from home, especially when we have

snow higher then my car doors!!

i am looking forward to spring so i can plant my little flowers and sit out in the warm sun!!

#5.

there are soooo many things i have in my life i am thankful for. the ones mentioned above

are just a few that make me smile!!

i hope that you have things in your life that make you smile as well.

care to share?!?

k, now i am off to finish baking.

(i am knee deep in sugar, flower, chocolate and sprinkles.....pics coming soon!)

love your guts,

xoxoxo

fun friday!!!

2011-03-18T12:02:00.001-04:00

it's my FaV day of the week.....AGAIN!

and....

it's a whopping 53 degrees here in the midwest!

yippee skippee!

insert hop of joy!

just like this:

i am working from home so not really outside enjoying the SUN....but

i will be at some point....

i have a baking extravaganza in my kitchen planned for the weekend.

it's princess # 3's friend's baby shower

and

we are

charge

OPERATION DESSERTS!

game plan:

100 cake pops!

ie. red velvet and chocolate fudge.

check.

100 cupcakes!

tropical vanilla (pineapple w/cream cheese frosting!)

chocolate filled with strawberry fluff

chocolate filled with french meringue buttercream....hollar!

white chocolate mocha, w/raspberry buttercream....

(um, thanks SUNNY BUG! )

check.

and last but not least:

100 baby onesie sugar cookies:

which will hopefully look like this:

photo credit: karen's cookies!

check.

i have not been very motivated, so i need to get crackin later today and tomorrow.

i hate working under pressure.

how bout you?

i have been reading online about orginizational tips and list making seems to be

the start.

plan.

set a goal.

make a list.

tackle.

scratch off.

check out zenhabits

for ways to stay organized! i love it!!

also, on ehow

you can find lots o fun ways to stay on target!!

i just bought this lil ol notebook and these fun markers to help

me tackle my current goals:

i am paper/pen/marker/pencil OBseSSed.

not lying.

i can walk down these aisles a hundred times.

seriously.

but anywhosiesdoodles,

i bought this inexpensive note book to carry with me to

jot down ideas, notes, reminders, lists etc.

it fits easily into my purse.

my goal is to make one of those cute lil journal covers like this one:

photo credit: the pleated poppy!

just an FYI~take a peek at all of the pleated poppy's fun goodies!

lurve them.

all.

of.

them.

kk,

i am off to start my baking madness.

wish

LuCk!

love you bunches,

xoxo

highly addicting!

2011-03-17T14:59:00.000-04:00

hi blends! (remember that stands for blogging+friends)

HaPpY St.PaTRicKs Day to YoU!

i am sad.

i have to travel out of town for one night for bitzness. boo.

i like the comforts of my home.

but whatev.

it's for one night. free hotel. free meals. mileage reimbursement.

equates= nice little chunk of bonus in next pay.

NOT too SHABBY.

have you all discovered these two amazing sites:

pinterest! (yes, i have MENTIONED before!)

AND

ishare!!!

let's all hold hands and just say "ahhhhhmazing"together, in harmony!!

pinterest catalogs collections of 'stuff'. yep. stuff.

i ~~love~~ drool alot over many of the fun things on there.

like for instance:

like hoarders have a problem, well, um, hoarding...i have a problem....

browsing. i love looking at how others

organize their goodies.

is it not such fun?!?

er. admit it.

then, with ishare......well, people do just what the title says.

they ShaRe.

not just ordinary things.

but......

FREE printables.....

not lying. FREE. FREE. FREE....

like all those darn fricken cute subway art thingys.

yep.

just.

like.

THIS:

credit: funky polka dot

credit: ishare printables!

walk your sweet little arses over to both of these sites and i GuARAntee
you
will
not
be
disappointed.

LoVe your GUTs,
bye.
xoxo

lighting!

2011-03-16T13:29:00.002-04:00

hey o!

happy day to you!

ever hear of pendant lighting

hhhmmm......

when we built our home, we tried to do everything cost effectively.

which doesn't always mean.

cute.

fun.

adorable.

we have the

'ugliest'

brass

chandelier

hanging

in the dining room

i have thought about painting it......

i have thought about buying a new one.

what's your take on these:

too girly, eh?

i like this.....but too scrolly?

not dressy/flashy enough?

(this is a pendant lighting example....)

me likey....

but prolly not in the dining room!

take your super duper sweet hineys over

HERE!

see anything ya like?!?

i am so un-decisive!!

but on a side note

happy pre-st. patricks day to you...

or should we just say erin go bragh?!?

love you bunches,

tuesday happiness!

2011-03-08T16:06:00.000-05:00

do you ever notice most of my blog titles include the word happy in some form?

i wanted to share a few cool things with you!

fun goodies. fun stuff. i pinky promise!

so about 2 yrs ago, i read the book, the secret!

one of my friends had told me about it and i was a little reluctant to believe.

then, i read it.

and i, too, became a believer.

it's all about the law of attraction.

when you think positive thoughts, positive things will come to you.

i started to practice it.

and guess what?

it.

really.

does.

work.

i bought all of the princess' their very own copies on amazon for uber cheap.

(honestly, i think only one has 'started' to read hers....)

making sad face right now....

but so many things have come to me, because i have used the law of attraction.

try it. don't be shy.

(you just may be pleasantly surprised yourself!!)

the website that i referred you to above, also has true, heartwarming stories that

will

amaze

you.

soooo, where was i going with this?!?

ah yes.

free goodies.

i won a HOUSE PARTY!!!

run over and check this site out. here's the dealio.

look at all the available parties.

choose one, two or five. (i don't think there is a limit)

apply.

your application is reviewed.

if your application is accepted and you are chosen, you basically

are mailed FREE goodies to host the party.

our house party is a "digiorno pizza party".

hollar.

just what my fat ARSE needs.

but hey. it is free.

i can feed 14 guests. you also receive VIP gifts for your guests, (which i assume are coupons)

and STUFF.

basically it's an opportunity to have a party and review that particular selected party.

i have applied for a sewing party as well, but have not heard back yet.

i will post pics. our party is going to be held 3/25/11.

wanna come?!?

anywhosiedoodles. this is just one of quite a few things i have received in the past few months.

i have won various blog giveaways.

i won a 100.00 american express gift card.

i won a carrabas dinner for 10.

lots o goodies.

i also believe that when you GIVE to others, you will RECEIVE!

it is TOTALLY worth it.

what's your take on the law of attraction?

also, groupon is giving away money as well. if any of you are not familiar with this

awesome site, go check it out and pretty please with pink icing use my

referral code!

http://click.e.groupon.com/?qs=2506192d4f4b678bc9ec0ce0aee550f223c50a8a5d87f9142740b96d638a7c717d707f26ee3eca2e72fa17eb11a0f7e2

i have bought plenty o gift certificates via this site and have yet to be disappointed!

one more thing to share. this is the cake i decided to make for princess # 3's bday

this weekend:

source: sweetapolita

i cant stop ~~drooling~~ looking at it.

i think i gained 5 lbs from all the staring.

not lying.

alright. i have to go to the cake store. i need a # 123 tip for those beautiful ruffles.

love you,

bye.

"feauxstess" fun!

2011-03-04T10:36:00.003-05:00

hello my pretties!

happy friday!

hip hip hooray.

so i am sharing my first baking FAIL.

yep. big time.

i had a baking request. a request for hostess filled cuppies.

i was like, easy. done. complete.

well, settle down little soldiers. not as easy as i thought.

(that's what happens when i get cocky.)

so princess # 3 and i have decided that we will attempt a new

cupcake flavor once a week.

we pretend we are on cupcake wars...

lol...kidding....

it is fun. girl bonding. delicious.

AND

fattening.

(oh well.....everything is good in moderation, right?!)

so off we went to start our 'feauxstess' creation.

we used a dark fudge cake mix for starters.

i always 'dr' up a cake mix.

i will bake cakes with "REAL" ingredients,

BUT....in a pinch, a good box cake mix is ok to use.

add some pudding, extra butter (yep the real dealio)

an extra egg....don't get too crazy.....but you get the idea, right friends?!?

bake. cool. fill.

use this filling if you want:

it is so yummy and creamy!

then make your GANACHE.

insert, this is where the major fail occured.

i tried to double the ganache recipe. i tried to wing it. i tried to eyeball it.

der. de. der.

(blonde girls should NEVER just wing it)

womp. womp. womp.

my ganache never set. it was a pool of runniness. eww. even sounds yucky.

i laughed about it. i said the boy and i were going to paint ourselves in in later.

LOL.

(kidding)

i tried to chill it and see if it would set.

(you all know how incredibly impatient i am)

it finally got a teeny weeny bit thicker. not much.

THEN.......my white icing for the little scroll on top, well, i made that too thick.

ARRGGHHH.

it.

was.

not.

good.

cupcake.

baking.

night.

oh well....we cant always be perfect....

here's ONE....

i repeat.....

ONE.....

and then....the boy.....

dropped the frosting bag on the only one that turned out....and RUINED it.

good thing we REALLY were not on cupcake wars!!!

yeppppp! that's it, lovies....before the frosting bag dropped on it.

the only one flipping cuppie that actually turned out.

next week was going to be red velvet.....but i can not stand failure. we HAVE to

make these AGAIN.

have YOU ever had a baking fail?!?

linking up with these lovelies.....

have a fantabulous weekend!

love you.

bye.

xoxo

pretty in pink!

2011-03-03T10:59:00.003-05:00

hi pretties!

happy thursday! happy march 3~

just wanted to share some

pink loveliness with you!
xo

sweetapolita!

pizzazzerie!

and

icing designs!!

isn't the gray dress with the pink flower belt AAHHHHMAAAZING?!?

lurve it.

and more from these cutie patooties:

am i too old for pink GLITTER shoes??!!?

designedbyaudrey!

i just ordered this beautiful trinket, in IVORY! groopdealz had an amazing deal! lucky me!

compliments of:

love stitched!

do you just love the color pink as much as i do?!

have a wonderful day! xoxoxo

p.s. hop on over to all these wonderful blogs for an amazing blog hop!!

commitment

2011-03-02T10:10:00.000-05:00

hi lovies!

it's hump day!

it's almost spring.

it's sunny!

yesterday i received my email from

RECIPE GIRL!

inside its goodness was info regarding

'frosting for the cause'...

which basically is exactly what it says:

Bloggers who are volunteering to post on the Frosting for the Cause website have committed to donating to the American Cancer Society. At the end of the year, we will have raised over $9,125 for research that goes into fighting those cancers that affect women.

soooo with that being said, i headed over to the

"frosting for a cause" website

and guess what??!!??

i am going to be a guest blogger on JULY 2, 2011

whoop whoop!

there are some guidelines you have to follow, but this is such a wonderful idea.

i am so super pumped to be able to commit to this challenge!

anyone else up for an amazing volunteering opportunity?

i know there are so many people whose lives have been affected by cancer.

if you know a woman who is currently in treatment, there is information on the site

to enlist a cleaning person for them.....for FREE!

i can't decide yet what flavor cuppies i will bake...i guess i have time!

run on over to "frosting for the cause"

and take note of all of the wonderful volunteers/bakers who are helping fight cancer!

i am amazed.

xoxo

tuesday one day closer to friday!

2011-03-01T15:21:00.000-05:00

hola amigos!

ha.

that is the extent of the 4 years i took of spanish. sad, huh?!?

happy tuesday bloggies.

sooo,

i started my day off with a visit to the ENT.

for non medical folksies, that stands for:

EAR, NOSE, THROAT.

dr.

dr. fine to be exact. lol. not kidding. that was his name.

(not fine, in my book, if we are ranking him on a 1-10 scale, but.....i guess

all drs can not look like mcdreamy right?!?

it. was. not. fun.

i had to have my throat numbed with some wonderful lidocaine and then the very

'nice' (not being condescending at ALL) dr. proceeded to

~~shove~~ ~~push~~ place a camera down my throat. wtf?

anyway, glad to say i dont have cancer. i do however, have a very

gorgeous deviated septum and GERD.

otherwise known as gastroesophogeal reflux disease. another wtf?!?

oh well,....whats a girl to do?!? i am just glad i dont have oral cancer.

(obviously with the passing of my sister in sept. and her hubby having throat cancer)

i was being probably a little hypocondriac'ish...(i know that is NOT a word.)

but better safe then SORRY.

sorry! no pics of my very extensive go down your throat with a camera experience!!!

ok. next subject. i am contemplating getting a puppy.

i know a LOT of y'all have pets.

i like puppies.... a lot.....but they do GROW up. i just dont know if i want to commit.

a baby seems less commital then a puppy.

but look at this face:

as soon as i picked him up and set him down, he literally ran to my coach purse and

climbed in.

like really?

a man that likes coach purses?!?

instantaneously, sucker plastered across my forehead.

i think the puppy owner saw it.

but....i resisted the urge....just yet.

anyway, i like the darker one. i originally thought i liked the lighter one,

but

was

too

shy.

mr. black furball had a spunky, feisty, sassy personality.

like.

ME!

i feel like we have a really busy, easy life. we come and go as we please.

what's a girl to do?

opinions valued...lmk

that's all.

love you.

bye.

TGIF and a social parade!

2011-02-25T09:05:00.004-05:00

hello lovies!!

it's friday! hollar!

i am elated. this week actually went by pretty darn quick.

which means we are a week closer to sun and spring.

i hope!

this is what i woke up to this morning!!

sorry for the poor quality....it was thru the kitchen window, with my phone...

but i think you get the 'drift'...literally!!lol

the other day princess #3 and i had a fun day doing girl stuff.

she is a little creative soul like her mama. (probably better then i,.....)

but we headed out for a fun day at

ARCHIVERS!!!

ever been? they have really cool classes and some of them are FREE!

yeppers! free!! so the little princess and i got our creative fill by making some

cards.

heres some of the fun stuff we found!

i need to get a 3rd job for my hoarding issues.

just kidding. i am not a hoarder by any means, but i do tend to buy a lot of creative things

and then sometimes, it sits in the closet for months.... yeeesh.

lots of pink stuff.....i was in heaven....

do you know what i could do with all these flowers???

and the best stuff:

GLITTER. HEAVEN.

then we headed to this fun icecream parlour and had sundaes on
a carousel. yes! a carousel. in the middle of the icecream parlour.
it has been around forever, but this day, i told miss H that i thougth it
was going slightly faster then norm. oye.
not good. going in circles while i devoured this:

yes, that is TWO flipping scoops of french vanilla,

with TWO types of toppings:

peanut butter AND hot fudge....
shush! remember the motto...everything is GREAT in moderation!

let's all say heaven!

this lil peanut was enjoying our carousel ride!

(oh, check out her ADORABLE ring from etsy!!)

and we could not complete the visit without sharing

this pic of peter rabbit.

the GINORMOUS 3 foot tall CHOCOLATE bunny...

hey now.....

malleys has the best chocolate and cashews. omg....see the pretzels below the bunny as well. a

dieters.

nightmare. oye.

oh well, all in a day of good, creative fun!!

i love girl time!

how bout you?

what do you do for your 'girly' time?!?

happy friday all~

stay warm if you are somewhere snowy and cold.

i am linking up with these lovies!

life as a wife!!!

wanna come join in the fun??!!??

xoxoxo

addicted and a confession!

2011-02-24T08:17:00.001-05:00

ok.

i have to confess.

i didnt do insanity last night.

my legs are so so so sore.

i know.

i sound like a whiney baby.

(shhhushhhh. i am.)

honestly, i probably could have forced myself to do it but instead princess # 3

and i made

these:

can we all say major addiction.

seriously.

and if it's bad enough that i didnt do my work out.......

ate

two.

yep.

two freaking cuppies.

oink. oink.

(see cupcake liner in back of pic of ~~eaten~~ missing cupcake!)

raw. evidence. yeeeooow.

don't you love how the papers match my countertops?!?

sorry for the flash/glare in this pic (camera phone)...

i was trying to achieve 'tiffany blue'....but i made the buttercream too dark. der.

so, these are chocolate cakes filled with the most delightful vanilla filling.

i wanted to eat the leftover filling with a spoon.

and i may or may not attempted that as well. i mean heck, i am already mooing like a cow

and oinking like piggily wiggily. wth?!?

see recipe below for this amazing sweet treat!

vanilla filling for cupcakes

24 baked/cooled cupcakes.
fyi: i am not too proud to admit this: i use box cake mixes a lot. i typically add a stick of melted butter
and the rest of the ingredients. sometimes an extra egg. sometimes a pack of pudding. i always beat for the full time stated on the box! ! dont cheat!

ok, now on to the good stuff.

6 tbsp. flour. (regular old flour...nothing special)
1 cup milk. (i used skim.....lol. gotta count cals somewhere, right?)
1 cup butter (do not cheat! use the REAL stuff, friends!)
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla.

whisk flour and milk in saucepan until thick. (this tends to happen very quickly!) do not boil. continue stirring. it may get a little clumpy. strain lumps. the hardest part now: allow to cool COMPLETELY! (you are talking to theeeeee world's most impatient gal!) i did put it in the fridge while i whipped up the rest of our goodies!

oh, and note to self. my flour mixture was THICK. T-H-I-C-K. i couldnt even strain. so i thought what the heck......this could be disastrous. well, guess what??! it worked out fine. don't fret or worry. we are going to add good stuff and it will be alright. i pinky swear!

whip together butter and sugar until nice and creamy. ahhhhh. lets all say caaaaaaaaahhhhhhhrrrreeeaaaaammmy!!!!!!!
now add your VERY COOL flour/milk mixture and vanilla!
very important step: whip for 7 minutes! not 5......not 8..........SEVEN! seven full minutes!
ok. i know by now you have tasted it??????? AND?????
AMAZING, right?!?

so, we cut out little holes in our cuppies with a little sharp knife (sorry no pics to prove!) reserve your tops....and fill away. fill like you have never filled before!(we just used a tsp.) you could go all high tech and use a cake decorating bag.......then put your cute lil toppies back on!

frost with your favorite buttercream recipe AND sprinkle with large crunchy pieces of sugar! it looked so sparkly and fun when they were done!

AND....honestly, these were sooooo good. princess # 3 took some to her boyfriends fam and they raved. the boy of mine called his partner @ work and told him he just ate the BEST cupcakes EVER. (thanks honey!) i think he devoured three. (made me look a little less like a big PHAT cow) :o)

now go run to your kitchen and bake some of these up for your

favorite

people in your life!

they will love you forever.

and.

ever.

amen.

love you.

bye.

xoxo

weds. ramblings!

2011-02-23T11:01:00.000-05:00

hey all!

gosh~where does the time go?

i posted last on saturday. yikes. bad blogger.

i dont know. it seems that i never have enough time in my days to get everything done.

i guess i need to start going back to setting goals and making lists!

do you make lists? do you set goals? do you meet them?

just curious!

i do WAY, way, better when i set goals and make lists. i like scratching things off my lists!

speaking of goals.....

sooooo that boy and i started insanity!!! YIKES

really.

ohhhh

emmmmm

geeeeeeee.

have you ever tried this?!?

so that boy of mine, was in the military, has run a marathon, works out ALL the time

and when he did it the first time,

he said it was one of the hardest things he has ever done.

YEOWZZAA.

(he started it in november and did the two month program)

and he now has an amazing SIX pack.

(i should add that he has always had a nice bod, but you can definitely see the improvement~

and i should also add that he did NOT follow any special diet either)

now you are probably wondering why the h-e-double hockeysticks i would even

want to attempt such craziness, right?

ummm, yeah me too.

i need to drop a few.....as in pounds, not push-ups. :o)

i started on monday. yesterday the disc appeared to have a scratch so i really only got thru 22 mins of it.

it was skipping like a jump rope.

i cant say i was unhappy that i had to stop.

i am dreading it.

like.

really.

dreading it tonight.

i am sore. my legs ache. my back hurts.

yes, i am a baby.

remember: we do not judge!

anywhosies, the program is for two months. you can sign up for a free membership over

HERE!

which will provide you with support, tips, message boards, ETC. all that jazzola.

i cant wait for my date with this tonight!

c'mon y'all! (thats what shaun T says!)....

i will keep y'all posted on my trials and tribs. i really wanted to vomit about 1/2 way thru.

oh well, the things we do to stay FIT!

k, thats all, love you, bye.

xoxo

smiles on saturday!

2011-02-19T20:22:00.003-05:00

hi there!

it's saturdaysie!

i love my saturdays.

what's your fav day of the week?

"Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will
fall behind you."

i [[[heart]]] this quote...

it made me smile....

just like these:


















































all pics credit due:
pinterest, my latest obsession!

i hope you are all having a smiley saturday!

xoxoxo
bye.

what i'm lovin!!!

2011-02-18T10:39:00.002-05:00

heyyyyy ooooo!

it's friday!

HOLLAR!

i am a working from home mama.

HOLLAR times two.

bad side: i threw my back out yesterday so even tho i love being in the jams, i am in PAIN.

i had the boy put TWO lidocaine patches on me yesterday which did help.

(these were leftover from an injury he had a couple of years ago)

but

they

worked.

(i do not recommend or endorse using your significant other's leftover pain rx)....

but we do what we have to do in times of need.

thank. you.

soooooo, i wanted to share some fun stuff i just bought from etsy.

i am linking up with

tidy mom~for i'm lovin it!!!

actually these sweet rings were part of the 3 princess' v-days gifts....

how cute are these?

we they just loved them!!!

run over to

gabeadz!!!

she has the cutest stuff!

i love to shop from these eclectic little handmade boutiques.

i think it makes your purchase so much more meaningful.

this includes restaurants as well. i would much rather

dine at an independent owned place,

rather then a chain!

what are your feelings?

chain or independently owned?

in addition i want to know your fun weekend plansies!

i am thinking we are going to head over here,

the west side market!

this is the funnest (i know...its not a word)....

place to frequent on the weekend.

you can find any and everything here!

i am thinking we may do a wine tasting as well. it's 10 bucks.

you taste 6 wines with yummo cheese and crackers!

ok, maybe cheese and cracks are not the most yummo thing, but it's food!

and VINO for 10 dollars! yeowwwwza!

tasting is based on aussie wines....

i like cheap fun things to do!!

ok, blends, i am outy to get some underwriting done.

that's what i do best.

lol.

that's what my boss says anyway!

love you, miss you,

bye.

p.s. dont' forget to stop over at tidy mom to see what others are LOVIN!

tempt my tastebuds!

2011-02-15T10:01:00.003-05:00

hi y'all.

lol.

i wish i was from the south.

in my head, i think i was actually supposed to be born to a southern family on

some

plantation

somewhere.

oh, i dont know...

savannah...

charleston...

i love those sweet southern accents and the charm of the south.

random.

know.

soooo, my valentine's day was fantabulous.

i made the best dinner ever. seriously.

and i even want to share two recipes with you!

one. blue cheese topping for your steak.

two. broccoli sweet and sour salad.

both

are

AMAZING!

here is my full course meal as prepared my none other then

MUAH! (thats me!)

drinks:

pomegranate martinis.

appetizer: shrimp cocktail.

i forgot to take pic. sorry.

salad:

broccoli sweet and sour.

HEAVENLY.

ohhhh eeemmm geeeeee.

this might be my new fav friend.

strip steaks with crumbled blue cheese topping.

i marinated in a worchestire sauce, olive oil, fresh chopped garlic, pepper, salt and garlic powder.

topped with my blue cheese crumbly topping....broiled til brown!

lobster tails:

cut tails. pour over mixture of olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice,

fresh garlic chopped, salt, pepper.

broil about 10 minutes.

side dish: garlic mashed potatoes!

bread:

garlic knots.

dessert: ME!

lol.

kidding.

cherry turnovers.

no pics of this either.

my table setting:

i also, decorated our bedroom with about 20 candles and placed rose

petals all over our bed!

i did receive my chocolate covered chips and strawberries! and

i may or may not have eaten almost ALL the chips.

believe what you want!!!!!

we finished the night watching case 39...ummm, scary.

blue cheese topping for steaks

3 tbsp. butter.

1/2 cup blue cheese

3/4 panko bread crumbs.

1-2 cloves fresh chopped garlic

salt.

pepper.

garlic powder.

mix until crumbly. place on cooked steaks and place under broiler for approximately 5 mins.

=heaven to your mouth and tummy!!!

broccoli sweet and sour salad

two bunches broccoli

5 strips bacon

1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup raisins

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup mayo (i always use low fat helmanns)

3 tbs. cider vinegar

1/2 cup red onion diced finely

chop broccoli. (you want this in someone smaller pieces)

saute bacon in pan. crumble and save a small amt of drippings.

mix sugar with mayo and cider vinegar.

in a large bowl, mix, broccoli, raisins, seeds and onion. stir dressing in. mix in cheese.

allow to sit in fridge for about an hour for flavors to mingle!

i am hooking up with these two lovelies!

stop over for some delightful new recipes!!!

and.....

for GET YOUR CRAFT ON! (this includes ANYTHING you hand make, bake, cook!)
come see!

how did your valentines pan out??

we are now on our way to

do you celebrate this FUN holiday????

have a tasteful tuesday!

hugs and kissies,

happy valentines lovies!

2011-02-14T09:38:00.001-05:00

happy valentines, lil cupids!

plans for this holiday filled with love??

we have no plans.

we like to live by the seat of our pants!

we did go out for a really nice dinner friday night, and

that boy surprised me

last weekend with a new ed hardy perfume gift set....

i am hoping for some chocolate covered potato chips

....and

possibly some strawberries....

i {{{HEART}}} those.

lot.

if you need last minute

valentine's printables,

check out these!

pizzazerie has lots o fun stuff!

and i should also note here that i won a giveaway

with some

valentine goodies that she hosted for

design editor!!!

(thank you pizzazerie and design editor!)

check out these cutie patooties from

brown eyed baker

how freaking cute are they???

anyway, i am hooking up

with

java and friends over

here, for MEET ME MONDAY!

here are the 5 quest. of the day:

1. Did you get any Valentine's Gifts?

yes. see above. ed hardy perfume gift set...

2. What is your favorite topping on something toasted?

oh, on an "everything" bagel thin, a slight smear of REAL butter and

light cream cheese!

3. Do you pick out your outfit the night before?

i dont....well, sort of....

i, visualize in my head what i will wear.

i dont allow myself a lot of time in the AM.

i shower at night, so my morning routine is

as simplistic as possi.

4. What food item do you absolutely despise?

oh, this would have to be liverwurst. blah. yuck.

i did go through a short spell where i HATED peas. i tolerate them now, but do not love them.

5. Righty or lefty?

righty. :o)

have a super fantabulous valentine's day

hope

you

find

much

love and more!

xoxoxo

fabulous FRIDAY!

2011-02-11T11:16:00.000-05:00

what up bloggies?!?

thrilled

its

FRIDAY.

obvi.

whats the weekend 411?

we are going to.....

see....

this, RETRO PARTY!!

hellooooo big hair and headbands!

should i bring out my old

couture fashions such as:

i mean who doesnt love the 80's??

unless you were a baby back then....

just sayin....

although a lot of you were probably eensy weensy peanuts....but......

remember:

am.

old.

BUT

think.

am.

YOUNG!

i would love to bring this HOT outfit back out....

and i hope i am not seduced by this hot mess:

ahhhhh memories.....

can't wait to get my groove on dancing to:

poison.

guns n roses.

def leppard.

bon jovi.

journey.

do you like 80's music???

ahhh...i am off to pick out my outfit!!

love you, bye.

xoxo