one for me, two for you

Inspired and Itchy on a Tuesday

Seriously?  Miss Brandi and I started this project in August!  That's when I uploaded these pics to snapfish!
 
But FINALLY, thanks to Ry and Jer's gays and girls craft party we finished it!  And I was delighted to tote it to work today with lots of things in it!
With that finished and feeling inspired already, I had an errand to run this morning for work and ended up in Hallmark distracted by these lovely little things!
I'm ready to knit!!  Brandi, can you teach me?  Ry, can we have another learning party?  What about this lovely wrap with a delightfully fat button on it?  Think I could make one of those?  I might have to sew that one...
And, I'm in love with this hat, but I may have to buy that instead of attempting to make it.
Last but not least, thanks to Mrs. Hostutler's suggestion, I do believe I will enter this contest on L'il Blue Boo.  I think I will do one of my hold-you-me slings...
and add some embellishments!

Wish me luck!  I'm inspired and itching to create today!

Ten Days of Christmas - Day 7

Ahhh, Day 7.  Day 7 started early to take my kiddos to drop them off with their dad for the holiday (trying not to think about my first Christmas without them), then Marc, Carter, Corrinne and I headed to Mimi's Cafe for an amazing breakfast.  If you've never had their breakfast, GO!  Their eggs benedict are out of this world.  Marc got their eggs florentine benedict (which are amazing with spinach, tomatoes and bacon) and I got their crown jewel, crab cakes benedict (no words can describe them).

We tooled around a bit and ran a couple errands then came home to be lazy.  I'm really enjoying our Christmas card collection.And I'm snugglin' on the couch, enjoying the view.Of course, we've got to get a pic of the snuggles.Marc said he looked like a dweeb in that pic so I had to take another one.He said he still looked like a dweeb, a word I was hoping he'd say again because I'm pretty sure I hadn't heard it since the 8th grade!

THEN, I got some Mommy time.  Mommy Love.  I found a gift card from LAST Christmas for a spa treatment and made an appointment for a milk and honey pedicure at Spa Lux.  Which was a burn to Marc, because he got me a gift certificate for the exact same thing (along with a manicure and a swedish massage) but I assured him it's FINE and that that present with NEVER get old and I WILL use it!!

Here is Spa Lux.  P. T. L.Happy Missy.Some fur ball attacked me on the gorgeous leather sofa.And I was served some delightful vanilla caramel tea!Then I had the most delightful hour in...who knows how long...and I came out with these lovely little piggies!Next on the agenda was running to Big Lots to get stocking stuffers.Wahoo!  The kids said they wanted Tech Decks for Christmas and Big Lots has them cheap!! Gotta love this place.^#%$#@^%*!!!  They found me.  I don't know how but they found me.AND I've been craving an orange cranberry scone for days, so it was time!  That with a Starbucks mocha, again, made a very happy Missy!Next on the agenda, Target (pronounced tar-jay).  Do you think Marc knows I'm having an affair?Once I got home we headed over to my mom's, Mimi's, for Carter and Corrinne to open their gifts from her.  Happy kids!And Marc and I couldn't wait any longer.  We did our Christmas with each other since our whole Christmas day thing is going to be weird anyway.  I'm pretty stoked about the gift I got him.  An old turntable I found on Craig's List along with Pet Sounds and The Stranger on vinyl.  I must say I'm pretty proud; he said it was the BEST present he's ever gotten.  *blushing grin*Yay!  He got me an adorable sweater...And a gorgeous coat from Fossil, which I totally needed and totally would have never bought for myself.  That combined with the gift certificate for Spa Lux makes one freaking incredible Christmas.  I love you honey!!

The rest of the night was spent listening to Pet Sounds the way it originally was played, along with some white russians, as I have already mentioned...God only knows what I'd be without you...

Ten Days of Christmas - Day 6

Well, well, well...I woke up on Day 6 early, and couldn't go back to sleep.  I was pretty sure the novelty of being a stay-at-home-mom was starting to wear off.  So I actually felt excited about waking up early and having some time to myself before children woke up, to sit and watch the news and work on my blog and leisurely sip some coffee.  But we all know what happens when mom wakes up early thinking she'll get some her time.Even HE doesn't look happy about it!  We made due though.  He kept me company and we watched some cartoons, while Alec slept in til 8:40!!  Poor kid was pooped.  Since I was feeling pooped from all our activities, I farted around most of the morning, when I should have been cleaning, then finally did a mad clean up before lunch.  The carpet was DISGUSTING so I was determined to get things picked up enough to vacuum before we got out of the house, which made me late (just call me Linda) to our lunch date at my brother's house!  My sister-in-law is a teacher so she's off for Christmas Break with her kids and invited us over to sammies and romping around outside, so I took her up on it.  We got some good mommy chat time and the kids enjoyed themselves!

Then we stopped over for a visit with Yaya (my best friend's mom, who is like a mother to me and in turn another grandma to my kiddos)!  We needed to return a movie rental to her and she had gifts for all the kids...As if they hadn't already had enough sugar over the holidays...Yikes!  On the way home we stopped and picked up some construction paper and glue sticks because the children had been begging to make homemade ornaments.  *Sigh* another project.

I complied.  I got out the printer so they could print off pictures to color.  And this......became this......and then there was a nerds explosion......and mommy was glad Yaya gave her her own sugar...The kids really did work hard and enjoy themselves being crafty.And made some cool ornaments!A little bit later that evening my friend Megan from high school came over to learn the ropes of her sewing machine.  She's had it for a while but didn't know how to use it, so I told her I'd help her figure it out.  I got out my machine and apron kit thinking I might be able to get started on my own project (which never happened because I had monkeys I had to tend to in between giving instructions...).And before she showed up I decided to get my crownie on.Which are chocolate chip cookie dough brownies.  I normally make them with ganache, but I just used some store-bought frosting, because I knew this one was dairy free so Aidan could eat it!

Here they are fresh out of the oven!As I was frosting them, the kids joined me and wanted some licks out of the can.

...as if they hadn't already had enough sugar for the day...Corrinne also came to help Megan with her little project.  Hi Megan!  You're on candid camera!Her lesson was successful and she learned how to use her machine.  Very well I might add!!  The whipped up a little gift in just a couple of minutes to give to Corrinne for being her helper.  So sweet!

And then Marc finally made it home from work after a very long couple of days, and I was very glad to see him.  Especially knowing he didn't have to work the next day and we'd officially be able to start our Christmas vacation together!

Whew!  What a tiring few days, looking forward to some days of relaxation to round out the Ten Days of Christmas! 

Ten Days of Christmas - Day 5

Day 5 started with hauling out a LOT of trash and junk in the garage out to the curb, then the usual making of the coffee and feeding of the baby chicks.  Aidan requested chocolate chip pancakes and I couldn't say no.  Shortly the bigs and one little made their way outside to explore, and the last little decided to stay close to home.  He kept me company at the kitchen table with his work while I pecked away at the computer.  Mimi had just asked if I thought he would like a Play-dough fun factory hamburger shop for Christmas.  I think he'll be fine with that.As I worked on my blog for Day 4, I was distracted by the compost pile in the back yard.  The kids seem to find projects constantly that involve various forms of garbage for building forts and such, and it appeared they had dug into the old squishy pumpkins.  I know, ew.  Anyway, I stepped out just to turn the compost and gather the bits of veggies that had been dispersed and put them back in.  I was delighted to find a nice, rich, earthy-smelling pile of compost and soil underneath as I turned it - just as it should be!  I then raked up a few scattered leaves in the yard to add to the mix.  As I was raking, I found a little friend in an overgrown "weed bed" (project #45628 awaiting us).Whats HILARIOUS about this is several weeks ago, Marc and I ran across How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack at Barnes and Noble.  There is a whole chapter on recognizing whether or not you're at risk for an attack, and one of the risk factors is actually having gnomes in your yard.  Another is when you notice that something different is in your yard, or if a gnome is in a different place one day than it was on a previous day.  I will be sure to check his location today, and also search for any others that may have joined him in the night.

After my intruder discovery, I found the boys sharing their library books with some neighborhood friends.  I ADORE this about our neighborhood.  The kids all play together, outside, everyday.  The migrate from one backyard to another, riding bikes and creating adventures.  And as much as it drives me bonkers to constantly find debris in the yard from one of their latest projects, I'm overjoyed that they're using their imaginations building forts and acting out elaborate scenes.  Yesterday I was served a leaf and grass pizza in a mangled Pizza Hut box.  Love it!!Speaking of neighbors, shortly after a lunch of pigs in a blanket (for the wee ones) and homemade tomato basil pizza (for me), our neighbor from across the street knocked and asked if I would be home for a couple of hours and if I could keep an eye on his kiddo while he and his wife finished up their Christmas shopping for him.  Uh, duh, of course!  So, on our errands to Akin's and Wally World, we had a stowaway!Along with two happy littles and one disgruntled big in the back seat.While at Wal-Mart, Alec wanted to be the leader, so the others marched behind him while he sang, "We're following the leader, the leader, the leader..."We needed a few more supplies for oreo ball and crownie making, as well as projects for the kids, who, even with beautiful weather outside, can still get cabin fever on Christmas Break!

$3 Dino Dig for Carter (go figure):$3 Clay Art for the others:And $9 Apron Kit for Mom:I also bought Uno for the kids, which we'll work on teaching them tomorrow.  Wish me luck!

We took a break in the projects to meet Marc at Carl's Jr. for dinner.  He was pretty pooped from a long day, and he's growing out his hair; doesn't it look great?After dinner, we headed home to finish our art projects and settle in for a movie (Night at the Museum 2 from the Library!)

But before we started the movie, Carter finally dug out his dinosoar:Aidan made a cat out of his clay:Alec made...something...Corrinne made a bee and an owl, very impressive!And Cheeto (the gecko) got a Christmas present.  Corrinne found a kid's meal toy in the play area and decided to bestow it on him.  Merry Christmas Cheeto!

And I...am pooped...

Hey Santa!

So, we have DirecTV, and since it ‘tis the season, I’ve been playing the “Holiday and Happenings” channel when we’re messin’ around the house and cleaning up and whatnot.  Well, they play this song quite often so it’s been brutally stuck in my head.  Now, you can’t see the video when it plays on the TV; it’s just a black screen with the title and artist floating around.  The song is bad enough without the video, and now that I’ve seen the video I just might be scarred for life.  Anyhow, since it IS stuck in my head, I thought it was high time to make my own Christmas list.  So, here we go!

Hey Santa! 

Here’s what’s on my list:

 

A Vacation

Body by Victoria perfume (I’ve been out forever)

Sandlewood Rose stuff from Bath and Body Works (if you could REcontinue it, that’d be helpful)

Starbucks giftcards so I can buy the stuff without feeling bad about spending money

Clean house

Clean car

Time to be able to finish some projects (namely the bathroom and the chairs to the kitchen table, and plant some bulbs in the flower bed for spring)

Mani/pedi

Real haircut and highlights

You know, let’s just make it a whole spa day

New clothes

New coat

Some boots kinda like this

The cherry blossom Scentsy warmer

New bedding

Frames for family pictures

The house painted

A subscription to Real Simple magazine

A trip to IKEA

A trip to France

The Schells home for Christmas

All my itunes off of my computer at work an on my computer at home

The completion of my Friends collection

Complete Grey’s Anatomy Set

All Christopher Guest Movies

A padded table topper thing for me to put on my kitchen table for sewing (you’ll have to get the elves to build something)

A seam ripper

Attachments for my sewing machine to do button holes and monogramming

One of those big green cutting pad things

A cover for my sewing machine

A whole craft room that no children are allowed in (you can add it on to the house)

A handsfree thing for my phone

How about a new computer while we’re at it

A new battery charger for my camera battery

Ooh, how ‘bout a flip camera?? Please please please!!

New chucks, pink or green

Some jewelry – I think I wanna start a new charm bracelet…maybe

Whatever’s needed to make my ipod play in my car

A reeeeaaaaalllly nice date, or just a regular date

The New Kids to come back to town

DMB, Counting Crowes, Jason Reeves, Avett Bros, Mumford and Sons, Norah Jones, Sara Bareilles, Black Crowes tickets…dream on…

 

I guess that’s it for now.  That should keep you and the elves busy for a while.  See you Christmas Eve…okay so I guess I won’t actually SEE you, but I’ll be sure to leave cookies out for you.

 

Love,

Missy

 

 

{haiku sunday}

turkey day gone by

the tree waiting to be trimmed

savoring sunday

{your turn...}

{my moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. 

Inspired by SouleMama

Here's mine:

Happy Weekend Lovies!

Lookin' for a little inspiration...

Ever have one of those blah days, where you feel kinda bummed out for no particular reason?  Not depressed or anything, just black and white and in need of color...

Yeah, I'm having one of those days.  Woke up to the smoke alarm this morning around 4:30 and never really went back to sleep, the boys woke up early and were whiny messes, didn't make it out of the house with coffee or lunch, and the list goes on and on.  I did blow dry my hair, but Aidan's was a disaster to say the least.

Once I got to work, a sugar free Starbucks mocha and mini quiche from Boston Avenue Grill helped tremendously, then I needed some tunes to get me goin'.  I felt like a little Ra Ra Riot to get me started then hit genius, and I LOVE this new mix.  St. Peter's Day Festival might be my new favorite song from the album, and Girl in the War by Josh Ritter might be a new top 10 song for me.  Expect a post on those two!

Lunchtime...still wookin' pa nub...
 
...and...found it.

Lunch.  
Had my first veggie burrito.  I've been on the Ensalada a la Elote kick lately, and this was a delightful freshie fresh.  Black beans, sweet potatoes, caramelized onions, spinach, cheddar, and white queso.  Ptl.

When I'm feeling blah, I need art and beauty, creativity, and yes projects.  These kids helped me today...

SouleMama and her latest blog about paint choices.  I totally want my house to look like hers... 
Design Sponge and their mini-trends.  I'm finding myself drawn to red for the first time in my life!  And see that stocking over on the right?  I'm lovin' birds and trees, and am wondering if I'll ever finish the family Christmas stockings I started last year.  I got one of mine done, and helped Meg with hers, but never finished mine.  Go figure, right?

 

ashley ann and her DIYs (not to mention her amazing photography!).  Oh, I will make this doilie table runner.  It will go ever so perfectly on my kitchen table when I finish painting it!

And Jenny, with Pearl Street Interiors, has her Little Green Notebook blog where she posts daily inspiration.  I'm in love with her green book, as I have my own green book in my bag, always, and I adore this color pallette in the header of her front page.  I think I want my bedroom to be that blue, and that orangy red in the kitchen...two of my kitchen chairs will be that deep blue for sure...

 

Hmmm...la la la, la ti da...mood is better.  Coming home to my Mr. Wonderful, chinese food, Java Chip ice cream and laughs helped too.  Ended the night with nuggles and kisses from my littles.

Sigh, it's Thursday.  Another one down, and a few more dreams in my pocket to take with me into the weekend.