Pickles and Co

Merry Christmas!

2011-11-30T13:49:00.001-06:00

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

and the winner is.....

2009-06-03T11:44:00.003-05:00

Holly!!!!!! Thanks for playing! :) I'll be sending your ebay gift certificate right over. :) CONGRATULATIONS!!! (and sorry I'm running behind)

What's in store for your SUMMER SUMMER SUMMER???

2009-05-28T14:09:00.003-05:00

Summer is here, and I'm SO glad! I love summer!!!! Life without an alarm clock (on occasion anyway), days spent in the pool, dinner from the grill....

What's in store for OUR summer? Well...we should be (hopefully) moving to our new house next week. Cassidy's taking driver's ed next week (HELP ME!!!), and between the two girls, we've got 2 church camps, 1 mission trip, 3 basketball camps, 1 tennis camp, and 5 tennis tournaments. And for the family...10 days of wheat harvest and a few days at a family reunion in the mountains. So....looks like it's going to be busy. Anyone like to paint? My new house needs some wall paper peeled and a lot of new paint.

Now here's the fun part. Post here and tell me what you like most about summer, or any special plans you have...1 entry for every comment. Mention Pickles and Co. in a tweet or blog, get 5 entries each. Visit my Pickles and Co. store on Etsy or Pickles and Co. on eBay and tell me what you like...get another entry. On Monday, June 1, I will randomly choose a winner. The winner will receive a $10 eBay gift certificate, and who couldn't use THAT! :)

Look familiar???

2009-05-14T20:35:00.007-05:00

I was at my grandparents home/farm this past weekend helping clean it out and get it ready for an estate sale, a task I'm beginning to believe is never ending. My grandparents house was always a treasure trove. They both loved to collect things, and they had a BIG house full of lots and lots of STUFF! Going through their things was bittersweet. There are lots of memories...lots of treasures. And as an adult, it was kind of exciting to get to peek at some of the things that were so intriguing to me as a kid.

Digging through the old photos was a true adventure. Being a photo lover, it was especially exciting for me to see some very OLD photos, some photos I'd never seen before, and some that I'd forgotten about. And SOME I'd really prefer TO forget about! lol

My greatest treasures were those that other members of my family were throwing in the trash. This photo was one of them. I can't help but wonder who took this photo...was it my granddad? And when was it? And where, exactly? This one was definitely a "pull it out of the trash and add it to my stash" photo. :)

and the winner is.......

2009-05-05T22:30:00.002-05:00

Amy of PriddyCreations! Thanks for playing everyone, and for your sweet comments. I will post to Amy's blog and let her know she won. :)

It's a GIVEAWAY!

2009-04-28T20:02:00.006-05:00

Here's the deal...it's simple. Take a look at my current listing and/or my ME PAGE and post here to tell me which of my sets is your favorite. Or you can tell me about a special place or event where your child wore a Pickles and Co. set. Or, if you don't want to post about either of those things, tell me what you had for breakfast! lol I don't care.

On Tuesday, May 5, I will randomly select a winner from all the posts. You get one entry for every time you post, so post away! :) The winner will receive the Pickles and Co. pincushion you see pictured, which was made using one of my favorite Alexander Henry prints.

On newstands now....

2009-04-28T09:20:00.005-05:00

I'm honored and excited that the sweet little lady wearing my Mary Poppins set was featured in the current issue of Disney's D23 magazine. And isn't Miss Sydney the cutest little thing?

and just to catch up....

2009-04-26T15:27:00.003-05:00

Last month, over Spring Break, we took a road trip down to the Texas coast. We were ready for some sun, some sand, and some SEAFOOD! :)

Don't let the pictures fool you...that water was CHILLY! We had a great time though, and it wasn't too bad, once you got used to it!

Here are a few shots from our trip.

Life has a way...

2009-04-26T14:55:00.005-05:00

of sometimes taking the wind out of our sails. I seem to have disappeared from blogland for the past few months. I've been wanting to start blogging again, but it just didn't seem right to fast forward to this point without sharing what's been happening over the last few months. So finally, I'm ready to pay tribute to my grandmother, who we lost in January.

We're all going to miss Grandma. I still hear her voice in my head fairly often. So many things remind me of her, and I think that's a blessing. It means that she left enough reminders of herself, she touched my life enough, and that she made a big enough impact that she will stay with me always. My girls were blessed that she was a big part of their lives as well. Not many kids get to experience that with great-grandparents, but mine have. And OH how she loved the great-grands.

We love you Grandma, and we miss you.

Paityn and Tony (the horse) meet again

2009-01-05T11:44:00.004-06:00

and the hope of getting a horse of her own only grows stronger

She already has the name picked out.

It would be SO much more fun...if only the weather would cooperate!

It's beginning to look a lot like POPCORN! :)

2008-12-23T10:04:00.005-06:00

Jello glazed popcorn is one of my dad's FAVORITE things. In fact, that's what he asked for for Christmas. So yesterday the girls and I got to work. We made 26 batches. We made every flavor we could think of...cranberry, berry blue, tropical fusion, blackberry fusion...the list goes on. We even made cinnamon (using unflavored gelatin and cinnamon oil), which is my personal favorite! We had such a fun time listening to Christmas music, being silly, and working together.

Here's the recipe:

Glazed Popcorn

8 c. popped popcorn (we used 11 c. since the popcorn was especially fluffy)
1/4 c. butter (margarine)
3 T. light corn syrup
1/2 c. sugar
1 pkg. (small) Jello gelatin, any flavor

Place popcorn in a large bowl. Heat butter and syrup in small saucepan over low heat. Stir in sugar and gelatin; bring to a boil over med. heat. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer for 5 min. Pour syrup immediately over popcorn, tossing to coat well.

Spread popcorn on foil lined cookie sheet, spreading evenly. Bake in preheated 300 degree oven for 10 min. Cool. Remove from pan and break into small pieces.

Tree Hunt 2008

2008-12-08T09:43:00.006-06:00

I have to admit...this time of year, I'm really missing Wyoming. I miss the SNOW! Had we been there longer, I might have grown to dislike snow, but I hadn't reached that point yet. On the flip side, when June rolls around and I'm floating in the pool (vs. turning my seat heaters on and scraping snow), I will not be missing Wyoming. You get a little, you leave a little.

One thing I truly love about my family is that, no matter where we are, we find a way to keep our family traditions...such as the annual TREE HUNT. Granted, going to a tree farm in 67 degree weather (with ferocious wind) was slightly different than the quiet forest, traipsing through snow up to our knees and the gentle falling snow. (See Tree Hunt 2007) But still...it was fun.

So here we are...looking for the "perfect" tree.

Is this one it?

Well....maybe not.

But I think Paityn spotted one...

Here it is

and, upon the wisdom I gained from my grandpa, we "put rocks in our pockets" to keep from blowing away. :)

Here's the SAWMASTER, hard at work, cutting down THE TREE.

and taking it to the shaking machine

AND...they wrap it up and tie it onto your car...now THAT'S service you don't get in ANY forest! :)

Paityn...meet Tony

2008-12-01T10:58:00.004-06:00

Paityn has been wanting a horse for awhile now. She's spent months trying to work up enough nerve to ask her PaPa to get one. Finally, a few weeks ago, she found the courage and asked me for his cell phone number. It caught him a little off guard...out of nowhere Paityn calling to ask for a horse. Right now, the problem is my parents aren't home enough to give a horse enough attention, and we're too far away to give it the needed attention ourselves. I know he would like to make it happen though.

For now, she got the next best thing. He arranged with my aunt for Paityn to ride her horse on Saturday. I'd say she had a good Thanksgiving. :)

Brushing Tony

Getting ready to ride

Tony the horse

This is the BIG TIME

Paityn, Tony, PaPa, Dusty

saying goodbye

It's that time of year again....

2008-11-23T21:20:00.010-06:00

Time to do those family Christmas photos. It's always a good excuse to get out and enjoy the outdoors, and today was a beautiful day. We took a thermos of coffee and made an afternoon of it.

I'll share some from today, but I'll hold off on sharing the Christmas card photo...I'll share that later.

Some fall COLOR

2008-11-15T18:40:00.009-06:00

The Famous Meersburger

2008-10-25T22:32:00.004-05:00

If you've never had a Meersburger (yes...that's meant to be one word), you're missing out. North of Lawton, OK, nestled in the Wichita Mountains, is a place called Meers. I guess it's a town...I'm not sure. There's really nothing there except Meersburgers. As you can see, the place looks like a shack. The tables sit at a slant, and there's writing all over the walls. It makes you wonder how it could possibly pass any kind of building inspection. Yet, it's been featured on The Food Network, and it was voted one of the top 3 burgers in America in 2007 by Bon Appetit magazine.

We ordered two 1-lb burgers. They come with mustard as "mayo is for sissies" and "ketchup is for yankees". As you can see, the meat was hanging off the 7-inch bun, and it was covered with cheese, jalepenos, pickles, lettuce, bacon, and tomatoes. The girls each finished their 1/2 lb., and Chris and I both finished ours.

If you're ever even CLOSE to Meers, you have to go! But don't go on a Tues....the owner will be spending time with his cows.

crunchy and a little FALLISH

2008-10-14T19:58:00.005-05:00

AND she does a little flower arranging

2008-09-28T20:34:00.005-05:00

You know my 10-yr-old...the one who sews purses, designs her own doll clothes, etc...yeah...that's the one. I brought home some fall silk flowers and a pretty vase yesterday, and when I'd finished putting away my groceries, I turned around to find that this is what she'd done.

FALL is in the air

2008-09-19T21:06:00.004-05:00

There's a cool crisp feeling in the air, and I'm excited! This is what I woke up to this morning.

one of my FAVORITE things

2008-09-02T21:14:00.013-05:00

I'm so glad Mom still has rhubarb growing in her garden! I just made Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins, and I have enough left for at least five pies!

Mmmmmm.........mmmmmm............

2008-08-26T16:24:00.005-05:00

The beginning of the new school year has given me a sudden desire to become Martha Stewart. And let me tell ya...my family is NOT complaining.

Last week I found a great recipe for homemade GRANOLA BARS. They were a huge hit for breakfast, backpacks, and briefcases. In fact, it was requested that I make them again this week, which I did.

This week, I've decided to make homemade SANDWICH BREAD (and a few rolls to boot). They've been tested and highly approved, and I was asked to "please make it all the time". So I suppose that's something I'll be doing on a regular basis now. Oh my! The house does smell good while it's baking!

Homemade yogurt is a common occurrence around here too. And I guess it's not really a desire to become Martha. It's not like I even watch her show. (although I happened to today, and they were making Goat Cheese...hmmmmmm) Seriously though...I'm starting to think about all the junk in the stuff we get at the store, and I'm kind of not liking it. Besides...it's kind of nice to get a little praise from the family! :)

2008-08-23T08:46:00.003-05:00

It seems like I've got a little catching up to do.

I have been the recipient of the ARTE Y PICO Award! The honor was bestowed upon me by Clara of Mimi Kattini! Thank you Clara, and I'm sorry it took me so long to post this. Where did this award first originate you ask? Well, you can read about it here...however, it is in Spanish. These are the rules:

1) You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award, creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributes to the blogger community, no matter of language.

2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each award-winner, has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of "Arte y pico"blog , so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5) To show these rules.

AND, so now the winners are...

Laurie of Blowin Bubble
Boutique
Jennifer of Sweet Sunshine Boutique
Holly of Peyton's Place
Janae of Eldredge Family Blog
Tracy of Creme de la Gems

I just love these little fellas!

2008-08-22T14:34:00.006-05:00

In the midst of our chaos, while everything we owned was loaded on a moving truck that was somewhere between I-80 and I-40, we got to take a little trip to Red River, NM. It sure was nice to catch our breaths!

Goodbye WYO

2008-07-30T15:45:00.005-05:00

It's time for another chapter in our lives...time to say "goodbye Wyoming" and "hello again Oklahoma".

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. From the time we went "home" for harvest until now, things have been a little crazy. Crazier than usual even. We've always know we wanted our girls to grow up near family. Even though we're far away, we probably spend more time going "home" than the average family who lives near their family. Oklahoma has always had ahold of us.

Chris was offered a position that, not only is a wonderful career opportunity for him, but also takes us close to family. We've taken the long way around, but we're finally going "home".

As I sit under the tree in the backyard, bootlegging internet from the neighbors (thank you neighbors, whoever you are), watching the movers go back and forth loading everything we own onto a Mayflower truck, there's little for me to do but reflect on the last two years we've spent in Wyoming. Some people refer to us as "gypsies". While it's true we've moved quite a bit, we don't regret any of those moves, and we've always believed we were following where we were led. Each new place has given us opportunities and experiences I wouldn't have missed for the world.

So, as excited as I am to begin this new adventure in our lives, right now I'm thinking of the time we spent here, and the things we will most certainly miss...the memories we will carry with us.

The mountains...they give me a high I can't even put into words. They bring tears to my eyes while making me smile with the excitement of just being near them.

The patiently awaited first blooms of spring (although it's really more like summer since spring doesn't actually exist in Wyoming).

The thrills (just do what I do and pretend this is me):

The snow (in Nov-Feb...not so much in April, May, June...):

The wildlife:

The beautiful fall weather:

And one of my very favorite things...going on our Christmas Tree hunt:

We will miss you, Wyoming, but we'd like to think we made the most of what you had to offer.

Not so random thought for the day...

2008-07-04T16:34:00.002-05:00

Don't you just hate it when the crawdads eat all your bait!

Wheat Harvest

2008-07-01T22:24:00.008-05:00

They say you can never go home again, but I'm not so sure that's the case. To me, "home" will always be "home". Maybe it's because we've moved so many times and lived in so many different places, but it just always feels like we're going home when we go back to the place where I grew up, and where most of my family still lives...Oklahoma.

Every June we spend about 10 days helping with harvest. Over the last 20 years, my city-boy husband has become quite the farmer. He looks forward to it, and I THINK they actually count on him. It's a family event, and although my girls have been many places, and experienced many different things, I think this might just be the most wholesome wonderful thing out of them all.

Every kid should get to experience country life...at least for a moment.

There's nothing like some good old-fashioned dirt-diggin' kind of fun!

Remember "Parachute Men"? They make for some cheap and great entertainment. :)

I love that my kids can get a small taste of how I grew up. I come from a hard-working family with good strong values, and, although there were times during my teenage years that I didn't want any part of it, I'm very proud that those are my roots. I can only hope that I can be the kind of example to my children that I was shown throughout my life...that of my family.

Tornadoes, Mother-In-Laws, sad pet news, and the end of school

2008-06-03T18:35:00.006-05:00

I've been a little MIA lately. I'll be back to my regular postings soon, and I'll expand, but all of the above is true. My mother-in-law actually came in the midst of the tornadoes, which, of course, don't happen in Wyoming....or so we were TOLD (WRONG!). One of the ones that hit here was close enough that I could hear it, and so could my kids who were on lock down at their schools. It totaled cars in Paityn's school parking lot, took down fences and garage doors in our neighborhood, and put the football bleachers on top of Cassidy's school. So I guess you could say we were in the thick of things. BUT...we were all okay, and that's what important. My mother-in-law played "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" to get here. After getting as far as Denver,her flight to here was canceled, so she took a shuttle part way, and then some kind strangers that she'd ridden the shuttle with brought her the rest of the way. By then, we'd already lost power...for two days. And then came the snow. She had quite a "vacation", I'm sure.

On a very sad note, Paityn's parakeet, Sky, passed away last Thursday. She's still pretty heartbroken. I got her a new parakeet, whose name is "Cloud", but I'm afraid it's not the same. Time will tell.

And...on a much brighter note (it IS a bright note, right?)...SCHOOL IS OUT, as of today!!! It was time. It's an adjustment for all of us. For me, it's about finding the balance between being a good mom, making sure we all have fun, and still managing my work. I'm sure we'll find it though. :)

Look what we found!

2008-05-16T13:32:00.003-05:00

BABY FOXES!!!!

or is it baby fox?? Is the plural of fox FOX, or FOXES?? Whatever...there were SEVERAL of them.

...and aren't they CUTE!!!

They're living right in front of Paityn's school.

I WANT ONE!!

It's better than CHICKENS!!!

2008-05-06T23:06:00.006-05:00

You may remember last spring when Paityn visited a farm with a friend. She came home and put 2 goose eggs and 6 chicken eggs in the fridge. What we DIDN'T know was that the other half of the dozen was in her room...wrapped in blankets...on the baseboard heater..."hatching". Of course when we realized she'd turned her room into an incubator, we explained that we couldn't burn the house down, and that THAT kind of heat would cook the eggs anyway, etc., etc., etc.

So then she was devastated. She'd "killed" the chickens. She was SO sad, and there were lots of tears. Now...I need to add here...we normally just let the tears flow. I mean...tears don't usually work around here. There are two female children in the house (one being a teenager), so we've seen lots of 'em, and we're pretty much immune. But this was serious heartbreak. So we went online and ordered an incubator. I doubted that the eggs had even been fertilized, and even if they had, surely she'd cooked them on that heater. Besides...even if they were fertile, and even if they weren't cooked, chicken eggs are only viable for about 2 weeks, and that's how long it took to get the incubator.

This kid researched all there was to know about raising chickens. She was a walking encyclopedia of chicken facts and coop building. And would you believe...one little chick did develop. When it was time to hatch, we had to leave town. She held that incubator, plugged in, the entire 8 hour trip there and the 8 hour trip back. But the poor thing never hatched. :( So then we ordered fertilized eggs. Unfortunately, the post office scrambled them. Kudos to the seller...the eggs never broke, even though the box was destroyed and had to be replaced en route. But, nonetheless, they didn't develop into baby chicks.

Somewhere in the midst of all the heartbreak, apparently we promised that THIS spring we'd get live chicks. I use the word "we" rather loosely...I really don't recall there being any "we" to it. Regardless..."we" were playing the odds...the odds that by this spring, she wouldn't give a flip about chickens. WRONG! We've been able to put her off so far, due to the weather.

A few weeks ago, she asked for a bird. She's had one on her Christmas list for several years. So I offered her a deal. She could get a bird INSTEAD of chickens. (There's no chance of ME trudging through 2 feet of snow at 20 below to feed a parakeet) She declined. It had to be chicks. Until Saturday, when there was a change of heart. We were taking the dog to be groomed, and there were BIRDS. I'm sure she was starting to think it was never going to stop snowing and she would NEVER get her chicks. The birds were within reach. So she gave a little speech about how she'd realized what a huge responsibility it would be to raise chickens, and how it would be a big job with the bad weather, yada, yada, yada. She could have saved the sales pitch...I was SOLD! I'll take a parakeet over chickens any day!

So now she has a parakeet named "Sky".

I can't believe how quickly they've bonded.

The two have spent HOURS together.

I think it's love. :)

So I'm CHEAP!!

2008-05-04T21:29:00.006-05:00

Last May, for Mother's Day and my birthday, I wanted to make our yard look nice. So we made a BIG trip to Home Depot, spent a LOT of money, and then made our muscles ache by digging, raking, planting, etc. We were careful to choose plants that worked for our zone...the ARCTIC ZONE. Those poor plants struggled all summer long. They looked pretty much dead at one point. We slowly nursed them back to life...if you want to call it that. Each plant sprouted at least one new leaf on their dead brown stickly bodies, so we called them "live".

Well...it's sort of spring again, or at least the calendar says it is. Let's just forget the blizzard we had on Friday. Those plants were officially dead. We were looking at our receipts, and in a few days, it would be a year since we bought them. And hey...they were guaranteed for a year. THEY WERE!!!!! So yesterday morning, when the snow had mostly melted, I sent Chris out to dig up the dead plants. We made another BIG trip to Home Depot. This time, we carted in 6 very dead plants. As we got near the "RETURNS" counter, Chris and the kids started to walk the other direction. Yours truly was, of course, pushing the cart with the dead plants. I turned to Chris and said, "OH NO YOU DON'T! YOU GET OVER HERE!" There was no way I was going to keep that embarrassment all to myself. But as I got busy explaining myself to the guy at the register, my family quietly slinked away. The young register guy with grommets for earrings was NOT amused! But how could he argue...the guarantee was for a full year, and the year wouldn't be up until later this week.

As I walked away with my $127 gift card, a man in line even complimented me on my gardening skills. I thought that was nice.

We didn't leave empty handed. I mean...what a deal! If the plants die, we'll just get fresh ones again next year.

We got some Honeysuckle (mmmmmm....it smells SO nice),

a couple of Lilacs,

and some Sand Cherries.

We even had some survivors (Lilies) from last year.

Yep...you might say we're quite the gardeners.

Tagged....AGAIN!!! :)

2008-04-28T22:17:00.006-05:00

Just in case you haven't had enough of me...I've been tagged again...this time by Kris of Designer's Notion. So now you have a chance to find out a few more quirky things about me. :)

1. I'm terribly afraid of spiders. There's no traumatic reason behind it...I just am. I could spot them in the dark from my crib, and I still wake up in the night once in awhile yelling about spiders.

2. I'm in love with nature. Mountains, wildlife, the ocean, marine life...I'm awestruck by every bit of it.

3. People who speed in school zones really irritate me.

4. I have a thing about my house smelling good. I burn candles almost every day.

5. I'll admit it (for those of you who want to say "told you so")...I'm REALLY tired of snow. And, despite the fact that it was almost 70 degrees today...snow is in the forecast for Thursday, which is just 2 days away...well, a day and a half really. :(

6. At the risk of having my mom and my mother-in-law BOTH disown me...I'm so NOT a shoe person. I'm just not. I get a pair I like, and they're IT. Flip-flops are good, and barefoot is even better.

7. I'm sort of a morning person AND a night owl. However, if made to sit still for very long, I'm likely to fall asleep.

Ok...so here are the rules:

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Just for fun, I think I'm going to tag some people I either don't know, or don't know very well. I'm tagging:

1. Emily of Sugar Sweetness
2. Christina of Abby-Lane
3. Allison of Lula Bee Boutique
4. Clara of Mimi Kattini
5. Amy of Funky Monkey

I'm going to cheat, and leave it at 5. :)

Dear Mother Nature,

2008-04-11T21:00:00.007-05:00

I thought you might want to know...it's April. It's ok...I completely understand. What, with you running the universe and all, you do kind of have a lot on your plate. Sometimes I even write June on the date line of my checks in the middle of September. Trust me...being a mother myself, I totally get it. It's tough keeping everything straight.

Sometimes though, when I seem a little lost, someone is kind enough to give me a little nudge and bring something to my attention. I just thought maybe you could use a little help too.

I'm not mad or anything. We did enjoy what you gave us.

But could you just focus a little, and bring us some warmer weather please? And, ummmm....could you maybe stop with the snow??

I've been TAGGED...twice!! :)

2008-03-28T14:06:00.003-05:00

How funny!! Especially since I've never been tagged before. I was tagged by Brooke of Willow Tree and Beki of Pampering Beki. I'll spare you the pain though, and only list 7 things about myself. The instructions SAID weird or random, so here goes:

1. I love coffee, but with lots of good (bad?) stuff in it. I use cream...not half and half, and not the powdery stuff, but real cream. And sugar...the brown grainy kind. Not brown sugar...it's called turbinado sugar.

2. I really DO want to kayak. Not on a calm little lake, but down the rapids. I'm scared to do it alone though, and my family will have nothing to do with it. I went into one of the outdoor shops in town to "inquire"...the kind with the hot rugged looking young guys working. They sort of laughed.

3. I sometimes hide cotton candy and chocolate in my fabric closet so that I can eat it without having to share.

4. If I simply can't stand to be cooped up any longer, I get in my Jeep and drive towards the mountains. Just me and my camera...and sometimes the dog.

5. I sleepwalk, and sleeptalk. In fact, I can be quite entertaining in my sleep. If I'm told of the episode the next morning, the memory of it usually does eventually come to me.

6. I like perfection in some things and total chaos in others. It's sometimes a struggle for my family to figure out exactly what it is I do want.

7. I love to do a lot of things, and I'm always wanting to try new things. As a result, I don't think I've mastered many things, and that bugs me.

Okay...now for the rules.

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here's who I'm tagging:

Kathy of Pixie Dust Studio
Melissa of Journey To The Beach
Rhonda of Hipchick
Janae of Eldredge Family Blog
Misty of Lilly Anna Kids
Eva of Fresh and Vintage
Lindsay of Hair Candy

She's 14!!!!!

2008-03-27T11:07:00.009-05:00

I've got some catching up to do. It's been a busy month around here. A few weeks ago, Cassidy turned 14. I'm still trying to figure out how that happens. In her mind, I'm probably like 67 or something. In my mind, I'm about 27. Neither of us is quite in touch with reality it seems.

Having a teenager of the female variety is one of the hardest things I've ever done...and I'm certainly not done yet. It's one of those journeys that, when I'm all finished and I look back, only then will I have the answers I wish I'd had along the journey. I want to be super cool, because, sort of like the "27 thing", in my MIND I pretty much am cool. But, my job is, first and foremost, that of being "Mom", so, in her mind, it's sort of like the "67 thing", and I have a feeling I don't quite have the "coolness" status that I desire. It's sort of hard to mix...that "cool" thing and that "Mom" thing. It's a difficult balance. Once in a blue moon, I hit the mark, but that seems to be pretty rare. Of course when SHE finishes this part of her journey, I do believe that she'll look back and see things a little differently than she does right now.

But all in all, I look at my daughter and I'm proud. I know I see more of her than what she sees in herself at times. I see all the goodness in her heart, and I want to bring every bit of if out to the surface. In this difficult stage of her life, I know she's trying very hard to find herself...to figure out for herself who she really is. All I want for her is to become that person inside herself that she already is...it's just a matter of figuring out how, and that is something she can only do for herself, which is also one of the hardest things as a mom. I can certainly guide her, but ultimately, I can't do it for her.

I know that through my blog, she sees a side of me that she doesn't always see. So I just want to say something that I'm sure she doesn't hear nearly often enough. Cassidy...I love you.

2008-03-08T09:22:00.006-06:00

Do your kids ever want your attention, and, at the moment, you're just a little "too busy". You put them on hold rather than stop what you're doing. Then later, you realize that what you were doing wasn't THAT important, and you really weren't SO busy that you couldn't put it aside for a moment.

Paityn loves to sew. She has her own machine in her room. Her "designs" may not be quite ready for eBay or Etsy, but I like that she figures things out on her own. She doesn't use a pattern. Isn't that sort of like "playing by ear" or something?? I like to think so. Granted, she has a slit in the fabric rather than an official buttonhole, and maybe there are a few puckers, but for 10, I think she does pretty good.

So she sewed up a tote the other day. I don't know how she figures out how big and what shape to make each piece, but she does. She was SO proud of this tote. Of course I praised her...ranted and raved about what a great job she did. But when she wanted to send a picture to "MeMe", I didn't have "time" at the moment to stop what I was doing and mess around with the camera, computer, etc. Besides, "MeMe" is away from home and doesn't have computer access at the moment, so, in my logical adult mind, it really didn't matter anyway.

This was what I found on my camera the next morning when she was away at school:

Do you think she's been watching me a little? Notice the set up for the picture? It seems a little boutiquish to me. Yeah...I think she's been paying attention. Maybe I need to pay a little more attention to her.

Did I FORGET to mention.....

2008-03-01T18:43:00.003-06:00

STAY OUT OF THE MUD!!!!!

I know I said I'd stop talking about the weather, but this is sort of indirectly. We have snow one day followed by spring-like weather the next. It's a vicious cycle. And do you know what that means?????? MUD...and LOTS OF IT!!!!!

We parents tend to forget that we need to give our kids specifics. Obviously I forgot to mention staying out of the mud, and if you forget to mention it...well...it's fair game then, right? And if you think the bike is bad...you should have seen the kid who road in on the bike!!!

She's a good kid though, and, secretly, I kind of like that she still loves mud. It's much better than being in such a hurry to grow up that she passes up being a kid. However, she still had some clean-up duty. The clothes...well, I handled those. There's no sense making a bigger mess. The Heely's....did I mention they were only two months old?? Well..they were her job. The bike was in for a bath too.

Ahhhh....SWEET STRAWBERRIES

2008-02-28T19:49:00.005-06:00

leaving me with a taste of Spring Fever!!!

The end of a season

2008-02-26T09:56:00.006-06:00

This weekend marked the end of the season for my girls' traveling basketball teams. It was sad to see it end, yet it will be nice to have our weekends back. These girls practiced 3-4 nights a week, so we'll be adjusting back to a slower routine in the evenings, which will also be kind of nice.

I do love to see my #12 and #2 play ball though!!! I have two girls with a LOT of intensity.

This was the last year for Cassidy to play on this team, as she'll technically be in high school next year (sniff sniff), although the 9th graders are still in the jr. high building. For Paityn, it's only the beginning. In fact, technically, she wasn't old enough for the team, but she and another 4th grader played, and thank goodness they did. They needed players, and, especially for 4th graders, they added a LOT to the team. They didn't win a lot of games, but it was a great learning experience for them. They were often playing against girls older and much bigger than them, so they did good.

So for now, it's over, but we'll be back again next year for those weekend road trips!! :)

My cup

2008-02-22T10:17:00.007-06:00

I have this ONE cup. Somehow the coffee just tastes different in this cup. If I'm forced to drink my coffee from a different cup, I'd just almost rather not drink it at all, and that's saying a lot.

I was brought up to put others first, be kind at any cost, etc. You know...the whole southern hospitality thing. But when it comes to this cup.... If a guest inadvertently chooses MY cup, I have to say, "um....that's my cup." I know it's strange, and it's so insignificant, but still. I'm not really sure why anyone else would want MY cup anyway. The glass is etched from too many stirrings, and milky from too many trips through the dishwasher. But it's my cup. It's a huge part of my morning routine.

Of all the things to be selfish about....

Missing my girl

2008-02-21T13:40:00.008-06:00

It's been a quiet week around our house. We haven't heard Paityn's voice since Monday morning about 7:45 a.m. when we left her on the bus in the school parking lot, headed for an amazing experience. Her 4th grade class, along with the other 4th grade class from her school (about 40 10-yr-olds), along with a handful of teachers, headed for Jackson, Wyoming for 4 nights and 3 days at the Teton Science School, where they would snow shoe and cross-country ski with real scientists to do fieldwork and observe wildlife like nowhere else in the world.

The roads were closed on Sunday, so we really had our doubts that they'd actually get to leave. But...the roads opened up, and the trip was on. Monday was a difficult day. There's the distance thing...the weather thing...the road thing...the "she's only 10" thing. But there was also the "once in a lifetime opportunity" thing. And I couldn't take that away from her. We finally go the call in the late afternoon that they'd arrived, safe and sound, and I started to breath again.

To put things in perspective, the dog refused to even go outside to potty for the first 24 hours. (what a bladder this guy has!!) I guess he was waiting for her to come home.

I miss my silly, sweet, quirky kid. I miss her bringing her box of conversation starters to the dinner table. I miss waking her up in the morning and putting her to bed at night. And I can't WAIT to hear the tales she has to tell about this incredible trip she just experienced.

She's on her way home...I'm counting the hours. Only about 4 1/2 hours before they arrive. Then I'll breath again...again.

It's the weather lady here...

2008-02-07T09:45:00.000-06:00

I'm starting to feel like I'm a walking weather report. Every conversation, newsletter, post, thread, etc., begins with a report on the weather. As if people want to hear that. As if it's any different than the last time you heard from me. It's cold today. It was cold yesterday. It will be cold tomorrow. Let's face it though...when you live in a place like this in the winter, there's not much to talk about BUT the weather. I long to step out and enjoy the sun, and I DO enjoy the sun...we have GREAT sun. It's just that the -5 wind chill temperature IS a bit nippy....despite our great sun. So...as much as I'd love to give a photo presentation of my lovely walk in the park this morning, showing you pictures of squirrels climbing trees, children playing on the merry-go-round, leaves blowing around in the breeze (a.k.a. 40 mph gusts)...it didn't happen. Instead, I'll grace you with a list of things that have made me happy this week.

- A good book
- Starbucks Vanilla Lattes (I've lost count)
- Friends who make me laugh
- Listening to my daughter sing in the tub when she didn't know I was listening
- An unexpected day off (due to a power outage)
- Bubble Baths
- Snow
- The smell of my new candles
- A Rice Krispy treat with caramel in the middle (for breakfast)
- A HUGE compliment from a favorite friend
- Music that makes me want to dance
- Customers who are wonderful
- A tax return with a positive amount in the refund box
- A dog who snores
- Watching my girls use their talents
- A husband who tells me I'm beautiful

and the winner is........

2008-02-01T23:17:00.000-06:00

REGENA!!!!! Congratulations Regena!!! :) I will email you and let you know your choices. Thanks for playing ladies!!!!!

The BEST candles!!!! (giveaway)

2008-01-25T10:06:00.001-06:00

Last night I had my Open House as a new Gold Canyon demonstrator. WOW do I love these candles!!!!! They burn clean and even, the scent is strong, and they're VERY pretty!!!!! There are SO many lovely scents to choose from!! I just can't get enough!!

So...here's the deal. Post a comment and tell me YOUR favorite scent. A week from today (Feb. 1), I will draw a name from those that have posted, and that person will receive a FREE Gold Canyon candle!!!!

Also, through Feb. 1, order any Gold Canyon item(s) and receive 15% off. Just email me with your order, sewbynette@yahoo.com, so that I can apply the discount. Go to my website and browse through the selection...Annette's Gold Canyon.

Order by noon (CST), Jan. 31st, to qualify for special promotions:

Order $50-$74, take 70% off any 8 oz. Bella...only $3.89
Order $75-$99, take 70% off any 16 oz. Bella...only $5.09
Order $100-$124, take 70% off any 26. oz. Bella...only $5.99
Order $125 and up...take 70% off any Boutique Chic...only $7.19

Meet my nieces

2008-01-22T10:30:00.001-06:00

I've been thinking about them a lot lately, after spending so much time with them at Christmas.

This is Carley.

Carley is 5-years-old and goes to kindergarten. She's a great reader, and SO very smart!! Carley is a quiet observer. She could teach most of us adults a thing or two about watching and listening. Often times, she seems beyond her years, but once in awhile, the silliness of a 5-year-old comes out. She's good at the things she does because she pays attention. She REALLY pays attention.

This is Kadyn.

Kadyn will turn 4-years-old in March. However, she's "TIRED" of being "this many" (three fingers), so she has declared that she's "THIS MANY" (four fingers). Kadyn is a FIREBALL, which delights me to no end. When my girls were younger and going through the "terrible two's", "terrible three's", "terrible four's", etc., etc., etc., my brother was a very WISE young college kid. He had an endless supply of wisdom for me...things he would and would not allow, etc. Kadyn...well...she's taught him a thing or two about parenting!!! lol You know...the things like "some have a mind of their own, no matter what you do"...stuff like that. And, by the way, Mom, Dad, Nathan....you can all stop blaming that stubborn streak on ME!!!! I have NO idea WHERE she gets that!!!

Kadyn is just a little bit of a thing. She's the kind of kid who leaves you no choice but to fall in love with her. She's all of 22 lbs., and proud of it. In fact, when I picked her up to hug her recently, I teasingly told her she had no bottom. Boy, did she straighten me out about that!! Yes she DOES have a bottom, because "ALL KIDS HAVE BOTTOMS!!!!!" I stand corrected!!!

There's definitely something special about nieces. Despite the miles between us, and the difference in ages between them and my girls, they are all still very close. We truly enjoy the time we get to spend with them.

Baby It's COLD outside!!!

2008-01-17T10:12:00.001-06:00

In fact, it's quite brutal!!! Currently it's a balmy 4 degrees with a wind chill of -21. Chris asked me if I want to go skiing on Mon. since he's off work and the girls are out of school. Personally, I don't have a problem with 12 degree temperatures as long as I'm bundled up and having fun. However, it sort of takes away from the enjoyment when you're standing at the top of a mountain with a child who's crying and refusing to ski down because she's too cold. Besides, it doesn't help with my candidacy for "Mom of the Year". So we'll see what the weather does.

This is the time of year I start dreaming about a beach vacation. Ahhhhhhh........if only....

For those of you wondering if I'm still stuck in a blizzard (Nic) :), no....just stuck indoors staying out of the frigid temperatures, and with the hubby at work every day and the kids at school, there doesn't seem to be much excitement going on to blog about. And I was doing SO well....

January has a way of flying by way too fast. We finally get the kiddos back to school, try to catch up on everything we fell behind on with the crazy holidays, get a jump start on all the goals for the new year, and POOF...it's gone. Despite the lack of excitement and the brutal temperatures, I'd personally like to have it slow down just a bit.

Speaking of goals for the new year...I've been wanting to join a gym. However, we got a Wii for Christmas, and I'm thinking a few Wii games a day, and I'm in good shape!! :) It'll hurt ya!!!! Seriously!!!! By the way, I've gone pro in Boxing (and bowling), and I'm pretty much unbeatable. So Nathan, Mom, Chris....you can laugh all you want about my form, and you can tell me all about how it's done, but who's the queen of boxing???? I say KO!!!!!

Blizzard

2007-12-23T08:46:00.000-06:00

Our family is never short on adventures. We headed out for Christmas a day earlier than planned in order to get a jump on a storm that was headed in the direction we needed to travel. You would think, living in Wyoming, THAT's where we'd experience the tricky weather. But no. Things were going along just fine...there was some light snow, but that was nice. It made it feel festive. We left one town in southern Colorado and were busy counting down the hours we still had left to drive, when suddenly, we couldn't see the road. It wasn't like there were massive amounts of snow, but what was there was blowing and drifting. The wind was doing funny things with the snow, making it dance around in swirly patterns, which would have been beautiful had we not been on four wheels on a slick surface. With two of us alert, we could see reflectors every 20 yards or so, and by watching those, we managed to stay on the road. At 5-10 mph, with approx. 40 miles of road stretching ahead of us before the next town, it was a slow go. I was about as tense as I've ever been, and I can't imagine how Chris felt, being that he was doing the driving. We've been in some nasty situations before, but this took the cake. There were times when we could see nothing but a white cloud of snow engulfing us, and at those times, it was hard to know if we were going left, or right, or nowhere. The blowing snow like that causes an illusion of distance and direction. After 2-3 hours of that, we finally pulled into an old closed down truck stop outside of a tiny little town. It looked like a ghost town. There were others with the same idea as us, so we weren't completely alone out there. We spent a few hours in the trusty Jeep waiting for the sun to come up, and trying to grab a little bit of sleep. For the kids, it wasn't such a problem, but it's a little more difficult for these older bodies. We're still working the kinks out. I wish I had pictures, but I'll give you this visual image...WHITE. And if you can imagine a wind that kept the vehicle rocking all through the wee hours...you're there. By morning, the conditions weren't a whole lot better, but there was light, which made it a little bit better. We are glad to be here, safe and sound, and ready to enjoy the holidays. I have a list of things I'm thankful for today:

- Kids who are always ready to "go with the flow"
- A husband who keeps us safe
- A little dog with a great big bladder
- A full tank of gas (thanks dad, for constantly drilling that into my head)
- Bottled water
- A vehicle with good traction control
- Having the common sense to stop driving
- Snow plows
- A SOFT WARM BED

SNOW

2007-12-21T16:34:00.001-06:00

When it snows, Skittles, more commonly known as "Snow Dog", goes a little nuts. It's as if he's gotten a dose of dognip or something...he just runs around like he's out of his mind. He runs through the house like a maniac, flipping his ball into the air, pushing it down the stairs, chasing after it, running into walls....you get the picture. This otherwise fairly mellow dog is suddenly exuberant...all because of a little snow. That's sort of how it makes me feel.

Is this odd?

2007-12-15T08:44:00.002-06:00

This morning's discovery has prompted me to add a new song to my playlist. If it weren't for kids, there wouldn't be marshmallows in my egg box. There are many things that wouldn't happen...many experiences we would never have...if it weren't for kids. Some of those things are very perplexing. I have wracked my brain, and I can come up with no reason why someone would put marshmallows in the egg box in the fridge. But hey...I'm sure there's a logical explanation. Chris and I pondered this early this morning. Possibly someone wanted hard marshmallows??? I noticed the other day, that someone had left the twisty off of the marshmallow bag, so it's possible someone thought the marshmallows would become edible again if put in with the eggs????? I'm sure I can never imagine the logic behind this. And this, by the way, does not even come close to topping the list of strange mysteries that occur in our house. It only makes the "Top Strange Things At 6:00 This Morning" list. As I said to Chris this morning, just think what we'd be missing....if it weren't for kids.

Christmas Traditions

2007-12-10T23:26:00.000-06:00

I'm the first grandchild. When I was 2, on Christmas Eve, my grandparents started something that continues even now that the grandkids have kids of their own. It was a small gathering that first year. I suppose it was my two grandparents, my two parents, me, my aunt and uncle, and another uncle. And Santa. Yes...Santa came that Christmas Eve, and he's come every Christmas Eve since. Through the years, the numbers grew. There were my brothers, and cousins. Then years later, I brought a spouse into the family, and the other grandkids started adding theirs too. A few years later, I added the first great-grandkids, and my cousins and brother followed suit, and some of them are still adding. By now, it's a large and loud gathering. My grandparents sit back and enjoy the numbers and the noise. I think Christmas Eve is probably the one day of the year they look forward to the most. They love to watch us play games, and even though they're in their mid-80's, they still love to play themselves. Whatever brings us all together, they love to see it and be a part of it. I love when my grandpa ("Poppy") brings out the Domino's and gathers up enough players to play Mexican Train. But the highlight of every Christmas Eve is Santa. I really don't remember that Christmas when I was 2, but I remember many Christmases since, when my aunt would take us to the bay window, and we would watch. She was so animated...she made it real for us. I swear, if we looked long and hard, we saw Santa's sleigh lights in the sky every time. And then there was the anticipation...once we saw his lights, we knew he would soon be knocking on the door. So we'd wait, and without fail, he would knock on that door. In awe, we'd open it, and let him in. He would greet everyone with a "Ho, Ho, Ho", and then take a seat. He would put down his big red bag of gifts, and slowly, he'd reach in and pull out one at a time, and call each and every one of us, the infants to the aged, to sit on his lap and collect our gift. It really never mattered that he sometimes looked like a neighbor...or his shoes seemed familiar...or that he had regular clothes peeking out from under his suit. It didn't matter that, for some reason, the grandparents kept a Santa suit in their basement. None of those things took away from the magic. I'm looking forward to Christmas Eve again this year. I will wait for Santa, as I have for many years, and I will sit on his lap when he calls my name. And, and always, I will still feel the magic.

Tree Hunt 2007

2007-12-01T23:53:00.001-06:00

Today was one of my very favorite days of the year. The day we bundle up in the warmest things we can find, head up the mountain with our tree tag, and go in search of the perfect (or maybe not so perfect) Christmas tree!!!

The weather couldn't have been better, as far as tree hunting goes. The temperature wasn't unbearably cold, yet the snow was falling down. The forest always seems so peaceful and quiet, and gives you the feeling that you're the only people around for miles, even when that's not the case. If you stand still and really pay attention, you can even smell the sweet smells of the aspen and the pines.

There were snowballs....

snow dogs...

snow angels, and catching snowflakes on the tongue...

and even a not-quite hidden smile from a teenager.

Finally, after much searching, we found the tree.

It may seem a little thin to you...maybe it is. But it's fresh, it smells nice, and most importantly, it's OUR tree...one we searched for, found, cut, and drug through the knee-deep forest snow. So thin schminn....it's a GREAT tree!! And it was a GREAT day!!!

That's my girl!!!

2007-11-30T21:25:00.002-06:00

She's my girl. She may not always think so. After all, she's the teenager, and I'm the mom. She's busy growing those wings just as fast as she can. I'm busy saying "no". Saying "not this time". Saying "you're 13, not 21". Saying "not yet". And, once in awhile, saying "yes". But yeah...she's still my girl.

FOOTBALL!!!

2007-11-16T21:34:00.000-06:00

It's the sport of kings...better than diamond rings... Or at least it was to Goldie Hawn in Wildcats. For me...not so much. You can take me to a baseball game anyday!!!! LOVE IT!!! Watching my kids play sports...THRILLING!!!! But football...I've tried, but it's just not my thing. However, this week it made me a WINNER!!! Every week during football season, our local radio station runs a contest. There are cards all over town, and my husband brings them home faithfully every week. You simply check mark the team that you think will win each game, and then for Monday night's game, you choose the winner and predict the score. Now...I'm not saying it was pure luck. Being surrounded by some sort of sports media pretty much anytime my husband isn't snoring, and even sometimes when he is, I think I absorb a lot of information that I'm not really aware that I know. As we dropped the cards in the drop box last Sat., I confidently told my husband, "if anyone wins, it will be me". Imagine my surprise when the phone rang on Tues., and the caller id told me it was the local radio station calling. There was a split second where I think my heart stopped...the GRAND prize is $5000. However, I knew my picks weren't perfect, so that only lasted for a split second. Believe it or not though, I...Miss Don't Know Anything About Football...was the FIRST PLACE WINNER!!!!!! I won $50!!! So today, I proudly walked into the radio station. There was a bell with a sign that said, "if you are a winner, please ring bell for service". Heck yeah I'm a WINNER!!!! I rang that bell loud and clear, and when the guy came to the front, I smiled and said, "I'M A WINNER!!!" And you know what he said??? He said, "Wow...you sure must know a lot about FOOTBALL." "Yes", I said, "I sure do!!" (I could tell he was impressed) And you see...that's the nice thing about ME...it doesn't take a lot to make me happy.

'ello Scone

2007-11-09T10:52:00.001-06:00

My husband said, "I just don't get it". But I did, and I smiled and said, "that's because you were never a girl". It was coming from the backseat. It started with a silly phrase, "'ello Muffin". Which was returned with, "'ello Scone", and echoes of giggles surrounded us, followed by more and more giggles and silliness. For the moment, it wasn't about peer pressure, or growing up too fast. It wasn't about girl drama, or growing pains. It was about silliness and being thirteen. It was about not yet being a woman but no longer being a little girl...just trapped in that in between place, and, for the moment, relishing in it. Some things have changed, but some have stayed the same, and yeah...I "got" it. It was about wearing each other's clothes and keeping half of your wardrobe in your best friend's closet. It was about making total sense in that nonsensical sort of way. Mostly though, it was about being a girl, and that, my dear husband, is something you'll never completely "get".

A HULA BOWL?

2007-11-04T20:52:00.002-06:00

Somehow it turned into a Hawaiian themed party, which is, of course, always a great idea for a November day in Wyoming. It would have been just a bit more festive except that I vetoed the swimming suits. I know, I know...I really should try to be a little more fun sometimes.

Somewhere around the 8th frame, the girls decided that tearing the flowers off of the leis and watching them hover over the fan at the ball return was PROBABLY even more fun than bowling.

We did have some very talented bowlers among us. We managed to have a ball stuck in the gutter, despite the use of bumpers, and personally, I think that's an indication of some great skill.

As for the cake, some blue sugar sprinkles for water, crushed vanilla wafers for sand, green sour strings for palm trees (atop the Twix trunks), a surfboard cut from a piece of gum, some candy rings as floaties, an old paper umbrella found in a drawer, and some Finding Nemo fruit snack fish made for a great BEACH cake. And hey...since most of them weren't mine, I figured why not send them home all sugared up.

Just an observation....or two

2007-10-31T22:09:00.001-05:00

- There is no such thing as too many cupcakes
- A good set of vampire teeth can really make things right with the world
- It's a HEATH bar....not a HEALTH bar
- Though the dad may say to the child, "you don't need to eat anymore candy", that's not necessarily true for himself
- The pizza places do a lot of business on Halloween
- If your bag breaks....that ain't good
- Dogs don't REALLY like to dress up

The night before Halloween

2007-10-30T22:41:00.002-05:00

Time to carve
the

Jack-O-Lanterns

Could HE be the culprit?

2007-10-30T15:55:00.000-05:00

The leaf bags have been destroyed. The bags are torn...the leaves are scattered.

The evidence is stacking up:

- nobody else is around
- there are what APPEAR to be leaves on his face and paws
- he can't look me in the eye
- he's not saying he DID, but he's not saying he DIDN'T
- he refuses the polygraph
- he just LOOKS guilty

It's beginning to look a lot like....

2007-10-29T16:06:00.000-05:00

a BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! The UPS man just came, delivering packages for Paityn's birthday. She'll be 10 on Sat. How does that happen??? Does anyone know how that happens??? How they grow up right before your eyes??

She still wants American Girl doll stuff this year. In fact, that's about all she wants. I'm glad. I'm going to enjoy it for just as long as I can. After all, isn't one of the reasons we have children that we want to enjoy the things we loved from childhood all over again, only this time around we get to enjoy it with those little beings we love the most?

My latest listing - PENGUINS

2007-10-29T14:55:00.000-05:00

I had so much fun creating this penguin set for the PICTURE THIS winter launch. It's kind of funny...when I got the invite to the launch, I almost ignored it. The person who sent it was also on a photography board that I was on, so I assumed it was just another photo board. I'm glad I finally clued in though...Mari and Chloe were SO nice to work with!!! Mari's photography is OUTSTANDING, and Chloe is a gorgeous little girl. (thanks Mari and Chloe)

Chris said this was his favorite set I've ever done. We'll see what a man's perpective means. Maybe I need to get his insight for all of my designs!!! :) Here's the listing.

Time to rake the leaves

2007-10-28T21:31:00.000-05:00

Today was a gorgeous day!! It's hard to believe that a week ago we had 4-inches of snow on the ground, and today Paityn was running around in flip-flops. It was the perfect day for hanging out in the yard, even if we did use the time to clean it up. Hopefully the leaf bags will last through Halloween this time. Paityn filled them a couple of weeks ago and they blew all over the place.