in summary...

i'm looking at the date of my last post and the lapse of time does not connect. because it seems like that was practically yesterday.
and, it's not exactly surprising that it's been as long as it has since i'm one of the worst bloggers around {in case you are wondering, this honorary status applies to more than just blogging...let's talk facebook, email, etc.}.
so here i am, a week out from thanksgiving. and, here's what i've been up to...

i spent last week getting my butt kicked fighting a cold. not fun. especially, not when you're in charge of two little kids and can't hug and kiss them like crazy because you're so darn nervous about getting them sick too. my daughter is phasing out her naps, but i made her take them every day last week and basically passed out to try to recoup before the afternoon and evening stretch. it would be nice if i could get a flu shot, but those are annoyingly scarce. i'm sure by the time i can get one, it'll pretty much be pointless to do so.

said cold killed my ability to do my faithful morning treadmill runs. well. more like massively put a crimp in my ability to pull off a 4-mile run with relative ease. i've spent this week pitifully trying to work back to where i was, but it has proven difficult. i'm hoping that this week will be better.

i'm always on pie-duty for the family turkey-bird dinner. i planned the pies...now i have to make them. it'll involve some daily prep to make it less of a project. one of my friends asked me to help her bake up one of my pumpkin streusel pies for her family, so we need to figure out when that's going to happen next week. on the roster, though, for next thursday: caramel apple pie with crumb topping, streusel pumpkin pie, toffee pecan pie. all homemade with homemade crust. yum.

i was able to finish another scrapbook page earlier this week. it felt fabulous to get it done. now on to the next one. since i have a hard time blocking off time to be able to just sit and push around papers and be creative, i do it in stages...mostly when i'm making trips to the basement to put things away or clean...or work out. i'll walk by my desk, rearrange and pull out things...it some how slowly comes together. i'd like more time to actually sit and work on these things. i'm getting ready to order some more pictures - a whole other project in itself whenever i do it. because i don't just order pictures to scrap with...i order updated pictures for the frames and collages around the house, for my husband's office, for family members...considerable thought and time go into this purchasing process.

work has been good. getting ready to head into the holiday season...which is where the insanity of people in the world of retail-shopping is magnified ten-fold. i now get to wear a walkie-talkie while i'm on the sales floor. interesting. even more interesting trying to get the ear bud to stay in my ear and a challenge even more so to try to move my head as i normally would...but i know i end up looking like i have some sort of crazy-neck problem. i'm silently hoping i don't get too many grinches this year, but they are always out there and you just kind of have to grin-and-bear-it {while silently cursing to yourself and vowing to reward your good efforts with a nightcap later on}.

miss playing around with photography practice. want to get back into it, but getting side-tracked by a lot of things in general. hopefully we'll be planting shubbery tomorrow after we completely tore out all the landscaping around our house over the summer. {i vaguely remember when weekends didn't involve housework and waking up before 7 a.m. this is a very distant memory, lol}.

also just started my next bookclub book, To Kill A Mockingbird. love this book. loved it in high school. couldn't believe some of the ladies in bookclub never read it. so, i had to put it on the "to read" list and here we finally are. within the first few pages, i was reminded why i love this book. i'm having the girls compile a list of books they would like to read - we're getting ready to pick out a few months worth of books {a task we immensely enjoy}.

and, can i just say again...wow...a week out from thanksgiving. i've been bad lately with this inability to keep track of my days...and this kind of proves it. i'm even more shocked that next month is december. christmas. the shopping and preparation that still needs to be done. and shortly after that my son turns 2 and birthday festivities to plan. a new year. new resolutions. {i find that being able to keep my sanity relatively in tact to be a good, solid aspiration for the upcoming new year, but i digress...}.

so, no wonder it feels like only days since i've last updated the old blog...

confessions of a candy corn addict.

if lent were in september, i would be giving up candy corn.

i'm horribly addicted.

and, of course, i was in target last week and picked up a bag of brach's autumn mix {which is regular candy corn, chocolate candy corn and candy pumpkins thrown in for good measure}. what i really wanted to was the candy corn and chocolate candy corn combo - i could honestly do without the candy pumpkins - it's too much. of course, on the drive home i found myself eating it. put the bag away when i got home. later i pulled it out and took out a few pieces. it's horrible. potato chips and french fries i can part with after having a few. for some reason, i can't do that with candy corn. {or cheetos for that matter, but i would diverge if i started talking about cheetos....mmm...}.

that's my thought for today. i'm working a little on changing my blog over to a new format, so if you visit, bear with me. there's a lot of stuff i've been "meaning to do" and i do it when i can. i'm just now trying to do it in earnest.

but, really quickly before i go, i had an awesome anniversary weekend. i hope to post more on that next time and share some photos as well.

happy fall!

5 years.

just wanted to stop by very quickly and post a happy anniversary to my hubby. it was actually yesterday. and, i had the best of intentions in scanning a wedding photo and posting it to the blog. but, the scan came out so poorly that i quickly ditched the effort {was also under the gun to do that and a bit of housework before getting the kids up from naptime}.

it's been 5 years. i know it's not a long time, but it's a milestone just the same. we've had a lot of ups and downs in that time, but we have been greatly blessed in so many ways. i am thankful for that.

...and the winner is...

well, we picked a faucet. moen's lindley. so far, i love it {i can't speak for my husband - the only think he said is that it's going to take a little getting used to, but i don't necessarily think that's a negative comment}. it's got a higher arch than we're used to, but i kind of like that industrial look {and, in the kitchen that's OK since it's the center of activity in our house and we're constantly cooking or baking something}.

again, in the world of faucets, i can't get too terribly excited {especially when it involves an unplanned expense}. but, this actually made me smile a little when i saw the finished product.

you know what stinks, though? when your 20-month old decides he doesn't want to nap and you still have to get through your daughter's dance class with a non-napping, crazy kid in tow...

...i'm just saying...

it's going to prove an interesting afternoon and evening as my son turns borderline hyper-manic with having had no rest today. no sugar added. =P

the little things...

so, yes, a half hour of my afternoon during naptime went towards fun cyber-shopping for new kitchen faucets. my husband and i unwhittingly discovered a leak underneath the sink about a month or so ago...could not find the source...and were convinced we had fixed it. that is, until the other day, we discovered what we kept underneath the kitchen sink was soaking through and through. yeah, not so much fixed. the plumber came out, checked it and recommended we replace the faucet entirely. not that anytime is a "good" time to replace kitchen hardware {unless you've got money to burn and are having fun renovating}, but we've had on and off discussions about replacing the faucet. it's white...the sink is white...it's a pain in the butt to keep clean and it always seems to be in need of a good bleaching. the problem is the sink is seemlessly attached to the counter, made of corian...and though we would love a stainless sink...that isn't happening anytime soon as it's not a priority. we still had issues with the white faucet - again, gets so dirty - and we've said how having a stainless faucet would be a nice alternative. so, although it stinks having to replace it now, it's at least a cosmetic "improvement".


on an "up" note, as i was mulling all of this over while changing the bed linens before, i got to use one of my favorite "little things" that makes me happy...



have you ever tried restoration hardware's sheet spray? i would've never thought twice about buying the stuff until a co-worker gave me a bottle of the sweet orange scented spray for bed linens. love it. i am thinking about buying the shore scent just to keep that smell around in the colder weather. it's the best feeling in the world - when my head hits the pillow at night, breathing in the scent of nice, clean sheets - that have a comforting fragrance to them - is just one of the best feelings to temper the sheer exhaustion of the day. in case you're really sensitive to smell, i don't find the sheet spray to be overpowering. trust me - i usually wretch at the slightest whiff of bad perfume {in fact, i don't really wear perfume anymore...i just like clean scents...}.

laundry is calling...

the heck with it.

i was going to do a little blurb about peaches, how much i've been enjoying them this summer and the rockin' things we've done with them in the kitchen...but, it's been one of those days with the kids and i'm shopping for kitchen faucets right now since ours is nearly kaput. =P

i'm delighted that lowes has apparently over 2400 faucets i can view online {not}. hmmm...scratch those search results...more like 500 kitchen faucets i can view {my bad}. hahaha...here's something new...anyone ever heard of a "biscuit" metal finish? yeah, me neither...
let's see...further narrowed it down to 54 results since i need a 2-hole faucet {faucet openening & soap dispenser opening}...

{isn't this just what you want to be reading...? me...shopping for faucets...}.

seriously, though...hope you're having a great afternoon...

damn fine cherry cobbler

i've been on a baking frenzy.

every weekend this summer, i've tried to bake things using seasonal produce...and, loving the results.

made this excellent cherry cobbler over the weekend and was very happy with the end product. sad to say that it's all been consumed due to me and my husband {the kiddos are a bit wary of baked fruit desserts}. {btw - isn't the picture on the recipe link the cutest? i originally posted that picture on my blog, but changed it to the one i actually took for this post...not as delish looking, but...you get the point that the subject revolves around cherries...lol...}.

i've been able to make peach and cherry pies this season...as well as some delicious blueberry crumb bars. it's just what i do...pull out a new recipe to bake, hoping it'll be a keeper. my goal is to take the "keeper" recipes and assemble a small binder, organized by specific seasonal items, so when, say, cherries, are in season, i won't have to randomly thumb through old magazines and cookbooks to drum up something to satisfy...

but, i'm pretty sure this is going to be a winter project. i'm a little maxed out on projects and things that need to be done. however, i am looking forward to delving into my recipe box {or stack} and making some sense of it all. next week, peach cobbler...!

today...i know this much is true...

1. i love grilling food. i wish all of our meals could be grilled.
and if i had a ton of foresight, time & creativity, i would plan out every meal around use of the grill.

2. all meals should come in shish kabob form. it's not only makes meals fun, but two skewars give you the perfect portion of food. and, it doesn't get boring...you can put whatever you want on a shish kabob. {hmmm...contemplating breakfast foods to skewar as i type this...}.

3. i love the summertime. i used to be a fall-fanatic, but this started changing a few years back. i think it's because of the abundance of fresh produce...warmer weather...longer daylight to boost my energy...the ability to take pictures with ease due to the abundance of natural lighting...but, whatever it comes down to, it's just a great time for activities. the kids get outside regularly...there are an abundance of parks and outdoor recreational facilities to visit...it even makes hopping in and out of the car for errands more tolerable in the warm weather versus the cold. the only drag is that i find i have less time for things like blogging...and some other hobbies. i'm even amazed that i pinned down a few minutes to type this.

hope your summer has been a good one so far...go grill! =P

updates soon...sort of...

i finally realized today that it has been longer than i thought since i've last blogged. but, i do have stuff to chat about. just never the time to put all my thoughts down.

this past month was a whirl but i'm looking forward to some fun stuff coming up...including a Karen Russell class that's starting soon. =)

anyway, hopefully i will have a chance to sit down and process some of these thoughts, type 'em out & share very soon.

icing on the cake.

so to speak, it's the WORST icing imaginable. so, on top of the craziness with my son's health this week, i found out yesterday my dad has bronchitis. which is bad because he has one lung {the other had been removed in an effort to save him from terminal cancer a few years back}. i also found out today that my credit card number had been swiped at some point and someone had fun charging over $4K to it. {is it wrong of me to hope the person who did this gets nailed by karma BIG TIME?}.

like i said...it kind of tops off my week.

i'm also starting to believe that driver's licenses must be given away in cereal boxes. i thought about it today - quite a few times, actually - as i got behind one BAD driver after another. i thought how this has been happening all week - and, it's a scary trend in my mind. i mean, how do you ride BOTH lanes, not use signal lights when merging or switching lanes and think that it's OK to sit in the middle of an intersection in trying to make it through before the light turns red??? and, amusingly enough {but, not amusing when experiencing it in real time}, why do people act like they don't know how to drive in the rain when it has been raining for the past 8 days?????.

on a positive note, we got the green light for little dude's surgery. his congestion is better. and, now to work on getting him there and through it. what a hurdle.

at wit's end.

when i say i've been to the pediatrician's 1-2 times a week for the past 1-1/2 to 2 months, rest assured that it's no exaggeration. between amelia's pneumonia and getting her seasonal allergy attacks under control {finally} and james's ear infections and colds i swear the doctor's office has a room reserved for us. and, when i go in and they ask to see the insurance card and a verification on address, all i can do is chuckle {otherwise, i'd lose my mind}.

we have surgery for james scheduled next week. he needs a cyst removed from near the tear duct of his left eye. he also needs tubes at this point - his ears are red and inflammed. the poor kid. the latest and greatest: he's developed head and chest congestion. call it spring allergies...call it the 8 straight freakin' days - and counting - of rain stirring the pot...but we've got an issue on our hands. he's on two meds to try to clear things up and dry things out...otherwise we've got to reschedule the surgery and delay much needed procedures that have us otherwise bouncing in and out of the doctor's office. he goes back for a well-visit tomorrow. if you could just kindly keep him in your thoughts & prayers - hopefully, with any luck, we'll be trending in the right direction and can get the little guy back on track early next week with the procedures that need to be done.

a new kind of yum.

if you're stopping by for the first time, let me explain: i'm a baker. i've always been a baker. i love to bake - trying new recipes...whipping up the old as well. here's the proof:



so, this recipe was my latest adventure in the world of baking. and, it was very satisfying. =) this household is a huge fan of cupcakes. the kids love them. and, the adults...well...it's like the perfect portion of cake. i made giant vanilla coconut cupcakes for my husband's birthday - just take a peek at the picture on my blog banner.

but, pie has always been a huge favorite here, too. i'm just not the master of pie crust. so, i'm checking out a few options and i'm hoping to hone those skills a bit more. i've heard this recipe provides a no-fail promise to pie crust perfection. i mean...isn't everything better with a little vodka? now i just have to check it out for myself.

valium, wine & weeds.

my mom recently asked me what i wanted for my birthday in a few weeks.

i chuckled and asked her if she could hook me up with a year's supply of valium. seriously. that would be nice. =)

OR...my own private wine closet...with my favorite stashes from napa and sonoma.

valium and libations aside, these things would be pretty cool:

Canon Normal EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Autofocus Lens - and the sucker is backordered too...most likely because it's so amazing...

that would be a totally amazing surprise...

i could also use a new watch. and, this would be super fun...

and this is very pretty {i have a weakness for anthropologie}.

crazy as it seems, right now, i'd take a landscaping service to come in and do some much needed spring cleaning in my yard...edging, weeding, topsoil and new mulch...tear out some shabby looking shrubs. the flower beds look a bit like something you'd see in Where the Wild Things Are. guess what this girl is going to be working on over the next few days? yep...researching landscaping services and calling in for estimates. =)

here are a few quick layouts i put together recently:

and...

this past week was pretty crazy. amelia had some respiratory relapses with her allergies. looks like the nebulizer is here to stay for awhile, along with some allergy meds to use during the rough seasons. james got yet another ear infection. we're looking at tubes next month, during the same time his cyst will be removed from near his eye.

i think the best birthday gift right now would be everything settling down a bit. happy & healthy. yes...that would be good, indeed.

argh.

originally, i wanted to title this post, "about ready to lose my freakin' mind", but i decided not to.

still doesn't change how i feel today.

got a lot of things going on lately and all the health stuff going on with my kids has me a bit overloaded. i need things to level off a bit.

on the upside, my daughter is feeling loads better and recovering from the pneumonia. we don't know if she has asthma and we won't know that for awhile. what we DO know is that when she gets a cold, her respiratory gets nailed. for whatever reason, it's her achilles heel. so, what she doesn't seem to have in cold and allergies right now, she makes up with a bit of spunk and defiance. "no...i don't want to" and "no...YOU do it..." has me gritting my teeth with this new test of wills.
my latest and greatest news is how we have been practicing how to draw circles. and, while we haven't worked on it in a few days, apparently she has worked on it all by herself...by using a pen on the comforter cover in our guest room. so, i'm currently washing that, muttering sweet nothings under my breath.

some headway was made for "little boy". =)

his surgery has been scheduled for his eye and ears. BUT, i found out today that his iron levels just won't get to where they should be with normal iron supplements, so ferinsol three times a day is the next step. that and lean red meat {okay...we can do this} and leafy green vegetables {ha. say that to a 15 month old who is a carb and meat fanatic}. good times ahead. hemoglobin still low thanks to the beta thalassemia trait he got from me. i hate feeling like i gave my kid bad genes, so i've been beating myself up a bit this afternoon. at least, as my husband points out, he's a happy kid, and we're working on fixing the other stuff. and that, i am thankful for.

on the upside...it's a gorgeous day out. i think we're going to go outside and enjoy it a bit - and forget all these other things right now. tomorrow promises to be nice too, so maybe i'll get a chance to take some photos of new layouts and post them.

if you knew the half of it...

you'd understand why i haven't posted in awhile.

here's a quick breeze-thru:

daughter's allergies turned into pneumonia...

son ran through an MRI and is prepping for surgery for a cyst near his eye and possible tubes in his ears...(and caught sis's cold...)...

lots of crazy nights with kids up, crying...

cold, dreary, rainy weather wiping everyone out...

*sigh*

i think everyone can use a break about now.

here's a semi-recent layout i finished for the SC blog. it was another rainy, icky day here when i took the photos and i've since brightened it up now that i'm fumbling my way through learning photoshop...

and i'm happy to say i have two other layouts to photograph and post. now...to find the time...

hope everyone is having a stellar weekend...!

the truth about bangs...

the other day i mentioned to my husband about needing to get my hair cut. nothing dramatic, but a good, old face-frame since it's getting too long and hanging in my face. he suggested bangs. i looked at him and said, matter-of-factly, "i have a theory about bangs."

it's true.

and it's simple - on me, bangs are better in theory than in actuality. they look perfectly awesome on other people and i think, "bangs would be good. very good. the hair won't hang in my face, it'll look cute with a headband..." and then i get bangs.

and i.hate.them.on.me.

they hang in my face anyway, when i work out. i can't style them right because my hair either frizzes in the summer or flattens completely in the winter. in short: bangs look stupid on me. and my love of bangs goes away instantly. over time, as my hair grows out, i forget how frustrated i get with bangs because, when my hair gets super-long again, i start thinking, "bangs would be a good idea."

NO. no, no, no! they never are.

of course, my husband looked at me like i was insane as i pontificated my theory.

and perhaps i am. but, then again, he knew i had a little crazy in me anyway, when he married me. right, honey?

tick tock tick tock tick tock...

...just waiting out this wretched cold. the kids have it and now i have it as well.


is it too early for spring?


two quick layouts:







and some details:



i received a bunch of tags from facebook friends about listing 25 random things on yourself. so, instead of replying to everyone, i thought it would be fun to post it here instead. =)

1. i love to bake. cooking is OK, but i love to bake.
2. becoming more savvy with photoshop is on my list of things to accomplish this year.
3. jeans, khakis and plain tshirts are a way of life for me.
4. pjs are the other way of life for me. =P
5. have become accustomed to drinking cold coffee {i can never seem to grab a chance to drink it down while it's still hot}...and rather enjoy it.
6. i love bbq sauce.
7. i love dipping french fries in bbq sauce.
8. enjoyed the story of edgar sawtelle for book club more than i thought i would.
9. really enjoyed reading twilight. was a bit disappointed in the movie.
10. feel that starbuck's peppermint mocha is one of the few things about winter i enjoy.
11. enjoy apple picking if only for my daughter's sheer enthusiasm for it {and, yes, we end up buying more than is intended}.
12. not too thrilled to be turning 31 this year.\
13. enjoy a good glass of wine with my meal.
14. miss getting a good 8 hours of sleep a night.
15. have been enjoying wearing grays & pinks a lot more lately...
16. would like to learn how to bake bread from scratch.
17. love the dimple that shows up in my son's right cheek whenever he smiles.
18. think cinnamon teddy grahams are the best flavor.
19. have a wicked addiction to cheetos.
20. feel better whenever i look at fresh flowers.
21. would like to be a better photographer.
22. love the beach and exploring coastal towns.
23. tired of the bite in the winter air and the constant colds.
24. really horrible at picking out paint colors for rooms.
25. looking forward to the spring.

fly by...

i've got about a ba-zillion things i want to chat about: valentines, more layouts, crazy happenings here...but, i'm just too dang tired right now and am thinking bed is the place i want to be. we're all under the weather. these poor kids have certainly been through their fair share this cold season. my 3 year-old daughter passed out at 6.30 this evening - unheard of around here! i'm even getting the sniffles.

hope you're feeling a bit healthier. =)

i've been slacking.....

sometimes when it comes to putting aside the time to take photos of my layouts, uploading them, and editing them into photoshop, i slack big time.

it's not intentional, but it's a process - and i'd rather work on a new layout.

here are just a couple of newbies. i'll hopefully post more stuff by the end of the week...

and some details...




the stitching i did in the argyle wasn't as labor-intensive as i thought it would be, though it did take awhile - it was rather fun!

this next one i did for a challenge on studio calico's board. there's a new challenge every week to create a layout inspired by the layouts of a specific design team member. last week was tina aszmus, whose work is always amazing, each month. {truthfully, every design team member is a genius in their own right...}. i love the way tina sneaks in the details on each layout...it makes it so much fun to try to drum up something entirely new. of course, the challenge was eagerly received by all and a bunch of ladies posted some amazing lifts. this was mine:


and a little close-up:


for the record, i wish i were better at taking photos of my layouts. i always feel like the layouts were too crooked on the floor...or i was too crooked in angling the camera and discover this when i'm cropping down the photos in PSE. if anyone has any recommendations on how to improve this process, please pass them along. i would love the tips!

yesterday i went to see he's not that into you with one of my friends. not a bad movie - not the greatest movie either. i thought the ending was cute. i'm not going to blow cover on anything in case you haven't seen it. all i will say is that while it's nice to have a happy ending, it's nice when a little reality is thrown into the mix and things aren't all super-duper, everyone-gets-what-they-want. i feel like the ending was a mix of both. oh well - that's hollywood for you. ;-)

this is it.

This picture pretty much summarizes winter and snow for us...

The temperature never gets truly cold until sometime in January - though freakish warm fronts have been known to occur this time of year. We never get any, truly, big accumulations. I think the first year we were in our house, we got a few inches of snow. Followed with some ice. And, that was "bad".

Truth be told, I don't mind the snow - but, I like it best around the holidays. But, it isn't until January that we see much - if any - of it; and, at that point, I can do without. When we've hit a third day in a row 0f 20-degree weather, I'm ready to wash my hands clean of the nonsense. Because, at the end of the day, 45-degrees for a daytime high in January isn't bad...and I can always wear my cute, puffer vest. ;-)

I am hoping to take those layout photos tomorrow. The weather promises for some sun {unless there's been a change in forecast from this morning - love that natural light for photos versus a flash!}. I'll hopefully be clicking and uploading away!

right now i'm...

trying to upload and organize quite a few photos that have been building up in my camera {does this process take anyone else forever and a day?}...

trying {and not doing too terribly well} to balance my book-club reading for the month and read the third installment of the Twilight series, Eclipse...

itching at my eyes {time to take the old contacts out and put on the glasses}...

thinking of the layouts i've been neglecting to take photos of and post...

making a mental list of what i need to pick up at Target this week {that list better make it to paper quick as i'm bound to lose it locked up in my scatter-brain}...

mad that i haven't finished wrapping up the care package i have to mail to a friend...

and, taking out a piece of paper because my to-do list just got too terribly long for me to remember...

Colds & books.

Two entirely unrelated topics, mind you, but pertinent to my life right now.

I will say I was amply forewarned during my second pregnancy that siblings will, without fail, pass colds back and forth. Holy smokes, no kidding.
I feel like my house has been riddled with runny noses, scratchy throats, sneezes, fevers, etc. since the start of preschool {i.e. the petrie dish}. Baby boy has been having a rough time with ear infections and the pain of teething. It's been interesting. We're all a bit tired and run-down. It's one of those times I wish I were super-human and able to be immune to these ailments, able to go non-stop and keep the house continually lysol-ed to immaculate perfection. But, nighttime falls and......so. do. I.

I also wish that it were about 75 degrees, sunny, humidity-free......because in the back of my mind, I'm not thinking about germs and colds when I think of those pleasant days. But, that's not going to happen either. For a while, at least.

And, now I get the scratchy throat. and the glassy eyes. Joy.

Now that you've gotten a picture of how life has been the past couple of months, on to the happier part - books!

I read as I have time - well, make time. Which I haven't really been doing with much success until a few months ago. I volunteered to head up the Book Club for my local Mom's Club. It eventually became an activity that is now outside my Mom's Club and I have a few regular members, which makes me happy. Happy because people are okay with getting together once every six weeks to discuss something we've read and enjoying themselves. Sure, we'll digress from the book and onto a topic loosely related to what we were talking about moments before......I mean, it's typical female ADD. We're mixing up the book genres a bit - and stories as well. A little fiction, sometimes serious subject matter, and occasional chick-lit thrown in for good measure.

Our next book is The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. I will admit that it's not a book I would've picked out - which is another reason why I like Book Club. It makes me go out on a limb and try something different. Everyone gets to offer their own book selections - and that's how we end up with a little from Column A, a little from Column B, so-to-speak.

Twilight, Pilot's Wife, and Water for Elephants are our next planned readings and in that order.

And, we're always looking for good suggestions. Any recommendations?
Pass them along......

I'm off to read a little, myself.

what is that......?

addictive quality to cheetos or cheese twists? i seriously have no will-power when it comes to those things.

potato chips - no problem. can limit myself to a couple.

french fries - can stop eating them in seconds flat, especially when they get cold.

but cheese twists? must forget the cheese twists. i have to hide those suckers and try to forget they exist in the pantry. =)

happy birthday to.....

my friend, lauren!
she's the ONLY one who still checks out this old blog every once and awhile and gave me kudos the other day for finally updating it after six months {*insert blush*}.
lauren - i hope you have a wonderful year full of success at your job and fun outside of worklife. may you balance it all! =)

happy + new

Happy 2009 to all!

The holidays always fly by so quickly. Is it horrible of me to say that I already miss the Christmas music and the happy glow of lights twinkling on the tree? I find this time a year a bit of a struggle. Case-in-point: My daughter cried when we explained to her that the Christmas tree had to come down today. At bedtime she begged, "Please bring my Christmas tree back!" {Although, 4 weeks out from purchasing a real evergreen, it had alread stopped taking in water and was starting to brown, lose needles and sag. How do you explain that to a toddler?}. We tried to explain as best as possible that the tree only stayed inside the house during the holidays; it had to go back outside to live, where it would get water and sunshine so we could bring it back inside next Christmas. Not really sure how convincing our argument was; but, it seemed to appease her - at least for the evening.

The holidays were good. Crazy busy, as most people experience, but good. I know I have fallen off the blogging bandwagon. The last half of the year was jammed with all sorts of good, new things and memorable events as well as some difficult, family passings that made the holidays a little sad this year.

On a more upbeat note, I am hoping, in this new year, to take some time to periodically update the blog - maybe give some new life to its current style. I still haven't figured out to magically tack on five hours to each day, so my blogging goals may be slow-going. I am still debating on making my blog a private one and may ultimately end up doing so.

Well, there will be more debating on that one.

Thanks for dropping by - hope you have a great, new year!