quick blip.

hi to all.

i know i've turned into the world's worst blogger, but there's been some stuff going on here.

i've actually been very sick since my last post. {yeah, scroll down and see...it's been awhile}. the good news is that i've been slowly rebounding over the past few weeks.

this wasn't intended to be a long post going over all the intimate details, but i just wanted to drop a note and say that things are okay. i'll try to get to my blog a little more frequently than every two months. ;-) now that i'm doing a bit better, i'm just trying to catch up around the house and get back into the swing of things - family is my priority.

a quick word of thanks to my friends who have been so understanding and patient with me through this time. no roll calls - you know who you are. =) i know i had dropped off the face of the earth, falling behind on my correspondence, etc. i appreciate your prayers and your "just-checking-in-to-say-hi" emails or phone calls. i know i haven't gone into many details to explain, but you've been kind enough to understand. it's such an incredibly good feeling to know that there are people out there like you. again, thank you bunches!

good night & good dreams. =)

dress up.

it's not everyday we have a reason to get dressed up. it's usually tees and jeans/shorts around here.

so, when my husband told me we were going to his 15-year high school reunion dinner, i knew, this time, i really had to go out and find something to wear. as you know, dress shopping can be either productive or completely bust, depending on what is in the stores, what you like, what you feel motivated to try on, how expensive, etc.

i found this little combination and i'm happy with the end result:

a sweet little strapless sundress with a fun orange & white mushroom pattern throughout...





and this amazing side-tie jacket that i completely love...



even better...i didn't pay full price for these items.

we will have a late-summer baptism to attend, so i'm thrilled i get to wear this little number more than once this year. {the beauty of the jacket is that i can wear it with anything...it dresses up and down to casual so easily...}.

now...i need to dig through my closet to find a purse and shoes that'll go with it. since i know my husband will read my post, i know how eager he'll be to help me go through my section of the closet and help me put the finishing touches on this outfit. =) {thanks in advance, hon!}. =)

pretty.

wow. i can't believe that, for the 2 hours of toiling at the computer last week to figure out the blog banner thing, it took me less than an hour tonight to slam it all together. maybe i work better at this stuff at night, when i'm tired. hmmm.

learning PSE definitely takes some work and i'd like to practice some more at some point, but i'm happy with doing the basics for right now, this evening, and...yippee! i've got a new banner!

my creative outlet may not be digital layouts and banners...yet...but, when it comes to, say, baking...i feel my creativity flow big time and i can whip out some kind of confectionary delight from a complicated recipe or from the top of my head, like these yummy cupcakes...



i'm very into cupcakes lately. they're cute...and sweet {no pun intended}. you can decorate them in so many ways. it's like the perfect portion of dessert. and...i love icing...so much. i love to make a little extra and pile some extra height to the tops of my cupcakes. these were made with no recipe. just felt inspired by the prettiness of spring...and, they taste pretty yummy too!

decisions.

those of you who know me well, know i can be horribly indecisive.
a good example of this would be when it's time to choose a paint color.

in january i started renovating our dining room. the renovations involved tearing down wallpaper, wiping down the walls, spackling and sanding. and, i'm proud to say that i think the walls are ready to be primed and painted {i may have to do one more wall-washing.}

so, onto the fun part, right?

not so fast. there's the paint color. i'm down to two...i think.

i'm really into benjamin moore paint color lately. i don't know why. it might be that i'm completely smitten with the town where the closest benjamin moore store to me can be found.

in any case...i'm trying to choose between barley and cornsilk. barley was featured in pottery barn during fall 2006. cornsilk during spring 2007. i often use the catalogs as inspiration...the colors have such a clean, fresh look. the dining room gets a decent amount of light, especially in the afternoon...so i don't want it to be exceedingly bright. any thoughts...anyone? {i realize the picture isn't the best...sorry...!}

pse hell.

well...i've been away and busy. i know i've become a bad blogger. i've actually been trying to pretty-up my blog, but it's not going too well, as you can see!!! i spent two hours in photoshop...trying to figure out layers, etc. and...ACK! my head is swimming.

if anyone can recommend some excellent resources, i'd greatly appreciate it. i attempted to google some information, but couldn't find the kind of help i'm looking for.

i've been trying to get rid of the title page element {which seems to be making my banner wider}, and i can't do that. i also tried {and couldn't figure out} how to add digital patterned paper to the blank banner i started in photoshop. it's all so frustrating and i wish i had the extra time to spend in order to figure it all out!

anyway...hopefully i will be back soon with either a better banner or a random post. =)

friends.

today i feel compelled to write about something that has been on my mind, troubling me since earlier this week. a very, close friend of mine finally connected with me after months of little to no communication. she and i met when we were six or seven years old, and it took until high school before we really bonded and became good friends. we graduated high school, and our paths separated as we went to different colleges. and, in the years since, we've moved many times, changed phone numbers, made new friends, married...but, we've always stayed connected. i am so honored to have this person in my life, as she is one of the sweetest and most unselfish individuals you'd ever meet. needless to say, i consider her one of my best friends and even more priveleged that she is my daughter's God-Mother. it's not unusual that a month will pass by and we won't talk over the phone or even correspond via email. more often than anything, we exchange voicemails. but, the scarcity of those voicemails...and phone calls...and emails...even around the holidays...had me really worried since last fall.

when my phone rang on monday, i debated on letting it go...after all, i had errands to run and that precious window of time get the to-do's done before lunch and my daughter's nap. but, i felt compelled to pick it up and i'm so grateful i did.
i spent the next sixty-plus minutes on the phone with her, listening to rather upsetting news as she informed me of why she hadn't called and what was going on in her life. needless to say, it felt like i needed to board a plane...

my heart really goes out to her right now. i obviously cannot disclose the nature of her situation or the details of what she's enduring right now; however, i am so thankful that her health is okay. however, i am shocked, upset and have been very worried ever since our conversation, and it's hard to have faith enough to let go and trust that, somehow, she'll find her way and things will work out for her.

i don't normally chat about religion. i find that it's a bone of contention with many people. everyone has their own walk, their own faith. and, that's cool. growing up, i went to a non-denominational private school. i went to church. prayed before i went to bed. read the Bible. participated in youth groups. went to christian roller skating night at a roller rink a few towns away from mine. i probably am not as devout as i once was and ought to be {i say shamefully}. i am finding my way back though. the point of all of this is...there is a song that i remember from those times...and the lyrics popped into my head after i spoke with my dear friend. and these lyrics have been there ever since. the song is "friends" by michael w. smith. and, well, i've reprinted the lyrics because they pretty much sum up how i feel about the few, tight, "best" friends i have and the relationship i have with them.

it takes a lot of faith to let go and trust that even when your paths depart, you'll stay close. even when you get those phone calls with really bad news. good OR bad...there is something amazing about the impact a good friend has on your life. a simple phone call or email does wonders, even when your friend can only listen to your troubles, because, sometimes, no advice can be given. it's also an amazing thing to be able to do the same for them.

you may be seeing some good friends this weekend. or next week. whenever you do, hold them dear. listen to their thoughts...idle cares or serious troubles. let them know you're there foro them. just be you. it goes a long way...

friends

lyrics by deborah d. smith
music by michael w. smith

Packing up the dreams God planted,
In the fertile soil of you,
Can't believe the hopes he's granted,
Means a chapter in your life is through,
But we'll keep you close as always,
It won't even seem you've gone,
'Cause our hearts in big and small ways,
Will keep the love that keeps us strong.

And friends are friends forever,
If the Lord's the Lord of them.
And a friend will not say never,
'Cause the welcome will not end.
Though it's hard to let you go,
In the Father's hands we know,
That a lifetime's not too long,
To live as friends.

With the faith and love God's given,
Springing from the hope we know,
We will pray the joy you'll live in,
Is the strength that you now show,
But we'll keep you close as always,
It won't even seem you've gone,
'Cause our hearts in big and small ways,
Will keep the love that keeps us strong.

on a side note...just a quick thanks to all those who stop by my blog and read my ramblings and leave a nice comment. i really appreciate your creativity, your uniqueness...i hope you all have a great weekend.

'til next time. =)

frozen eggs.

i hope everyone had a wonderful weekend {even if you don't celebrate Easter!}.

if the Easter bunny came through our area, he would've frozen his little cottontail off. it was mighty cold this weekend and left me wondering...where is spring?
all the signs are there...budding trees...daffodils...hyacinths...blooming cherries, plums, dogwoods & magnolias...but, now many of these pretties are bitterly clinging on as the chilly winds bring a reminder that winter did not end very long ago. ironically, it was colder on Easter than it was here on Christmas day. and, there were plenty of snow showers here on saturday and sunday. guess it's a good thing i left a few sweaters folded up in the closet...

despite the cold temps, we had a very nice Easter. we have made it a tradition to join in on the Easter festivities at my husband's aunt's home. she throws a ridiculously delicious brunch full of rich foods that i can't even being to describe. {my personal favorite is the mouth-watering french toast she makes with thick slices of sweet, raisin bread...yummy!}. we have such a great time visiting with family...

we had a little trouble getting our daughter to adjust to the crowd yesterday. hubby's aunt lives in a small cape cod...and everyone arrived at the same time, so it was a bit of an overload. but...she eventually warmed up and was playing with plastic eggs in no time. the easter egg hunt...well, it didn't last too long. like i said...it has been pretty cold here! so...no outdoor pictures of the Easter egg hunt...{i'm so upset by this too...my daughter was still in shell-shock over the number of people at Easter brunch and wasn't too into the egg hunt at that point}.

on monday i went through a bit of de-tox from sunday's sumptuous foods. water...plenty of water...and light on everything. was it worth it? absolutely. and, that's why that type of brunch only comes once a year.

did i mention how much i adore my daughter's Easter dress? pretty shades of green and pink blended into a fun, summery plaid. we actually bought it last year, on sale, from janie and jack...we don't shop there normally as the prices are a bit steep...but we timed it right last year, saw the dress and picked it up for her with the intent that she wear it this summer. when i started going through her closet a few weeks ago, packing away clothing she had outgrown and getting her springy stuff out, i saw the dress and didn't think one second about using it for Easter until my hubby mentioned it to me. perfect! i love the fact that i know she'll be able to wear it again too...that's such a bonus.

i confess we forgot to bring our camera with us yesterday. so, i snapped some pictures when we came home. my daughter isn't one to stay still {like her mommy}, but i did my best.







i really didn't want to cut my daughter's hair, but i'm thinking she may need bangs. barrettes aren't working anymore and she's too active to keep them in {as well as mischievious...she gives me this wicked smile and pulls them out right afterward}. i know i'm going to cry when she does get her hair cut...

on a completely unrelated note, i'm off this afternoon to go picking through garbage.

yes...i do this for pure, unaldulterated fun.

*ah-hem*

seriously though...i'm pretty sure my daughter threw out a piece of her toy {she's fascinated with the garbage and the concept of throwing things in there without fully grasping that once it's in there, it's meant to stay...}.

so, i'm going to go pull on some plastic gloves and hold my breath.

i'd rather be running...

hope you have a great week!

and, p.s., another CTMH peakie for you below: