something new

My good friend asked me to make a flower girl basket and a head-piece for her daughter. Of course, this is something I love to do and loved the challenge of this one. The flowers for this wedding are these unusual purple and turquoise orchids...

Now since it is highly unlikely I can find a silk/fake version of this amazing flower, I did the next best thing... I improvised. The bridesmaids are wearing dresses in this deep turquoise color...so, for some reason I felt like I could go fun and funky with this task. I hope I succeeded and that she loves it. The purple isn't quite as vibrant as the orchids, but is more so than the pictures indicate. (fingers crossed)

And since I don't have a little girl to model for me to see how it's gonna look, the 2 year old I do have seemed the right size. (he didn't love it so I bribed him with cookies...)

schizo templates and DELIGHTful dishtowels

My designer hubby is creating a new look for me on this blog. But rather than wait, I am trying out all sorts of new looks from templates I find. Therefore, each time you visit, you may see something new. :) (You just never know what you will find here.)

Let me know if something strikes your fancy.

On another, completely separate, totally random and unrelated note....

I found more dishtowels to light up my life (and kitchen):

the paci fairy and other oddities

Well, it's official. Little a. will not be heading to kindergarten with a pacifier. Thank goodness. (Or maybe I'm being a bit dramatic here since he isn't quite 2 and a half. )

It's been a few weeks since we sent the remaining 2 pacis to "THE PACI FAIRY". Never heard of her? Apparently she takes the pacis from all the big boys and girls and "recycles" them (ewwww!) on to new babies that might need them. A. was very good about all this. No tears. No fits. No severe emotional distress. He'll occasionally ask about it...and then remind himself, "oh, yeah..I a big boy.... and Paci Fairy"....will come out of his mouth.

Okay, so another hurdle in the process of growing up. We also removed his crib rail and he's been pretty excited about "his brand new bed"! And he's only fallen out twice!! :) I have peeked in a few times and pushed him to the wall so as to intercept a potential crisis.

Now...POTTY TRAINING.

(good grief.)

hotter than....

In the spirit of this excruciating summer heat, I asked my southern bred husband for his take on some funny country idioms. Here we go:

It's hotter than a billy goat in a pepper patch.

It's hotter than 2 bears fighting in a forest fire.

It's hotter than 2 rats "wrestling" in a wool sock. (this one is particularly funny when you input the verb of your choice)

It's hotter than a monkey's uncle.

(and the one I alluded to previously...)It's hotter than a 2bit "ho" in a country church.

It's hotter than Justin Beiber. (added by the 8y/o)

You go now.....give me some of your favorites. Make me laugh.

greetings from the crypt

Um...hello?

Helllll-ooooo?

Anybody out there??

Woh. Hey. Hi-ya.

How ya been?

I'm surfacing from the hell , fun that was summer.

Gosh, has it been an entire summer vacation since I last visited here? I have been so delinquent! Hmmm....how do I summarize the past few months in one blog post?

Well, j. did it again. He turned another year older. I can't believe he's 8! We're about to embark on 3rd grade in a few days and are counting down the hours, minutes, days...

He had a fun, chill bday with friends and a movie on our lawn with some backyard olympics.

It lasted into the wee hours (well, 10pm or so) on account of that pesky fact that it doesn't get dark until 9 or so and we still had a movie to watch.

There were camps, a beach trip with 17 people, a lot of pool time, books, books, and more books and HOTTER than a 2bit...oh, wait...nevermind...summer. So hot the pool is not much of a respite at 85 degrees. Yeah, refreshing.

I managed to maintain sanity (sort of) with a bored 8 year old and a testy 2 year old towards the end. And I have had loads of mommy guilt over how I handled some of these days. Such is life...and it goes on.

I am currently getting reenergized in my creative business...of which has completely fallen by the wayside and is practically non-existent but the ideas are starting to flow again. And that is a good thing.

So, what's new with you? And are you still there? I wouldn't blame you for ditching....

OH gosh, AND we'll be able to bless the world (with a little help from ABOVE) with a new little face come March. Yes, Lord help me....

So, besides being hot...I've been pukey, migrainey, and full of joy. ;)

details, details...

The last week of school is always super fun. And it's always super busy! Today is the last day. I am going to lay out my agenda here (mostly so I can get a big picture of how I need to lay out my day)

10a- pack up stuff I need to take to school (supplies for ice cream party, teacher gifts, and lunch for j)

11a-lunch w. j at school

11:40-12-deliver teacher gifts

12-12:30- ice cream party for first grade class that won Reflections Class Contest

1-1:30-clean up/bring 2 yr old home for nap

2-3- blissful rest (hopeful for a nap??)

3- bus stop/big kid home from last day as a second grader!

4-5-Chiropractor

5-6-take kids to grandmommy to play and eat dinner and meet daddy

7-midnight- go to work

When I lay it out, it doesn't seem so bad?... I just tend to get kind of flummoxed by the details...like, how am I going to keep the ice cream frozen all that time before the party....and how am I going to haul all this in while keeping one eye on the 2 year old trailing behind...?

hmm...sounds like a typical day for a typical suburban mom, doesn't it?

On another note.. j's Honors Day this year was a bit more satisfying than the rant I had last year...(sorry you had to witness that.) j had an AMAZING teacher this year who is actually leaving teaching to be an Instructional Technology Specialist at another school next year. We should all be sad when a great teacher leaves the classroom. It is a collective loss.

She really took her time to consider the best aspects of each child to honor and created a wonderful little presentation of certificates as well as a fabulous/sweet slide show.

If I can figure out how to show it here, I might post it.

So, here we are. Ready for summer. Next on my list....planning j's 8th birthday party. NEXT WEEK! (yikes.)

To be continued.....

LOST

For the past, hmmm....9 years(?), hubby and I have had a long-standing date night once a week that consisted of settling on the couch and tuning into a J.J. Abrams drama. With, first, Alias, then LOST, we were able to formulate predictions and wrestle with conclusions to these highly intelligent and interesting shows that elevated prime-time television and got us to think about crazy conspiracies and unimaginable plot-lines. We would count down the hours until the next episode, especially the season openers. J even had an email blast that he would put together to "debrief" Alias plots.

But. Now. They're done.

Now what? Nothing, nothing, is as good.

I am more than a little sad.

( And yes, this is pathetic. :0)

too weird

Just bizarre, but then again, maybe not really....

It turns out that the fabulous nurses that took care of my sister-in-law in the hospital for those four days ended up printing the lyrics to that song (I posted and asked you to listen to) for her to focus on while enduring this experience.

She sent a message out last night with this very same link! How crazy.

just had to share...and record...and remember how NOT alone we are.

life is not a snapshot

Is this just human nature? When something happens in life that knocks you out of the routine complacency... you always feel like you are going to remember it and to be grateful for the good things, happy for the moment, happy for the blessings and try not to get complacent again, right? Or is this something only I do? I forget this feeling of gratitude. I get frustrated. I lose focus. I forget to remember that this is all fleeting....

J's brother and sister-in-law lost their unborn baby (whom they named "James") this weekend and have had to undergo an incredibly difficult and what I can only imagine as a horribly painful experience. I stand back and feel so saddened by this time that they are going through and remember a time when I also lost a baby too early. It was an incredibly difficult time, but one that many people have experienced: a first trimester miscarriage. I have a few friends who have experienced the torture of losing babies late in pregnancy and can only imagine that kind of loss. I can only imagine if you have had this experience, it changes you. You probably don't forget to feel gratitude for the health of your children.

I have experienced loss. Big and small. I really should have my act together....being grateful for each day I am given. I'm gonna be working on that and will let you know.

This reminds me of a great book I just read called The Happiness Project. The author is a writer who took a year out of her life to pursue this "project". The theory being that she (and all of us) could take steps each day, each month, to become a little "happier". That we each have a happiness barometer, some of us look at things a bit more positively or negatively than others naturally (the glass half-full/empty idea) but that we could all use to reach the top end of our natural happiness predisposition. Her ideas were pretty simple; from clearing out the clutter to improve energy, to loving more. But, the point being that we each have our own personal issues and to be proactive in setting resolutions that might help us attain a more peaceful and, dare I say, happy attitude. Talking about this book is a few blog posts in itself. I'll get to that more later. She also has a blog: http://www.happiness-project.com/

I heard this song on the radio today. I have heard it before and probably you have too. It's not typically my style, but it sinks in every time I hear it. Possibly...let it sit with you today too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qG1ThtgguE

rearranging stuff

I haven't been a very good blogger it seems lately. One post in April?! (wow.) I have had a lot to blog about and am keeping lists, don't you worry! You will hear what's been on my mind....one of these days.

Last Friday, I took on a re-arranging project. It's been on my mind for awhile and I figured I had better get around to it. Because in my mind, that day we finally decide to put that sign out front in the yard - you know... I need to be prepared. Preparation means making the house look a little less cluttered. And a little bit of organization and clearing away clutter does a LOT for mental clarity. A lot! (Which makes me think of another post I am going to do soon-but you'll just have to wait for that one. Even if it DOES take me another month.)

But, I digress, again.

My re-arranging project.... I took on j's room. As you can see from the picture above and below... I had a "helper". He was a big helper removing books from the shelves. Can you tell?

The good news is he also likes to stack. Well, I don't know if it's good news, but at least he had fun "helping".

After we stacked, and restacked a few times...we finished up the room. It's fun to think that one day they might share a room.

(if we still live here...:)

the B...word.

Confession: This may come as a shock, really (not really); but I am not the most budget minded individual. It is almost like a dirty word....the b. word. It's just not a natural inclination. All those numbers just swirl around in my head like crossword puzzle tiles waiting to be put into some rational order. It probably has more to do with time management and laziness rather than mental ability, but I am just going to blame it on mental confusion for now.

Part of the problem with our budget is the GROCERY budget. (please tell me this is so for you too?) Trying to feed healthy meals to my family with many different dietary needs is a challenging task. Especially when you could easily go broke doing so. I am learning though. It is all about planning! For this non-planner, that is a struggle. I would rather "feel" what I want to eat and go from there, rather than plan out a menu a week in advance. (Blech.) I should live somewhere that I can stop at the market everyday and buy fresh food for dinner and that's that..(in a perfect world.)

So, my point is this:

I have found a few noteworthy blogs that help me figure this out. Finding quality food products at a discount AND buying things you feel good about feeding your family (even with coupons occasionally.) There are a slew of blogs out there on this topic btw. Too many.

On a side note; the whole coupon thing really perplexes me. Doubles, triples, daily doubles, foibles, wha...? I just don't get it. Not to mention most of the coupons out I see are for crap food; food I wouldn't buy anyway. But with a little hard work, patience and dare I say, planning, I can actually find coupons for food I will buy. Imagine that. If you know of any other ways to help me on this quest, please share. I am all ears.

Here are a few blog links that I have found to be of interest.

Organic Deals

Budget Mommy

This is just something I keep thinking about to help me keep the b. word alive and well in our home. (And my marriage happy too.)

(I also might just have to rename my blog... "Random Things I Think About But Really Won't be All That Helpful to You, Dear Reader.")

coolest of the cool

Dear Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Birthday Genie and (any other unnamed magical holiday super-being that I may have forgotten),

I would really like to redo some parts of my house and here are a few things I might like to see in it. Do you think you might be able to magically transform my old things...I'd be forever grateful. I'd put in a good word for you. (Pretty) please?

Thank you for taking the time to indulge my fantasies. I could give up something...maybe swearing? Or chocolate?

*sigh*

xo, heather

my band days

One day, when I grow up (or when I can travel through time and go back to more youthful ones)... I want to be in this band.

Please watch, enjoy and try to imagine me in a white robe. Maybe I can play my triangle. Or my tambourine. I had both of those in college. I used to dream of fronting my own band, with a few friends. "My Bloody Shoe" (so creative I know) was born as I kicked a broken bottle stumbling my way out of the 4oWatt in Athens, GA circa 1995. We had a great gig going there for awhile. (okay, so it was only in our minds) At the time, we were hoping for a Luscious Jackson meets Mazzy Star sort of vibe.

So, here's to you..my (once) dreams of being in a cool band.

Terrific Twos

So, I am a bit behind in blog world....updating life events and all.

Little a. turned 2 and had a fun 'dog party' in the spirit of Go, Dog. Go!.... He loves reading this book and getting to the end and yelling "A DOG PAWW-DEEEE...." so, we figured it was a great theme to celebrate him turning TWO!

I have decided that 2 is a great age. Everything is still such a great adventure. New words and sentences are still exciting and new each day and everything is just so darn cute. It was this way with l.j. as well. Things didn't become "difficult" in the "terrible two" way until he turned 3. ("trying 3's?") So, it seems with little a. as well. It's the "terrific twos" if you ask me....

I tried my hand at sculpting a cake...

I made this cake dairy-free, soy-free, and peanut-free for little a. It turned out pretty good, I have to say. But since this family just doesn't eat cake, most of it went to the birds. sad. so sad.

I also made an allergy friendly brownie cake....

We had some colorful goodie bag handbells and handmade lollipops...

Chicken salad "dog bone" sandwiches, with cut-out paw prints....

Also on the menu, hot DOGS, spud-PUPPIES, and a variety of homemade dips and chips (of course...) All in all, a "howling" good time!! (sorry, I just can't help it....)

Check out the smile on little a's face in this happy birthday video.....

Happy Birthday to the sweetest little happy dude I know! Love you to the ends of the earth...(of which there are none, don't ya know...)

When it's raining....

It was rainy, dreary, and sloppy outside...and one kid in particular could use some good old fashioned down-time. So, we took a "mental health day" today; me and the kids. This is what we came up with....

picnics in our fort with popcorn and movies....

hey, it's kinda tight in here....

watching....

and....

3 hours in a fort when you are 35...whoah! Rough on the bones...

A little bit of love to share

Just a little cuteness to start your day.

This is the coolest dog toy I have ever seen. If Tyler were still here, he'd be all over it; giving us laughs to boot. If you have a dog......I think he might just need this.

jack johnson

Just a funny note:

I was listening to this song (playing on the ipod to the right) with little a. on my lap running Thomas up and down my arms and across my hands while catching up on emails, blogs, and general morning stuff when he pipes in (with perfect timing)...

"I WANT TO..." (you may need to listen to that point to fully appreciate. Or not. Maybe you had to be there.)

I guess Jack Johnson speaks....

(and as I write, my little comedian says: "Yay! Woohoo! If you want to..."

done.

I finished my own little valentine's box....

J: "so, what is it for?"

me: " to keep all my valentines in...."

J: "for this year?"

me: "no, for like, ALWAYS...."

J: "hmmm.."

me: "it's like my own personal love box"

J: "hmmm...."

Oh, well. I had an idea and went with it. THIS is why we have lots of crap laying around. :)

Happy ValentiMe's Day

I went a little crazy this Valentines Day. Here are just a few projects I had going....

These are gluten free, dairy free, egg free, peanut free....so, basically, COMPLETELY allergy friendly sugar cookies. And they are soooo good. I was seriously impressed. Made totally easy...from a box. Pretty excited about this actually because Cherrybrook Kitchen makes the mix for these great baked sweets, and now they have....(wait for it....wait!)... FROSTING! I attempted to make vegan frosting back at lj.'s birthday and thought it came out kinda slimy. Well, lo and behold, so is this frosting. EXACTLY the same. So, I didn't mess it up afterall!

lj. celebrated Valentine's Day on Thursday at school...this was the lunch I made him. Almond butter and jam heart sandwich with a black licorice arrow on a bed of almonds, raisins and granola trail mix sprinkled with a few valentine m&ms.(for color :) Pita chips (my color eye has a real hard time with this; I should've put the pita chips in the purple container...) and hummus. Clementine eyes and a banana mouth. (he didn't seem to give two squirts about it, but it made me happy.:)

He had to make a box to house his valentines from school. I , we, had a lot of fun with this one. His task was to come up with adjectives to describe himself. His words were: LOGICAL, EXTRAORDINARY, ADVENTUROUS, LOVING, CLEVER, CONSIDERATE, UNIQUE, ATHLETIC...I added "Super Star". I got so into this I wanted my own box. For future use...you know, for all my valentines. :)

This is how far my box got....I couldn't find an embroidery needle and got a little hung up. So, that's just gonna have to be a to be continued....

And finally, the hubster and I got a night out. All in all, a very nice valentime's day. Happiness to you too.

The "Stupidbowl"

We aren't huge football fans around here. Typically we'll catch a few college games...but only UGA. We mostly forget though, or will try to watch it then get sidetracked into something else. (It's a familial problem...the sidetracking thing...)

Lj. is our sportscaster and the one who can tell us who won what, etc. We tried to watch the Superbowl (or the Stupidbowl as coined by my hubby years ago). We even made stupidbowl food...complete with nachos, and turkey roll-ups.

I couldn't keep up with what was going on...But, the halftime show was pretty entertaining. The Who was alright, but the dancers and lip-synchers at OUR HOUSE...they were outstanding.! Check it out.

kid books EVERYONE should read

Yesterday I had to create "picks" for recommended reading for children and young readers. I even get my name on a little card saying recommended by... Whoah, hold the phone! Oh, lordy. What a hard decision for an indecisive soul such as I....I mean, there are just tooooooo many choices..... sooooo many good reads out there.

Where do you start?!? A few others were in on this task, so I didn't feel the weight of all that purely on my shoulders. Thankfully, this way we can spread the love!

SO, here are MY picks!

Non-fiction: The Omnivore's Dilemma: Young Readers Edition by Michael Pollan

Great way to get young'uns thinking about the food they eat and where it comes from.

Picture Book 1: Sylvester and The Magic Pebble by William Steig

A classic. And such a good reminder that sometimes we already have all we need.

Picture Book 2: Duck on a Bike by David Shannon

Funny. Endearing farm animals think Duck is crazy....no duck can ride a bike. Until....wait, it looks like so much fun. That Duck....

Lesson: don't let others tell you things are impossible; be a trailblazer.

Fiction: The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

.

First book in The Chronicles of Narnia ... because the wardrobe didn't just appear out of nowhere......I mean, you have to know the backstory... How did the wardrobe get there? What's this other world all about? How'd the White Witch become Queen? Why is it cold? So many important questions...

Okay, if you were in my shoes, what books would you pick? :)