Butterflies and Dragonflies

pumpkin cream tarts with candied cranberries

2011-12-22T12:21:00.002-06:00

last weekend we had our friend christmas get together

and I was bringing a couple of different food items and a dessert

I really had an urge to do something different

and I believe I found a wonderful, wonderful recipe

I was beyond excited to make tarts

out of all the desserts I've made over the years I had never tried tarts

and besides I wanted something other than a chocolate dessert:)

So during my late night internet search a couple of weeks ago

I found the winning recipe I wanted to try

pumpkin cream tarts with candied cranberries

courtesy of country living

I thought I'd share the recipe with you all because I loved them so much

making the tarts was definitely more fun for me

I felt a little like I was "creating" more in the kitchen

rather than going through ..."my routine of baking"

I did take pictures as I knew I wanted to get back to blogging

plus I am such a visual person with recipes

I love to see pictures of what I'm making

and thought you may appreciate them as well

As a side note before I get started

most of my ingredients came from trader joe's

I know...

I go on and on about Trader Joe's

but I really believe that 1/2 the time the ingredients from there make all the difference

especially their ginger snaps

so throughout the recipe...I'll make note of which ingredients I think are best from there

step one

make the tart shells

one of my favorite parts about making the tarts are the beautiful tart tins

and how pretty they looked stacked together

I know...not part of my recipe {smile}

Preheat your over to 350

Combine the gingersnaps cookies crumbs {3 cups} with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, and 1 1/2 sticks of butter in a large bowl...yes that much butter:)

so the gingersnaps are literally the best from Trader Joe's...I purchased the ones in the circular clear container because there was more in the container than the ones in the bag

I love their cinnamon as well

and absolutely love, love, love trader joe's butter....I like how their sticks are quartered size or you can use their awesome irish butter...make sure it's unsalted butter:)

Cover the bottoms and sides of eight 3 1/2-inch tartlet pans with removable bottoms with the crumb mixture. Transfer the tartlet shells to a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely.

They will look this color

step two

Make the cranberry topping: Bring 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Add the fresh cranberries {1 cup} and cook until they just begin to soften. Remove cranberries with a slotted spoon to a small bowl and set aside.

Reserve cranberry syrup for another use.

I did use cranberries from trader joe's as well

and I added just a bit of orange juice to them as I cooked them

I couldn't help myself that I filled almost two ball jars up with the cranberry syrup

the color looked amazingly beautiful

and the syrup will be perfect for the pancakes I will make Christmas morning
or even for ice cream

***also when I made this recipe I doubled the recipe in order to make around 16 tarts so that's why I had so much syrup***

step three

Make the filling:

Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set aside.

Place the milk {1/2 cup and yes I always stress organic...organic milk is a must in my opinion} in a small bowl, sprinkle the unflavored gelatin {1 teaspoon} over it, and set aside.

Combine the pumpkin purée {1 cup}, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons brandy, 1 1/3 Tablespoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 4 large egg yolks in large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble and a thermometer reads 140 degrees F.

***again trader joe's has the best pumpkin puree...and talking with the check out person she told me that their pumpkin is fabulous for dog's coats...

so I've been adding a little to my sweet cadence's dish at night too***

Stir in the milk mixture, cook for 1 more minute, transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, and place over the prepared ice bath.

Stir occasionally, until cool — about 10 minutes.

Okay since I doubled the recipe it was taking longer than 10 minutes for me...I set it in the ice bath for about a 1/2 hour and it still wasn't cool so I resorted to the freezer for about 15 minutes

I was in a time crunch because the tarts still had to set for 6+ hours when finished

I got a little ahead of myself and started filling the tarts with the pumpkin mix after it was cooled and it looked like this

BUT...the recipe wanted me to fold the whipped cream I made into the chilled pumpkin mixture and THEN fill the prepared shells

so I literally had to scoop this mix out of 20 shells back into a bowl

and then I followed the directions which it said:

Fold the whipped cream into the chilled pumpkin mixture, fill the prepared shells, and smooth the tops.

GOT IT NOW!!! {smile}

so to make the whip cream...you need 1 cup of heavy cream whipped to soft peaks

I love to use my mixer because I can turn the setting on high and let it go

just to let you know

I added about 1 to 2 teaspoons {I can't remember how much} of my vanilla bean paste that I get from william sonoma... I love vanilla bean paste of vanilla extract because it looks prettier with the little flakes of the vanilla bean ~ love, love

pretty pretty!!!

but you have to do it quick or people like my husband keep trying my whip cream

Chill for 6 hours+ or overnight.

Top each tartlet with a spoonful of the candied cranberries and serve cold.

I personally thought it was pretty to drizzle a little bit of the cranberry syrup I had in the ball jars on the tarts after topping them with the cranberries:)

the recipe says it yields 8 tarts...

but I found it was probably more like 10 tarts
as I got 20 tarts from doubling the recipe

I hope you all enjoy

I'm actually going to be making more this weekend

just one batch this time:)

since Madison and Hayley weren't able to try one

plus I wanted to make some for my parents too

Happy Baking and Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas!

intangibles

2011-12-19T08:40:00.002-06:00

I probably have lost most of you by now...

Last night I actually did a quick blog visit looking for something on my blog

I wanted to find

and then I also found a post that i did 2 years ago this month of a video

when my youngest was 1 1/2

and I cried

that age is so sweet and I just miss it

even though I love the ages both of my girls are at right now too

it was just a reminder of how time just flies by

often before you want it to

I really miss posting on my blog

yes, I've said this before

but I really realized it more than ever last night

I miss reading my friend's blogs

I miss the connections I made with all of you

I miss many of things

but I just had to take a break from writing

sharing

posting

I just needed to live life for my family

some things are hard to say...

this past year has been wonderful for so many of things

but it also has been an extremely difficult year for my family too

that's hard to say

not just my immediate family

but also in my extended family

and if I would have written

it would have been painful for me

that's why I stepped away

and of course because lack of time as well

I've really been off the wall busy with my family, kiddos, my business, etc.

I just couldn't make my blog a priority

I chose to focus on other things

and I am happy with that decision

I wanted to look at my life and still appreciate the wonderful blessings

that I have no matter what

because I have so many blessings

that I'm just so thankful for

anyway,

I want to get back on track with sharing...

so as most of you know

Christmas is in my top 3 holidays of the year

the giving and celebrating family/friends is my favorite part of the year

and it also means that I have guaranteed time that my hubby is in town too:)

we have already had some wonderful christmas celebrations

a couple of weekends ago with my in-laws

this past weekend was Christmas with our friends

and i made pumpkin candied cranberry tarts

yes, I made tarts for the very first time
I loved it!

and I'm still pretty darn excited about it
although, it took me forever

I may just be going through a tart phase now
they are just so cute and pretty

obviously, I'm sidetracked with my tarts now

which I do plan on sharing the recipe because I loved it

both of the celebrations were wonderful

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays

it has been that way since I was a child

my sister and I always, always loved it

Miracle on 34th Street

and we would watch it almost on a daily basis

{almost}

yes, I've talked about that movie a lot on this blog in the past

my sis and i would watch it so much when we were younger

that I think my parents had to buy us 2 vhs tapes:)

we would literally wear this movie out:)

yes, "I believe"

and that only makes sense if you have watched the movie

So...

as I was going through my blog last night
I was reminded of my favorite quote in my very favorite Christmas movie

Miracle on 34th Street

I thought I would share it once again

I took some Christmas photos of the girls yesterday afternoon

it was a blast

we had lots of fun

smiles

silly faces

dance moves to celebrate at the end of our little session

we all celebrated
the girls were great

actually fabulous

and wonderful

{that's because they were bribed with freezy ice pops}

we don't know how to get through a photo session without bribing in our family

just so you know...I am not above bribing to get photos :)

i almost put this picture on my virtual christmas card just to be reminded of all the silly things the girls and I do together

hopefully you will love this quote as much as I do

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

"Someday you are going to find that your way of facing this realistic world just doesn't work, and when you do, don't overlook those lovely intangibles. You'll discover those are the only things that are worthwhile."

and I found that quote true so much of this past year
hold on to those intangibles

Thank you everyone for your patience

and thank you to my fabulous friends that over the past couple of months kept asking me when I was coming back with my blog

it was just nice to hear your sweet words to me

it didn't go unnoticed

Happy Holidays!!!

"Whatever is good,

whatever brings you joy...

May it be yours during

this magical season and the

throughout the coming year."

first day

2011-08-15T21:48:00.001-05:00

well it has been so long

i almost forgot my password to my blog

really...I did

and I miss blogging

and checking in on my blog friends

I've been a bad one back to you all this summer

but it really has been a great summer

with my focus going into family and business

i was so inspired today by my little girl going to kindergarten

it may have just given me what i needed to start writing on the blog again:)

--------------------------

today was Madison's first day of kindergarten

and Hayley and I struggled during the day and in the morning

but Hayley and I stuck together for Madison

missed her

but had a great day ourselves:)

i had to drop some more paperwork at her school today

and we caught a quick glimpse of madison at lunch time

she was laughing and smiling...

just what I wanted to see

Hayley and i walked out of her school

and she turns to me and says

"but mama...I just wanted to give her a hug'

I replied

"I know...me too"

as we both had a little cry back to the car again

then i had to make her smile for both of our sake:)

As Madison came home

Hayley gave her sis a big hug that melted my heart

Hayley said to Madison

"I really wanted to give you a hug today"

it just melted me

{waiting at the bus stop down the street}

I'm a proud mama today

of both of my little girls

Madison's kindergarten teacher sent home this lovely poem

I thought I'd share with you all

it brought tears all over again

but so true

First Day of School

Author Unknown

She started school this morning,

and she seemed so very small.

As I walked there beside her

In the Kindergarten hall.

And as she took her place beside

the others in the class,

I realized how all too soon

Those first few years can pass.

Remembering, I saw her as

She first learned how to walk.

The words that we alone made out

When she began to talk.

This little girl so much absorbed

In learning how to write.

It seems as though she must have grown

To girlhood overnight.

My eyes were blurred by hastily

I brushed the tears away

Lest by some word or sign of mine

I mar her first big day

Oh how I longed to stay with her

And keep her by the hand

To lead her through the places

That she couldn't understand.

And something closely kin to fear

Was mingled with my pride.

I knew she would no longer be

A baby by my side.

But she must have her chance to live,

To work her problems out,

The privilege to grow and learn

What life is all about.

And I must share my little girl

With friends and work and play;

She's not a baby anymore ~

She's in Kindergarten today.

summer wishes

2011-06-21T08:55:00.000-05:00

summer wishes...

about a month ago trying to fall asleep

i started thinking about summer wishes for the girls and I

{not excluding Bobby...but you all know he travels a lot by now}

so it's just mainly us

I started thinking...and dreaming

what i wanted out of summer

what would be good for the girls

what would be good for our family

and i came up with a few summer wishes...

summer wish #1

traveling more...

we all love to travel and since we are all going in all different directions

with different schedules

it has been on my heart to travel together

i was hoping for a trip for Bobby and I...just us

as well as a trip with all four of us

we hardly have much family time together with him home only a day and a half a week

and we all need some fun time together

time to relax and just go with the flow

our schedules are so jam packed each week

that we all need to take time away

where we don't have to plan

and can just wake up and figure it out each day for a week

ironically this summer wish is coming true

next post i'll tell you about the road trip Bobby and I took together

{it was absolutely the most relaxing trip we've had}

next month

with Bobby's rewards of traveling

the girls and i are going to tag along with him for a little over a week

to Cali

{we've never been to Cali so we are super excited about that}

and this project he is working on is so close to the beach

and you know our fondness for the beach

so we are super excited

and with what i do

i earned a trip to Atlantis in August

I still am in disbelief about how this all fell right into place

traveling more with my family has been on my heart for so long

and i'm so excited to have made it happen this summer

summer wish #2

to continue to enjoy the small moments with the girls

right now...they are putting on a fashion show for me

in my high heels

Madison just lined up my shoes for me because

she said and I quote

"your closet was a mess mama"

geez I have a hard time staying organized lately

I used to be organized

but now I call myself an organized disorganized person right now

and it is 9:30 in the evening and yes the girls are still up

i'm a morning girl so if they sleep in a bit later in the morning

happy dance for me

because that means an extra glass of coffee and more stuff I can get done before they wake up

small moment for the day

some of our blueberries are ripe

and the girls looooved being able to pick them

right from our yard

summer wish #3

to take deep breathes

many of them when i need them

summer wish #4

when I'm not working

to have a lot of fun with my family and friends

endless days at the pool

summer wish #5

to finally organize and clean out our closets

they are driving me crazy

summer wish #6

to find days where i use and cook with every single one of my herbs in one day

i swear it's the little things with me

i was doing a happy dance one evening when i realized

all in one day

i used my chives, parsley, cilantro, oregano, basil, and thyme

all fresh right off my front porch

{not all in one meal mind you}

but it was fun

and the roasted cauliflower with thyme on it was fabulous by the way

summer wish #7

to enjoy lunches a couple times during the month with friends

it is an absolute necessity especially when I'm so blessed with the friends that I have

they are a treasure to me

lunches with my mom

we don't get to do much fun things together since my parents are always helping watch the girls when i have work

so it would be nice to enjoy lunch and dinner with them more often

summer wish #8

going to see the kids movies with the girls that come out this summer

we all love going to the movies and just don't do it enough

summer wish #9

being able to give all that I can with work and those i'm training right now

there is nothing that makes you feel better than to help others meet their goals

and become successful themselves

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm certainly ready for a great summer

and to make a conscious effort to making all my summer wishes become reality

xoxo

and thank you again for all your input with the photos from last post...

I am definitely going to be using your suggestions and top picks for my next order for business cards

i'm back:)

2011-06-04T11:43:00.001-05:00

I know, I know

it's been almost a month since I have probably visited you

or even written on my blog

but a couple of things before I begin...

thank you
all of you that so kindly reminded me to get with it

and come back

and get back to normal
and do a stinkin' post

and write again

i'll be honest though

it's just been a little rough for me with a few things

and these past three months

{this is where I take a deep breathe}

have been the roughest
when things like that happen
I stop writing
because you don't need to hear it all

the verse that has lifted my spirits this past month

"Cast all your care upon Him; for He cares for you"
I Peter 5:7

and then I have focused on many many great things in my life
and I tell you what
even though these past months have been difficult

they have also been so very wonderful
I have close family and friends that are always there for me
my business has been very exciting

and this past month I finished earning my business incentive trip
I'm going to Atlantis in August
{happy dance}
{happy dance}
{happy dance again}

so just so I honestly have been focusing on those good things

depositing into those

{not that this blog isn't good}

but I had to get away from a few things to really focus on some other things

I'm thankful for an amazing business, family,
and

amazing friends that live here and afar

friends threw the absolute best suprise weekend for me for my birthday

all you {my blog readers] have meant the world to me

and that's why I felt so badly about being away

the reason why it has taken so long to get back into sharing our life
is because I wondered...

if it was too late to continue this blog

by being away so long
if i lost you all...

so i have a few things to share

of what good things we have been up too...

wonderful, fun times with friends and family

Madison graduated preschool

I cried, of course

because i was excited for her

but it always makes me feel like time goes by waaaaay too fast already

we are enjoying pool time
well just three days of it so far

it's summertime

and this is my happy time during summer

I'm so happy that my hydrangeas are about to start blooming

and the rest of my flowers are filling out

I do have something to ask your help with

I would really love from you is your help and/or opinion

my friend is a fantastic photographer

and i needed to update my business pictures for

my business website

business cards

and any other marketing i needed pictures for

so she put together a fantastic business package for me

I wanted to do colorful

outdoor pics

to liven up my look and to also go with what i do

out of the pictures she took

i chose some of them to use on my blog

and some for my business

we also snuck in a family picture or two because we haven't had one in a bit

so what i would love, love your help with

is helping me decide

what photos should i use for my business website?

what are your favorites for my business cards?

I would love outside feedback

I like to have a couple of different business cards

using different pictures

so please choose your top 2 or 3 for business cards

so if you would be willing to choose your top three

i would be so appreciative:)

And by the way

Kristen was fabulously fabulously patient with me

if you know me well

you know i get nervous with photos

especially by myself

if i'm in a picture with family, friends, etc.

i'm okay

because I'm not the only one

i really struggled at times

and Kristen couldn't have done a better job of helping me through that

and being patient with me

If you live within an hour or so of me

and need family photos or business photos

I would definitely consider Kristen

so just to show you our family photos first

because of course that was the easier part for me

and yes...

I really did wear color in these photos

no gray or brown:)

one.

two.

three.

four.

five.

six.

seven.

eight.

nine.

ten.

eleven.

I think Kristen did a wonderful job

so her information is already on my sidebar

but click here to visit her website

if you are interested in her business packages just shoot her an e-mail

via her website

thanks in advance for your help

xoxo

next time i'll share with you a few of my summer wishes

for my fam and I

hayley's room redo

2011-05-10T15:54:00.001-05:00

I'm a little belated in showing this

two months late perhaps

of Hayley's room redo

and I still don't feel like I'm ready to show the changes we made to her bedroom

her room really is pretty much done for now

except maybe some small changes here and there

okay the small change I'm hoping for sometime

is eventually adding white beadboard
when we can
and when Bobby is actually in town
{and willing to do it}

but for now...

her room is "done"

thankfully I downloaded Hayley's room pictures a couple of weeks ago
I forgot my camera in Bobby's car when he was out of town
so i haven't taken pictures for weeks!!!

however, I do have a little post of Hayley's room
after the redo
it'll be nice to have documented this down the road

but...I wish...

I wish...

I would have taken a before picture for you all too
I just got so consumed with getting it done before her birthday
I forgot all about taking the before picture

we had an old dresser in her room that i so happily put on Craig's list

it is not one I even want to refinish
look at
or really see again
it was a pain to clean
{that's why I say that}

she had a toddler bed in her room too
and some shelves
just not really put together after we changed her nursery to toddler

so how I approached Hayley's room redo...
i wanted it to feel like her own

she had been asking since early January that she wanted a "big girl bed" just like Madison

she was telling everyone...

my parents

Bobby and I

probably anyone who would listen:)
she is our talker in the family
non-stop talker as a matter of fact
that sometimes Madison even asks her to please be quiet for even a minute

I thought her room redo would be the perfect birthday present from us

she gets so much from others

that I wanted to do something practical from us

and I was right because

she now loves to play in her room
and sometimes the peace in quiet when she is in there is worth it to me as a "mom"
whose husband is out of town pretty much every week

but i guess I "should say"
more importantly... I wanted it to feel like it was her space

actually I wanted some personal space a little bit too
just being honest here

since she had talked about wanting her big girl room to my parents

they said they had a bed I could refinish

so I did

and my parents wanted to get all of Hayley's bedding for her for her birthday
because they were on board with me
and once they get an idea in there head to help
there is no stopping them
that's just the way my parents are
i love them:)

literally

I refinished a bed and dresser

at no cost
already had the paint...just had to make the time

I also shopped around our own house to find a side table from Madison's room
{Madison now has a different side table as her birthday present in April}

and the display table under her shelves
used to be in our loft area that had our second tv and dvd player on

it is definitely much prettier in Hayley's room than in the loft

Bobby and I only purchased curtains and her new chandelier

which was actually refurbished...
not expensive at all
very similiar to the one in madison's room and our room

I wanted to share with you all that i shopped around my own house
because 'room redos" can be done
without spending any money or very little money

i'm by no means a decorating pro
but I have learned to shop my own home first before buying anything

since my first thought isn't always to buy something new
{unless i have a piece stuck in my head that I know I don't have}

I'll just wait until the time is right or until I come across what I'm looking for

with Hayley's room we wanted to keep her walls "the yellow" we painted her nursery

she loves yellow

and the color fits her...
since she is a sunshine girl

so we found some pretty white bedding to compliment her and her wall color

I wanted her yellow walls to stand out rather than blend in

I asked Madison if I could take her pillow from her room for Hayley's
only because it wasn't going to fit Madison's new bedding anymore that she got for her birthday

she was so sweet and didn't even think about it when she said yes
I just explained she would have a new one very soon herself

I'm sure you are done with my rambling so I'll just get on to the pictures
it is so bright and vibrant for Hayley
it makes me smile every time i walk in her room
and she does too
...sometimes she even makes her own bed in the morning
well I guess that lasted about a month
but it was nice while it lasted:)
and to me any 3-year-old willingly making their bed is pretty good for anytime it lasts

yes I probably should have cleaned her frog container before I showed you pictures

when i was little I got two dolls from my Grandpa and Grandma M

I gave one to each of the girls

and this one has always fit Hayley and her room

hayley's snuggly duckling sign from her Tangled birthday party I hung above her closet

and for Hayley's artwork because i never seem to have enough space on my

refrigerator...I thought I'd start hanging it in their room

so you can see I do actually have a fridge in my kitchen:)

and because Hayley is our dragonfly I had made her a dragonfly

when i was still pregnant with her

and it goes perfectly with her room now

white eyelet curtains with dragonfly clips on them

a picture of Hayley I took in our neighborhood last early spring

and a baby one of her

the shells in the jar are from our first family trip to the beach:)

and this bird cage was from my kitchen
hayley had asked for one just like Madison had
so it finally dawned on me to gift Hayley with this one

and that's it for the little walk through

two months a little late in showing you all
but i finally have it put together
if the pictures are edited a little funny
it's because my computer has a new screen and the lightening is really off on it to me

xo

in love...

2011-04-26T15:49:00.000-05:00

i was in love with the day's events on Easter

it was relaxing

full of smiles

laughter

and a day of really "being"

in every sense of the word

I enjoyed waking up early

since the Easter bunny fell asleep the night before

without filling and delivering two baskets

{that would be moi}

and since I needed to prepare and hide two special baskets

it was my usual early morning

...a very fun morning, however

it was a day where the girls woke up and enjoyed finding their baskets

with 'hot and cold" directions

they decorated their bunny cake

and I bet you never had a bunny cake

with marshmallows, skittles, and jelly beans on it before, eh?

at least I made the cake with applesauce instead of vegetable oil

although i'm sure that didn't even make a difference in the end

with the amount of sugar probably consumed

we ate a very yummy breakfast

and made it to church all before noon

came back home and dyed 'marble' easter eggs

okay so one just looks marbled

i called the rest 'spotted'

it was a morning where we really didn't rush

maybe had moments of rushing

but not our usual running out the door 15 minutes late

we were actually on-time and not even trying

amazing how that can happen

it was just so nice to know we had the entire day

to celebrate what Easter was all about

it was full of friendly competitions

Easter egg hunts

with my parents and our family

okay...maybe it was seriously competitive

because all of us are so competitive with games

but that's just our kind of fun

{smile}

we all laughed at one another

the best egg hunt to watch was between my dad and bobby

hilarious

literally my mom and I were about falling off the couch laughing

it reminded me of the days when I was younger

and we'd have family competitions

with my parents, sister, and I

it was so fun to see Madison and Hayley enjoy those competitions like I used to

we enjoyed one another's company

decorating graham cracker houses left over from Madison's birthday party

and of course...

we had "best house"

I will say my idea of smashing mini white marshmallows

to look like shingles on my house

was a darn good idea

{if I do say so myself}

{chuckle}

I loved that the girls enjoyed the holiday of Easter

but more importantly

they never lost the true meaning of Easter

I was in love with our Easter Sunday

and i hope yours was as much enjoyed

the best strawberry icing ever...

2011-04-23T10:18:00.004-05:00

in March when I was in search of a strawberry cupcake and strawberry icing recipe

for Hayley's birthday

I started with the martha stewart website

I found a couple recipes and then read the reviews since

I couldn't decide which one to use

and I'm so happy I did that because

I found the absolute best recipe!

It is from Candace Nelson of Sprinkle Cupcakes

the best icing on the planet

I do say so myself

I wanted to share with you all

that I have a new friend in the kitchen

courtesy of my parents for my birthday
thank you again mom and dad

meet my new kitchen aid

so I made the icing just so I could use my new kitchen bestie

and she's certainly a beauty

and was so much fun to use

so i'm even thinking I need to name her

{smile}

here we go

the absolute best strawberry icing recipe ever

first puree the fresh strawberries

{I puree a little bit more than called for and keep in the fridge

if I need to make more

or you can use the rest of pancakes, etc.

not that I make pancakes a lot

because I don't...

but it always gets used somehow

whether it's smoothies or something

*just a note...you don't need to add any water or liquid to the strawberries to puree

no watering down...just puree them alone...it may take a second for the blades to start with the strawberries in the blender, food processor or whatever you are using

anyway, set the puree aside for now

lets start with two sticks of butter

{yes I really just wrote two sticks of butter}

and a pinch of salt

{I'm not a salt user...but you really do need to use it for this}

does that not look like two sticks of butter?

well it is...

I like to buy trader joe's quartered butter sticks...they still are 8 T

just the sticks are smaller but bigger round

they take up less space in my mind i guess

anyway...it's just good butter

beat together the butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy

reduce the mixer speed and slowly add the confectioners' sugar

{sifted...although i'm a bad sifter...but it does help}

3 1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar

beat until all is well combined like this

add 1/2 t pure vanilla extract

now my very favorite thing to use is vanilla bean paste

I use the same amount

i just love it better because you can see the flakes of beans in it

and when you are making anything vanilla

you can see the flakes and it looks oh so pretty

the kind of vanilla bean paste I use

found at william sonoma

I don't go to william sonoma very often

so I bought two bottles so it saves me a trip when I run out

add three tablespoons of the strawberry puree

I do heaping tablespoons of the puree

because i love the real strawberry flavor

mix until blended

do not overmix as it will incorporate too much air

the frosting should be dense and creamy like ice cream

{just a hint...I have no idea on that...I personally just mix it until I like the way it looks}

and enjoy

of course keep away from family

as if you don't little fingers end up in the bowl

top to your favorite cupcake!

I do have Candace's cupcake recipe...

it was great...I just have a hard time getting homemade cupcakes to be light and airy

but if you'd like the cupcake recipe...it's below

Happy Easter everyone:)

Candace Sprinkles' Strawberry icing recipe

1/2 cup fresh strawberries {whole}

1 cup or 2 sticks of unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold

pinch of coarse salt

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1/2 t pure vanilla extract {I used vanilla bean paste}

Candace Sprinkles' Strawberry Cupcakes

makes one dozen

2/3 cups whole fresh strawberries

1 1/2 cupes all-purpose flour, sifted

1 t baking powder

1/4 t coarse salt

1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature

1 t pure vanilla extract {I used vanilla bean paste when I made these}

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature {equivalent to one stick}

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

2 large egg whites, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners

place strawberries in small food processor; process until pureed. You should have 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra if you are making the icing listed above

in a medium bowl, whisk together, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

in a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. gradually add sugar and combine to beat until well combined and fluffy. reduce mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until blended.

with the mixer on low, slowly add half of the flour mixture, mix until blended. add the milk mixture; mix until blended. slowly add the remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, until blended.

divide the batter eveny among the prepared muffin cups. bake until tops just dry to the touch ~ about 22 to 25 minutes. let cool completely before icing

strawberry bliss

2011-04-21T08:17:00.004-05:00

so much has happened these last couple weeks

that I can barely even keep it straight

birthday party after party

after some much need fun with friends

and then its the 21st of the month

I was without my computer for 3-4 days

so if I haven't checked with you it's because

of many reasons such as that

and me having the flu

and planning Madison's birthday parties

two in a day

and then just the rest of life on top of everything

i've been trying to sort through these birthday pictures of Madison for days

and i'm falling asleep at the computer every night trying to get through them

i do thank all those that continue to visit me when sometimes

i just don't have the chance to return the favor

i really do love having this blog

something i don't want to give up

it's something i love

so just bare with me in being behind with you all

hugs and love to you

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Strawberry Bliss

our little butterfly

had quite the celebration a couple weekends ago

she chose Strawberry Shortcake theme party

and during the day we had her school friends party

I found a family owned pizza place in town that had a perfect {free} room

{and to keep it easy for 10+ kiddos}

i brought all the desserts and decor to their party room

and that was that

we really kept it simple with her friend pizza party
{just wanted to bring simple parties back a little if you know what i mean}

had pizza

made shortcake houses

enjoyed desserts

she opened gifts

handed out favors

and cleaned up

this is the last year all her friends are in the same class

they have been together for three years now

so it was important to celebrate with these friends

next year they will all be in different schools with kindergarten

it was such a great group of kids and parents

after we were home

it was round two of setting up

for our friends and family party

it was so much fun

it was truly Strawberry Bliss

homemade strawberry icing

desserts from every shortcake friend

strawberry pails and ribbon

strawberry shortcake favors and milk

strawberry scented candles

a shortcake hat and pink sequence on her shirt

strawberry lemonade

balloons

strawberry floats

fresh fruit everywhere

we decorated strawberry shortcake houses

an idea i found under some strawberry shortcake searches

i had no idea how to make them

but then i remembered kasey's peep houses

and thought as long as she is okay with me using her idea

of how to make them

they will be perfect

and the kiddos will love to decorate them

and of course she was

i'm just thankful that madison's birthday is usually somewhere around easter

so it was so easy finding plenty of candies to decorate

for decorating the houses i made my favorite strawberry icing

{recipe to follow in another post}
but bobby constructed the houses using pre-made strawberry icing
since i was behind in making it the night before

purchased

strawberry marshmallows

mini marshmallows

skittles

jelly beans

and i had some extra edible flowers from hayley's birthday

i found strawberry stickers to place at the peak

and filled with edible colored easter grass

and found huge edible raspberries

{I used them as strawberries since they looked more like strawberries to me}

and placed those puppies inside the house

and there we had it

setting up the table for the kiddos to decorate was so much fun

of course both parties made shortcake houses

and there was waaaaay too many desserts

but i had to cover strawberry shortcake and all her friends

strawberry shortcake

plum pudding

blueberry muffin

orange blossom

lemon meringue

so here's a

weekend in pictures
{warning of a lot ahead...and it's only showing about 1/4 of what i took}

Strawberry Bliss

and dressing the part is Madison in her shortcake hat and strawberry shoes

for favors

i had pink and green pails

strawberry shortcake color book wrapped in strawberry ribbon

bug tattoos so the boys would have something not girlie

organic flavored suckers from trader joe's

organic strawberry milk

we'll start with desserts

plum pudding's chocolate cupcakes

{because I have no idea of any plum dessert}

orange blossom brownies

{recipe came from Lissa @ humble pie blog}

lemon meringue's lemon bars

{which is the only dessert i purchased...thank you trader joe's

because i can never cut my lemon bars as pretty as theirs}

blueberry's muffins

i just topped with vanilla bean icing and a cute blueberry

and strawberry shortcake's strawberry bliss cupcakes

for the drink menu for the kiddos

decorating the houses was so fun for all

i have a few left over houses so we can make a few more for easter

and of course some of the moms

seem to be in competition for creating "best house"

{smile}

three times of blowing out candles

two parties

and her actual birthday

and since i'm known to forget to take pictures of when guests are at my home

{because i get chatting...i always end up with decor and food pics}

so this time i made sure i got everyone in a couple of pics

the kiddos first...

and to me there is no setting up for a picture with that many kiddos

as long as they are all in it...i take the photo

and all of our adult friends in one pic

bobby's parents and my parents didn't want to be in the picture

they all sure were there to celebrate with us

just no photo:(

because all six of us girls happened to be together

we have way too much fun together

and did a housewives pose

we chose lemons since i had a surplus from lemon meringue...

but i'm thinking we should have picked the plums instead

since of course oranges were out of the question since there is a housewives of orange county

lol

just too bad these pictures happened to be in my garage

{sigh}

I was dying about that fact

and my friends said "who cares?"

which is one of the reasons why i love them so much

and this birthday girl woke up to a very relaxing sunday

on her actual birthday

happy birthday sweet love

we were so appreciative of all friends and family that celebrated with us

we are so thankful to be surrounded by lots of love

five on april tenth

2011-04-11T14:32:00.002-05:00

five years ago with an up and down not so fun delivery

we finally met our beautiful butterfly

Madison Ella

you arrived
with some of the strongest lungs they've heard
they said
but you had the longest eye lashes i had ever seen

i was completely in love with you

you had such beautiful petite features

and a full head of dark hair

that i just loved, loved!

after an hour or so after your birth
I was finally able to hold you

I didn't want to let you go

for anyone

even family

I wanted to cherish every single moment and study every single part on you

I think family had to remind me that they wanted to hold you too

there grew a special bond between both you and I
and Hayley and I...

with each pregnancy

i had to have ultrasounds every 3-4 weeks

for various reasons

so the bond we had before you even arrived was so special

I wouldn't change our journey for you and hayley at all

it was all for a reason

but i still remember seeing you just 8 cells big

I was laying in the hospital room

just praying that this time was "the time" it was going to happen

Madison you are our miracle

you are such a blessing that we are so very thankful for

and when i woke up this past Sunday morning
~ your birthday ~

tears just welled up in my eyes

and i literally just cried

tears of happiness

joy

thankfulness

and tears of just knowing i am always proud of you

i remember our journey for you so well

and I've tucked that back for many years

because when we were blessed with you

we just wanted to move forward

it became the past

and our present and future was with you

the pain is just a distant memory

all thankfully behind us now

yesterday you were five

and as daddy and I tucked you into bed last night

i remembered you were born about one hour and 20 minutes
before 8:45 pm

I cannot believe how quickly these past 5 years have gone by

I want to hold on tight and freeze time right now

because i know it is going to fly by even faster

I'm so proud of you

for all that you are

and all that I see in you

for all that you have grown in just these past couple of months

with believing in yourself
having fun
and showing the "you" that we know well

as I'm typing right now

I'm thinking of the day when we found out
that we were pregnant

they warned us carefully that we were not out of the clear yet

but after three years

of things not working

I really knew you would and had to be okay

when my phone rang with them calling to give us the news
either way news

I was shaking

standing in our hallway

of our first home

I had Bobby answer the phone because I couldn't...

I may have been already crying with just the rush of feelings

daddy's eyes immediately welled up and a smile came across his face

I immediately smiled after looking at him

Madison, we are so grateful for you

and so grateful that because of you

we were able to be blessed with Hayley twenty-three months later

five years later on April 10th

our little butterfly has grown up into a little girl

ready for kindergarten next year

{sigh}

you have always been so determined

focused

with every single thing you do

you have one of the biggest hearts i have ever known

kindness that is as sweet as can be

and a passion that radiates from your soul

you are the first to always offer me help

with anything and everything

and you do it with so much love

not too long ago...

Hayley was so tired and i was helping her brush her teeth

and I had just taken her sheets out of the dryer before her bedtime

and hadn't made her bed yet

i mentioned to hayley I would make her bed as soon as I was done helping her

I walked into hayley's bedroom

and you had already put her pillow and laid a blanket on Hayley's bed
for your sister

just because you wanted to help me
and do something nice for her

my heart just swelled with so much love and thankfulness

because Madison... you have such a joy when helping others

and helping your sister was the sweetest...

Madison

you

inspire me to be better

every single day

your love language...

is definitely affirmation

and acts of service could be a close second

you are our butterfly that...

loves chocolate cupcakes/cake like her daddy

loves strawberries, oranges, and blackberries

fairy trees {broccoli and cauliflower}

"cacongos"
{cacongos are coconut m &m's...but you call them "cacongos"}

you love eating el fresco

you love...

mahi mahi

gnocchi

{which you and Hayley call "p~nocchi"}

you love to help me decorate

and snuggle with me right before your bedtime

you love...

"Wednesday night" movie night

your family

friends

Jesus

Cadence

puzzles and games

you don't like to loose

especially when you and I race Daddy and Hayley into stores

{we usually always win...chuckle}
except when we lost "once"
you were not happy about that:)
neither was I:)

you are way too hard on yourself

very sensitive

loveable

stubborn

and super organized

you love to be a "fashionista"

{picking out/designing clothes}

you even dressed me for saturday before both of your birthday parties

you picked out my shoes and all my accessories

I think you could be my personal shopper

you love white

your vintage chandelier in your bedroom

and vibrant colors

I always knew you would be a color girl

you love your sister

Hayley and you seem like long lost twins

as you two sometimes talk in your own language

you love, love the beach as much as we do

and you love to help me cook

you usually have your foot stool by the counter

ready to help me

i love how silly you are in the car

and how you love to sing and dance to super fun songs with me

you are head over heals for Taylor Swift

and i cannot wait to surprise you this fall with her concert

I am so proud of you my sweet one

you are one of a kind

a little girl with such a big heart

Happy 5th Birthday

Madison Ella

we love you so much

absence

2011-04-08T22:09:00.001-05:00

it's spring weather...

finally!

these past couple of days

have just been wonderful!

i thought i would do a quick check-in with you all

i do apologize for not visiting anyone...

i've been without my computer for three days now

and it finally arrived this evening before i had to leave

so right now i'm a happy girl that i have it back

and i just wanted to send my hellos

it's really been creative for me to use my phone's internet

more difficult

so i just haven't done so...

and because my mobile blog reading doesn't work out either

because i can't view all the options on my phone

i haven't visited anyone

so i do apologize

i've just been knee deep in creatively working

and planning a couple birthday celebrations all in one day tomorrow

so i thought i'd leave you with

my crab apple tree blooming

which i am so excited about

because this is the first tree to make it in this certain spot in our yard

and it's gorgeous!

happy weekend everyone

i'll be back soon

once i can find some air

a place of comfort...

2011-04-05T06:38:00.000-05:00

this past weekend

I went to a retreat with some girlfriends

and it was one of my favorite weekends

it was full of laughs

tears

memories

love and support

it was about

comfort

acceptance

and growing

I am so thankful....so grateful

for an amazing weekend of acceptance

and love

their are no words

to describe

what those two days meant to me

color intervention

2011-04-01T16:17:00.004-05:00

okay maybe this could be called

"a color and pattern intervention"

perhaps...

my good friend Julie came to stay with us during spring break

and that oh so nice to have her around all day

it's wonderful to have great friendships in my life
and I've known her since my junior year in high school
and she's a bestie!

I really think the girls wanted to trade me for her by the end of her stay

they had a blast

so we took it upon us to do some girl things

since Madison pointed out there was 5 girls in the house all at once

{including Cadence}

and that's pretty exciting to her

so Julie knew I was motivated this spring and summer to bring more

"color"

and

"patterns"

into my wardrobe...
and she's a color girl
so she happily helped

I honesty don't really buy much for myself very often

just a few things here and there

so I really did need to add a few things to my wardrobe

for work reasons

and just plain "feel good" reasons

so I'm on a mission to buy more than gray, purple, blue, and brown

and if I do...

at least a buy it in a pattern...

not just solids

so now I'm wearing a bit more color

I found some of the best things

at H&M

and Target

even though we didn't go to Target to buy clothes

we both ended up doing so:)

not a single thing was expensive that I purchased

which makes an anthro trip sometime this month all the more possible

according to Bobby

{ahem}

maybe 2 1/2 weeks possible I'm hoping

{wink, wink to the hubs on that one}

{hope he's actually paying attention to this post}

so anyway...

I thought I'd show you what we got

it's always more fun to shop with a girl friend anyway

especially if you are as indecisive as I am

getting yes/no responses is just so nice

compared to

thinking

"hmmm...

should I or shouldn't I?

what if I don't like it in a month?"

yada yada yada

okay so here are some things purchased

some of the colors scare me

but I am going to get back to color

and no I'm not showing them all on me

just this one:)

because if we are talking about wardrobe...

it makes sense to actually show something worn, I guess...

which really isn't new

but anyway...

I was going to show this picture instead...

so I didn't have to show all of my face

but then I realized...

geez...

kind of shows my messy bedroom

I'm awful, awful at putting clothes away

the rest of the house is okay

it's my bedroom

{and the closet}

that is like a war zone

except for the bed

I always get the bed made

there's something about climbing into a bed

with cool sheets at night that is always nice

keeping up with laundry...

not so much

so just don't look too close to the clothes on the floor

I found Miss Cadence snuggled up in her bed

she usually likes to pose for pictures

this one...

she wasn't so happy about

okay before I get sidetracked again

I'll show you what I have...

we have marigold yellow

yikes!

this dress was ordered

my heart literally raced when I clicked purchase

{not because of price but because of the color}

I do have a pretty flower belt to go with the marigold dress

just forgot to put it around the dress for you all to see

so above we have prints, coral, vintage scarf,

and even a skirt

haven't bought a skirt in years

since I've been on the dress kick

so it's something new and fun for me

already had the belt

found the cutest shoes at H&M not pictured

so it was an easy outfit to create

it feels good to finally have some new additions to the closet

courtesy of a little intervention

{...ahem...help}

of a friend, mind you

but I'm following through with this mission

I want to do better at dressing how I feel

which is a little bit more color

even though I love me some white and blues for my house and wardrobe

color just makes you feel good

Madison was even so excited for me in the dressing room

she started getting into it

{because she is my color girl}

"mama...those shoes you are wearing today would match that dress"

as she brought them over to me so I could see in the mirror

I swear she could be my personal shopper!

it was a fun couple of days

we made it to the butterfly house

and absolutely loved it
had some wonderful food
enjoyed some wine together
and just plain relaxed too!

Hayley got a bick freaked out because of the amount of butterflies

especially after we told her one was on her back for quite some time

but it was beautiful inside with all the flowers and greenery

it has me looking forward to green grass, warm weather, and lots of outdoor enjoyment

thanks Julie for a great visit

I'm off tonight for a fun event tonight

and then spending the weekend with some wonderful girls at a retreat

I feel so thankful for all my great friendships

happy weekend to you all

this little child of mine...

2011-03-30T10:51:00.004-05:00

I have a little message
for this little child of mine

I've been so hesitant to even open up about this
because it makes me hold a mirror up to myself in may ways too
but when it comes to my kiddos
I would do anything for them

I have a precious almost 5-year-old
that is a perfectionist
that does not like perform, talk, etc. in group settings

unless she can do it perfectly

this little child of mine
wants to study something so precisely
before she even tries the first time

she wants to do it perfectly the very first time

this little child of mine
is waaay too hard on herself
definitely more than she should be
and that breaks my heart at times

she wants to take on it all
precisely.perfectly.and.without.failure
every.single.time
to me…
that’s not reasonable
to be quite honest

so this sweet child of mine
I do worry about

I've even been told by a couple of people
"what's happened to her? she wasn't always this way..."
{really, hmmm…}

...a little sting to me as a parent
“when sorry...”
is what I want to say
“you are wrong”

she has in fact always been this way
since the day she was born
both of my children are not like this
Madison and Hayley are completely different
so I know it is with her personality

and with different children you have to do things a little different
depending on that child

this little child of mine has always been
extremely motivated, organized, precise,
and eager to learn/study to get it "perfect"
especially in front of others

she has always been particular
strong
determined
even to hold her head up very early {as a newborn}
she was determined
to crawl and walk so so early
she was determined

I do know Madison
I am her mother
maybe over-protective at times
as I can relate to her personality
so I just want to hold and love on her

I have a sweet child of mine
that takes on so much with that little heart of hers

for a parent knows their child more than anyone
one of the beauties/responsibilities of being a parent
in my eyes
is that you can acknowledge
and see these traits when they aren’t helping them grow
and I have seen them bring her down a bit in her confidence and belief
so Bobby and I are doing something about it

I don't want to change this child of mine and the way she is “wired”
I want to improve, encourage, and grow her belief
I want her to learn to use those traits in a very positive/healthy way
a way that only helps her to succeed and reach her dreams later in life

I want her to be careful about setting unreasonable expectations of herself

I feel like there are days when I can’t tell her enough:

“God made you perfectly just the way you are…
you don’t have to be perfect…
mistakes are more than okay to make
that's part of life”

all the things I have really learned or succeeded in life
I failed in the beginning or
I’ve had to keep trying
to get better
she is at such a young age that
she doesn't quite fully grasp that concept
{and I don't expect her to...I just want to help her along}

"It's okay to make mistakes"
"It's okay to fail
wipe yourself off and get back up"
"It's okay to have to try again"

every.single.thing,in.my.life.that.has.meant.the.most
I've worked for
I've had to practice at
I've had to fail at
I've had to get better
and I've had to embrace myself with my limits
I do want my kids to still see I make mistakes all the time

this little child of mine
I want to just hold and protect
and tell her all that every chance I get

we wanted her to find her niche
something that didn’t involve me always telling her
and something she could work at herself

she needed this
something she could learn in a group setting
and not be afraid to make mistakes in front of others

she needed something that had things she could accomplish and try again at
she needed to BELIEVE in herself
that she could do it
all on her own

I want to see this child use her traits to blossom
grow
and to always be herself

I wanted to let her know that she can try new things in group settings
and not *always* get it right
but with practice, study, and trying again she will get more comfortable
she will get it

and that is why

my sweet child of mine
is now taking tae kwon do
and I couldn't be more proud of her after 2 1/2 weeks of it
seriously
I have seen this child of mine
blossom more in these past couple of weeks than ever before

she was very intimidated to begin the first week
both Hayley and her are taking classes together
it really helped to have her sister, Hayley, there in the beginning

now after 2 ½ weeks Madison is keeping her sister “in line” in class
and helping Hayley
line up
run laps
and be quiet when it’s time to listen

in class…
Madison is trying
and not always getting it right
but you know what
she is getting back up with a smile on her face
having fun
and trying again until she does

that makes me a proud mama right there
her just trying again
and having fun with it

that is all I will ever ask of this child of mine

before she started...I talked with her instructor about my worries with her
about how I want her to BELIEVE in herself
I want her to learn how to make mistakes and continue on
and learn from having to practice
not perfectionism

I want her to be comfortable with herself
and appreciate her strengths
not focusing on her weaknesses
unless it is to work on them in a healthy way

I want this little girl to be confident
and see herself succeeding
I want her to approach new opportunities without even thinking about it
I want her to know that perfection is not what is important
but more importantly
learning from everything she does is what is important

I think we have found "that something"
that is helping her with all of that
to see this little girl’s confidence grow and bloom
has brought me some tears during her class
happy tears of course that are quickly wiped away
{I swear I cry at everything they do now}

Miss Madison
is very proud and happy about her uniform by the way
yesterday before her class she wanted to put it on
and pose for me in a pictures
all poses volunteered by her
{she particularly loves that she has a belt by the way}

I just think that is the cutest
how excited she is

this sweet child of mine
I will always be very proud of you

{btw...the "wait and see" song I just love in that He does have a plan for each of us
obviously all the wording doesn't all apply to Madison with some things}

a celebration in photos

2011-03-25T13:19:00.001-05:00

yes...I'm way over due on posting about the celebration
almost a week late
ouch...

there were a ton of pictures just because of her birthday on the 15th

and then her party on the 19th...

I thought I would just do
"a celebration in pictures"
from both days

I hope you enjoy

and if you couldn't tell her theme she chose was Tangled...

so maybe that helps explain some of the decor for the party

we had a fabulous time on her birthday
I had a very special day with her last Tuesday

just her and I during the day
and then an evening of just close family

Saturday was very much a get together for the adults as well as the kids
{smile}

but that's just how we do it with friends

the kiddos love to play together

and the adults love to have fun together

fair warning to you all...

there are a lot of pictures

Happy weekend to you all

and Saturday's celebration with many friends and family

Welcome to the Snuggly Duckling restaurant...

root beer floats for the kiddos...

I will say the first time I served soda to any children...

but when you are trying to do a "kid bar"

how could I not...

the adults enjoyed captain morgan or rum in theirs...

of course mine was not with root beer but Coca Cola

of course lanterns were a big part of the movie...

so a must for the party

colorful flowers for Rapunzel...

so of course flowers for Hayley and the party

I usually find a way to add flowers to any party:)

and we could do without many many pascals

Rapunzel's friend in the movie

the girls colored about 20 of these for me

and then we cut and glued them to make them 3D

these little guys were so cute!

for the kids table...

I lined it with white paper from Madison's easel

filled galvanized buckets with crayons

placed the pascal blowers

and mini pascals

and let the kids write/draw whatever they wanted on the table

for the menu

we did bbq/bar type food because of the Snuggly Duckling bar in the movie

it probably wasn't the same food as in the movie

but hey we had 30+ people with kiddos

so wanted some easy food too:)

you can scroll back up to the menu to see what we had

but fyi

the smokies and "bean bags"

Madison calls meatballs...bean bags {just in case you were wondering}

but we had Irish butter and honey whip on french and asiago cheese bread

and croissants filled with spreads

nutella

lemon curd

strawberry spread

{since in the movie breads, butters, and cheeses was what her "fake" mom often brought back}

dragonfly cookies for my dragonfly

Maximus the horse...

who was my favorite character

maybe because Maximus was the name of our other min pin too:)

but we couldn't find a Maximus

so we borrowed Dora's unicorn

I wrapped her in burlap so you didn't see pink:)

and we had a temporary Maximus

one of my favorite parts were these cute edible flowers I found on etsy

for her cupcakes

we had Hayley's favorite two cakes

vanilla bean

and strawberry

the strawberry icing was to die for so hopefully next week I'll post the recipe

{that's Eugene in front of the candles...

the girls call him "Eugene" not Flynn Rider which I think is cute}

{this is Hayley with her love, Jay}

I got some cute photos with all 10 kiddos together but since I forgot to ask the parental's permission to post them...

I'll just show a couple with some of my besties

the men like to call us

"The Real Housewives of {our town}"

{without the drama}

{and one friend not pictured since she was sick}

I love celebrations

and this was a fun one

favors...they don't have to be expensive

2011-03-18T08:36:00.005-05:00

just thought I'd drop in because we aren't quite done with Hayley's bedroom

just a few little touches to go

and maybe something inexpensive I would like to convince my husband to do
in her room when he gets back in town

I'll probably have to make his favorite meal
{chuckle}

but I'm determined for it to happen especially since it wouldn't be expensive at all

anyhoo...

thought I'd show you that party favors

they can be done inexpensively if you really wanted to

granted these are for kids 6 and under that are coming to the party

so these things wouldn't float the boat for older kids

I'm knee deep into party planning

and the rest of life

I've had sort of an overwhelming week to be honest
I'm allowed to admit that
and be human, right?

so actually I'm really overwhelmed this week

with all that's on my plate

but what can I say...

I'm managing
and just did a happy for me
and got something in yellow
and I'm freakin' out bc I don't wear much color
but I'm determined this spring to do so
my heart actually raced when I clicked "purchase"
seriously, it wasn't because of the cost
it was $32 for crying out loud
but apparently...it was because of color

back to the party...

I will say with the kiddos when I do a theme

I do the theme by golly

that's just me

I love to do the atmosphere part

although i'm not great/perfect at it

it's just what I like to do

so I thought I'd show you what I have put together for the kiddos

for Hayley's party this Saturday

the theme Hayley chose

was Tangled

so it's all about Rapunzel

first I started with the bags

and yes I will tell you

I about jumped to the sky when at my mom's group two weeks ago

we did a project

and there were these linen bags left over
I ran over to her and said
may I pretty please get the left overs from you

so I purchased the rest of these linen bags at fabric cost

they were already sewn too!
there were sixteen left

and I barely paid half of sixteen for all of them

pre-sewn, mind you

so heck yes I did a little gift for the wonderful mom for saving me time and money

on these gorgeous bags

and I'm not saying "woe to me" for doing something nice for her btw...

I just believe in treating people nicely and if someone helps me save time
I will be so grateful!

every year I try to do themed inexpensive favors

but I'll be honest

these did cause

a week of sleepless nights of tracing, cutting, and gluing

it may also cause you to

watch many pointless shows very late at night
and cause you to pour another glass of wine to help you
keep sane from all the cutting, printing, gluing, etc.

it also doesn't mean that you won't have skin missing
from scissor marks on your thumb

from cutting around 20 pascal lizards out

and forming them

and gluing them

oh wait...

those are not part of the favors

part of the decorations

anyway...

so I have these gorgeous linen bags

that I have tied with a dragonfly stamped tag

the cardstock paper came from Michaels

in a pack

it was on clearance

and I didn't even know it

dragonfly stamp found in the dollar section at Target last year

stamped those tags

and recruited Madison to write all of the names of the kiddos attending

she happily ablidged
because she loves to help me with anything

next

I
{err...Bobby} printed off tangled image coloring paper from the internet

about 10 or so pages per book

and made a coloring book

obviously he didn't make the book

he just hit control P about a million times for me though

{I realize this picture is upside down...but I'm not taking the time to fix it}

purchased two 8-pack boxes of colors in the Target party section $2

so have some left over

they will be stuck in my purse because colors always seem to come in handy

when at dinner with the kids

I wanted to do a coloring book because Rapunzel is an artist in the movie

and Hayley loves to color anyway

if you've seen the movie than you know what the sun image signifies

if you haven't...

purchase the movie when it comes out

we went to the theatre twice to see it

and boys/men love it too because it's not too princess~y

so online

{it's amazing what you can find on the internet}

I found a template to make these sun image necklaces

and necklaces my girls love

since the sun is yellow/gold in the movie

I picked out different gold card stock

traced and cut out the center sun and two suns with rays times 10

{yah that's probably why my thumb is showing skin is from the suns and pascal}

anyway...

stringed the twine with some gold beads

the actual template said to do gold beads all around the necklace

I just did 11 each side

to save money
and more importantly it saved time

{duh}

second, they will probably be broken at my house anyway

because I am no the best knot maker

and I don't want 5000 beads to pick up

{100 would be better, right}

I saw at Trader Joe's a 3 pack of chocolate bars for $1 and change

so picked up a couple packs

printed out a tangled image on cardstock

wrapped and taped the chocolate bar

and done with that

and because my girls are obsessed with stickers at their age

I couldn't forget the tangled stickers

all kids love to make noise
so I purchased these party blowers
{although they were supposed to be pink to represent pascals tongue}

found a template for pascal to attach to the party blowers
cut, glued, drew the eyes and mouths

I will say...

I was never so happy to fill those linen bags with that stuff

because that meant I was done with them

and they were out of my sight

now I'm trying to move on to the cooking, baking, and cleaning

and I'm not quite motivated to start that

so thought I'd do a quick post here instead

{sigh...I'll be kicking myself for this choice when I'm up until 2 in the morning again}

oh well...

that's what a good glass of wine helps with

{smile}

really

the favors I usually do have never been expensive

but it was fun to incorporate all the ideas

I found out there on the internet

for the Rapunzel theme

that really didn't cost much at all

hopefully I'll have some party pics to show you...
I found these darling edible flowers for the cupcakes on etsy!

three...

2011-03-15T03:06:00.007-05:00

today is a sunshine day...

my baby is three today

should I repeat that

my baby girl is three today

and today is also the day I register my oldest baby girl

for kindergarten

and Bobby is away

I'm also in full party planning mode for this weekend

and I just want to cry about it all

because it is hard

it was really hard packing up her toddler bed

and converting her to a big girl bed over the weekend

a bedroom redo I'll hopefully show you soon

about a month ago

Hayley asked for a big girl bed

and I said maybe....just *maybe* for your birthday sweetie

and before we knew it

it was all happening before we even planned
when it would happen

so I'm getting my tears out now so I can be bright and shiny for two little girls

that will come walking down stairs this morning

happy as can be that one will be registered for kindergarten and the other will now be three

we had hoped and prayed for another child when you came along, Hayley

the month before we conceived you

was a very difficult month for us ...we decided it was our last and final failed cycle
we were going to do

but when we found out about you

you gave us hope and belief that it was still possible

it was happiness and excitement

just like what we experienced with Madison
after 3 years of trying with her

from the moment we found out we were pregnant with you

I told Bobby...

"boy or girl"...

*she* is a sunshine baby

and I bet him you'd have

light brown hair and blue eyes

just like daddy

and what'd ya know...

I was right

{chuckle}

as I carried you I always called you my sunshine

and we painted your nursery pale yellow

you still love your yellow walls

{even though your walls have been yellow since you were born}

you tell us weekly how much you love them

you also love the colors purple and pink

Hayley Elisabeth, you are....

our dragonfly

a bright smiling sunshine girl with every ounce of your being

you are a lover of love

and a snuggler

physical touch I'd say is your top love language

you love to hug

cuddle

and just be close to me

all.the.time

{smile}

when you sleep

I just look at you sometimes and remember seeing you
as you looked
the night you were born

and how your features were so tiny and small then

and they still are now

I see those beautiful, long eye lashes

{sigh}
and those lips you purse

with you...

you always ask to read one more book mama

as you love to read and color

every night you say to me...

let's bunk together

which most nights I answer no, not tonight...Hayley

but you never give up asking me
because you ask me again every single night thereafter

you are a "cover stealer" and "cover kicker-off-er" when we do bunk together

and as a matter of fact you are all over the place when you sleep
nudging and often kicking someone in the side
all accidental of course

you love vanilla and strawberry
over chocolate anyday

{just like your mama}

I give you the option

and you almost always will answer

vanilla or strawberry

you are as outgoing as outgoing can get

but you also have a shyness come about

if you aren't ready to show you to someone

it's all about timing with you

as with you
there is also no time but "Hayley time"

when you are done taking pictures
it means you are done
and not "one more"
even when I say pretty please to you

that is...unless I bribe you
{smile}
and the day I took these
you wanted a strawberry milkshake
I said "you got it!"

i.e...see the "no smile" in this one...

well actually this is the face you give
right before you smile when you are trying to hold a smile in

Hayley you are a carefree little girl

every.single.time we visit Grandpa

it is really hard leaving
but when both you and Madison are with me
you two always make Grandpa and I laugh

it has me feeling grateful and so happy
about our visit with him

before we are out of the parking lot

you sometimes ask to go see him again...

or when will we see him again
at the "hosbul"

you are my non-stop talker

to almost anyone you meet

about anything on your mind....

the dentist

the repair guy you offered a valentine to

you definitely are a charmer

a lover of wearing dresses

and your precious cowgirl boots

every day...your boots are the shoes
you have to wear

no ifs, ands, or buts about it
as a matter of fact...

I think they are adorable on you

and fit you and your personality quite well

you love to run and play outside

and dine al fresco in warmer weather

you are a lover of pigtails, ponytails

pizza, macoroni, mahi mahi, strawberries, yogurt, protein shakes, bars from tj's, and cookies

it's sooo hard to say "no" to those big blues of yours
and I often find myself laughing when I'm supposed to be putting you in timeout

you are as stubborn as stubborn can get

but you had no chance with that

as both your daddy and mama are stubborn

you make us laugh with your silliness

and like to sing and dance with Madison and I in the car

you love your strawberry shortcake friends,

princess and the frog, and rapunzel characters

you are so witty and have the best comebacks

that just make us laugh and smile

you love to call people

"tootie" and "stinky pants"

and love to tease daddy by calling him"Robby"
when he is Bobby

you are so sweet and thoughtful

always thinking of others whether it's an

"I love you"

hug

or your artwork gifts you present to us from school

you are a sensitive little soul that gets her feelings hurt easily

you look up to your big sis so much
I'll catch you just studying and watching Madison's every move

and repeating what she says

because you love to be a part of what she is doing

you two are so close

two peas in a pod

and inseparable

we really have been blessed with two very special girls

and you are such an important and beautiful part of our family

I love you my sunshine girl

you're our little dragonfly

you love life with all of your heart and soul

happiness is just all around you

I'm so ready to spend the day with you

and celebrate with family this evening

thank you for all your love and all you do even at age three
that inspires me to be better

Happy Birthday Hayley Elisabeth

many hugs and kisses to you sweetie

jumping in the rain...

2011-03-08T15:43:00.003-06:00

no this will not be some profound post today

with hidden meaning
{not that I'm a profound person by any means}

simple as...

the girls wanted to jump/play in the rain with their rain boots

I agreed

got a few pictures

{perhaps blurry pictures}

and now I'm a sitting wet dog

that needs to finish painting a dresser and bed

for my daughter's birthday next Tuesday

okay maybe not a wet dog

but just soaked

I'm drenched since apparently my jacket I

so smartly

wore did

not have a hood on it

anyhoo...

my Grandma W's 80th birthday was over the weekend...

special little celebration with family

also realized for every celebration

I seem to wear purple

date night last fall

got a new shirt

purple

got a gift certificate from my sis-in-law for Christmas

what do I purchase with it?

a purple shirt and blue dress

received another gift certificate from my parents recently

what'd I pick out

shoes/headband for my daughter

and a purple shirt

what did I wear to a girls night in February

a purple shirt

you think now that I'm actually starting to wear more color

I'd pick something other than purple occassionally

note to self:

need to be a little more conscious of what color I wear

especially since purple isn't my favorite color

a likeable color I'd say

but no more purple

for celebrations

at.least.for.awhile, right?

{smile}

on the way home from my Grandma's party

we stopped at our favorite pizza shoppe

in Columbia

Shakespeare's Pizza

to get dinner to go for when we got home

it was super busy and a 45-minute wait

so we got some drinks

sat with the girls

the girls had their stuffed animals doing lunges

yes...I said lunges

they had several restroom breaks

because checking out the restrooms in restaurants

seems to be the big-thing for my 3-year-old

right now

so both girls are wearing a St. Patty's head band my Grandma gave them

we are washing our hands for the 4th time

{or so it seemed}

and a lady behind us started talking with us...

I get asked...

well actually Madison got asked...

about the fact she was wearing a St. Patty's headband

apparently it's weird to wear one in March I take it

needless to say we felt a little questioned

then she looked at us

{a lingering look}

and asked

Are you Irish?

huh?

apparently

two dark-haired girls can't possible have Irish in them

right?

no way....

I said

uh.....ummm...yeeeees

seriously, I can't seem to get over why people question my ethnicity so much

but whatever floats their boat you know

St. Patty's day is only 8 or so days away

so to me,

I think it's pretty natural to see St. Patty's day things

err...especially on kids

yes, I get that I don't look an ounce Irish

but I've got plenty in me

and so do the girls from Bobby's side too

one of those moments

that you ask yourself

did that really just happen?

moving on...

we are doing a little bedroom redo for Hayley's birthday

and I have four 84" curtain panels for sale if any of you are interested

dark pink and white gingham

they are in great condition

just a little fading on one from the sun it looks

they are washed in my fav lavender detergent

and ready to ship

is $25 fair for all four + $5 shipping

they are originally $20+ for each one from Pottery Barn Kids

price is negotiable

winner

2011-03-04T15:09:00.000-06:00

short and sweet today

thank you all for entering the dress give-a-way

winner of the Shabby Apple dress

is #6

LuLu from LuLu and Co.

happy dance for you LuLu

you may pick one out of these three dresses

{select betweeen Marseilles, Bali H 'I', or 45WPM}

to view again please click here to go back to the original post

and I'll e-mail you with the rest of the details to get to Shabby Apple

thank you all for entering

if you'd like to make a purchase with Shabby Apple please use discount code

butterfliesdragonflies10off

at check out

crocodile smiles...

2011-03-03T08:25:00.002-06:00

sometimes it just takes the smallest gestures

to let someone know you are thinking about them

or missing them

and for these girls

that came in the form of a crocodile these past two days

in our house

we are all known as something

Butterfly...Madison

Dragonfly...Hayley

hence the name of my blog

to us there is special meaning for Madison and Hayley

with the butterfly and dragonfly

but the girls about a year or so thought Bobby and I should have a name as well

it made me laugh when they thought of ours

me... I'm a bird

daddy

be ready for a little smile or laugh with this...

a crocodile

{not sure where they came up with that}

took a bit for daddy to accept why he was a crocodile

because he asked them...

"why do I have to be a crocodile?"

in his pouty voice

but now he lovingly embraces it

{I think it's pretty cute}

so in between three of his travel trips this past week

Bobby managed to find

two crocodiles to bring them

and they haven't left their sight since

I thought it was the perfect idea for them

now they can think about daddy each time they hold or see their croc

sometimes it's the little things...the little gestures

to make someone's day

and I love that their day was made with these

please don't forget to enter my Shabby Apple give-a-way

I don't want you or your little one, perhaps to miss out on a new dress

please click here to enter
give-a-way ends tomorrow at noon

you may also go ahead and take advantage of their 10% discount
they are offering all of you
by entering
butterfliesdragonflies10off
at checkout

a spring sparkle with shabby apple

2011-03-01T06:30:00.004-06:00

we all love a little spring sparkle in our eye

I feel like I need and want that little sparkle in my eye

for spring and summer

last night as I picked my little girls up from my parent's home....

my dad told me...

well the farmer's almanac says one more snow in March

I said

"I can't take it dad"

{obviously I can...I just don't want too}

he said "me neither"

and he grew up in Wisconsin winters

so it didn't quite make me feel so bad for not liking this cold

yes...I realize many live north and have it way worse

for those that live north of me

bless you

because I honestly wouldn't survive

I do appreciate how beautiful the snow and mountains look

I really do

but I'm honestly over it in a day

one day in the snow

and I'd be saying

"where's the beach?"

the warm sun?

sand between my toes?

my family and friends in tow...

relaxing and sitting together with me on the beach?

so before I bore you away

with my thoughts of spring and summer

I've got a give-a-way for you

to add a little sparkle in your eyes

I was contacted by the *Shabby Apple website*

a website of women's & children's dresses

accessories

maternity

and casual wear

they are going to be offering one of you...a dress!

after viewing some of their dresses...I agreed

what fun it has been to peruse their website

Shabby Apple gave me a pre-selected list of give-a-way dresses to choose from

so from their list I've picked three

2 women's/vintage style dresses

and one child's dress

the winner will be able to pick one out of those three

{named below}

and for those of you that need a little retail therapy and want to go ahead and start shopping

Shabby Apple has also offered you all a 10% discount

use the following discount code during checkout

"butterfliesdragonflies10off"

I found so many dresses that caught my eye

so I wanted to share my personal favorites

first with you all

all are linked to the Shabby Apple website

and then at the end I'll show you the three give-a-way options

my personal favorites:

{Ingrid}

please click on sequoia to view that dress

as it wouldn't allow me to link a large enough photo for you to see it

{Sequoia}

{Aloha}

{Consultant}

{Champs Elysees}

{L'Opera}

{Black Oak}

{Bette D}

{Mauna Kea}

my absolute favorite children's dress by Shabby Apple is

{Garden Party}

a few of my other favorite girl's dresses are:

{Fields of Gold}

{Jardin}

{Ruffle my Feathers}

{Pistachio}

the three dresses you may choose from for the give-a-way are noted below

I think it is so much fun for the winner to pick one of the three

{Marseilles}
okay...so I wouldn't wear the collar up...but of course I love blue:)

{Bali H 'I'}

{45 Words Per Minute}

one winner will be selected to pick one of the three dresses
directly above...per request of Shabby Apple

{select between Marseilles, Bali H 'I', or 45 WPM}

To enter the give-a-way for a Shabby Apple dress

{and no you don't have to do all of these...it just helps your chances the more you do}

1. please leave a comment on this post below to enter

if you don't have a blog please leave your name and way for me to contact you}

2. if you check out their website and tell me a favorite of yours

...please leave a separate comment if you are listing your favorite

3. if you like Shabby Apple on facebook...please leave me another separate comment

4. if you share this give-a-way...leave another separate comment with the shared link

or just tell me you did

if it's shared via twitter....I don't tweet so I trust you if you did :)

5. the winner must have a US shipping address

although Shabby Apple ships internationally with a purchase so

you may place an order

with the 10% discount of butterfliesdragonflies10off

winner will be picked Friday afternoon

deadline to enter is

Friday, March 4th at noon

*I was not compensated in any way for this give-a-way*

just wanted to share that

lately...

2011-02-27T18:54:00.006-06:00

this past week...

has been interesting to say the least

but eventually manageable...

a few happenings

first thing Monday my car had to be fixed

I gulped at the cost

swallowed it

moved on...

but taking a positive from it

I seriously and weirdly thought

hey...at least I get 500 reward points from my bank

and then I got excited...only slightly

okay not really

but 500 points you know rack up eventually

but I did learn quite a few things waiting for my car to be done

which the guys knew my husband travels and this was my only transporation

for my family

so they stayed late out of wonderful niceness

ahem...almost 7:00 late {2 hours late}

just to fix my car for me

now that's customer service

but in the mean time

I read a magazine as I sat in the waiting room the last two hours with my dad

since thankfully this was on president's day so he was home to take me

so a few things we learned reading the magazines...

a website that tells you the best part to "tinkle" or pee during a movie

they tell you the exact minute and the cue to listen or look for....

for example...

{bc I saved the website in my phone

only lord knows why I did that?....}

so the movie

"The Fighter"

the best times are:

@ 34 minutes {you can be gone 5 minutes}

cue: After Mickey and Charlene kiss for the first time

@ 60 minutes {for 5 minutes}

when Charlene comes over to Mickey's during the HBO show

@ 114 minutes {for 2 minutes}

for the credits...

do you think the credits might be a good time?...lol

that made me laugh they seriously listed the credits

I also found a link to a website that calculated the best time to take a nap

based on when you get up in the morning

I told my dad...

"yah that would be useful if I actually ever took a nap"

which is never

went to the website anyway...just to see...

she gives you an example of one scenario

but that wasn't the time I got up...

so to see "my time" I needed to buy her book

yah...right!

but since my dad and I had some time

we sat there calculating for us

2:00 in the afternoon would be my most optimal time for a nap...

the deep sleep time

that's when my natural energy drink just starts kicking in...

so no way that's going to work:)

not giving up that burst of energy I need that gets me through the rest of my day
and evening with kiddos, family, and work things

moving on...

because Tuesday night

was a very fun girls night

super fun time to spend some time with some besties...

love these girls

as we watched our show
and ate way too much

topics of conversation before watching our favorite show

things we'd like massaged

and I'll go no further on that

we were kidding
completely kidding

{perhaps not for me}

but had some good laughs about it

I swear...pinky promise I'm not meaning anywhere that is tmi
do you all pinky promise or is that waay outdated now?

so Wednesday made my week with career day for the girls...

I asked the girls a bit ago to get prepared

and it turned into a lot of fun for all three of us

Madison likes to design outfits at home after school sometimes

so two weekends ago I took her for some special Mommy and Me time

and I let her pick out an outfit head to toe

and I think she did fabulous

she's my color girl who likes to add white

and she got her look down perfectly

she called it her "fashionista" outfit

when I asked her what a fashionista did

she said "...designer of clothes," of course

when we asked Hayley...

she wanted to be "Marfa"
{me}

but she says my name with the "f" instead of "th"

and that made me smile

because she sees what I do

and wanted to dress in something of mine

so I put her in one of my casual {logo} business tanks
with a shirt underneath it for her
tied the tank in the back with ribbon since it was big for her
and added my name tag

yes...the tank top has shrunk a bit for me personally
not one myself would wear by itself anymore, ya know
since I don't really like sporting "showing the mid-section style"
of wearing clothes

and she went as "Marfa"

of course she wanted polka-dot leggings...

I said "Hayley...do I wear polka-dot leggings?"

she giggled

but it turned out her version of "Marfa"

and that was perfect

*****

Tuesday...I'm a bit excited as I have a little give-a-way to announce

I'm hoping it'll put the springtime sparkle in your eye

cherished

2011-02-20T21:18:00.011-06:00

this weekend...

was really cherished
*by me*

we had a comfortable easy~going late Friday at home

a wonderful extended lunch with family visiting on Saturday

a realization our pup...needs "mature" adult small bite food
{sigh}

probably 3 years too late on that one since she will be 9 this year in people years

and the food we were buying her was from 1 to 6 year-old

ouch...

thank goodness I finally realized that:)

yesterday was a very relaxed and productive...kinda busy,
but cherished Sunday with my favorite three

Sunday has grown to be a love.hate day as that's when Bobby leaves for work
but it was a happy.happy Sunday I'd probably say

it smelled and sounded like spring
you probably will think I'm nuts

but the first signs of spring
I always take a deep breath
eyes closed

and take it.all.in
with spring

it will be cold again
before it's finally all "warmish"
but I know Spring is coming
very.soon

this weekend...

I even colored my very own hair for the very first time in my life

thank.you.very.much

my hair didn't turn out orange

like what happened to my husband's hair in high school

I will never forget that day

seeing him wear an orange shirt walking out of my parents bathroom with orange hair

I don't think his family will ever forget that either

his dad about died
I believe {anyway}

{we are high school sweethearts...
if that helps explains this reference from the high school coloring
which now seems awhile ago}

so my hair is definitely not blonde....

it wouldn't really float his boat

"Bobby said"

thank goodness for me
because my skin tone and blonde
would make me look like
something I probably wouldn't type out right now
{chuckle}

I just joke with my hubby

as apparently blonde is NOT his thing

I really love being a brunette

I enjoy doing different shades of brunette

and my root regrowth was awful...embarrassingly awful!

I refuse to admit how long it has been

I honestly haven't seen my original brown color until lately...lol

but when it comes to my hair
I like...

"the somewhat different"

beachy hair with it not being a perfect cut

messy...perhaps a little edgy
a little choppy

miscellaneous highlight colors

here and there

it just cannot be red
on me...

I'm told

even though

I know red is very, very pretty on everyone I have seen it with

in reality...sometimes my "wanting of a beachy look" poses as a challenge
as my hair is straight and as fine as a board
go figure that, right?

but I've learned a few tricks
that I'm still trying to get down
all.by.myself

okay...so I picked the brand of color based on the box
kind of like
judging a book by it's cover
{guilty}

as I picked the color ~
I was trying to match my "real" brunette

it turned out a tad bit darker

but my hair looks so much better in that it flows so nicely without seeing any roots

so there you have it

no orange

no blonde

just a nice shade of brunette

on to this weekend...

that I really cherished

family time

with extended family

and our family

a walk or two
fabulous running weather

also noticing that

my early spring tulips have sprouted
I see green
I repeat...I see green

{oh a happy dance}

I smelled a delicious bbq on the way home from the store

and right now fresh produce is overflowing on my favorite "kitchen friend"

{aka...one of my favorite purchases evah}
ya'll have seen it before

and I'm out of this roof excited about a little girls night I'm having on Tuesday

a pretty fabulous night
as we are celebrating a season premier of a "guilty pleasure" show
that a couple of us are recruiting other future "watchers" of too

now to answer your questions

thank you by the way

I feel like I get a handful of questions
here and there from people about my blog

so I try to put it out there

I appreciate you all
and thank you all for all of your blog love each of you continue to extend to me

answers to questions:

*my middle name is Kristine...with the "K"

I love that it's with a K because it's not as typical as the "Ch"

although I secretly wish that was the name I went by

"Kristine"

{sorry mom and dad}

******

*is our family complete with Madison and Hayley?

well...I'd like to think no...

but the hubby has to be in town for it to happen

perhaps, right?

{smiling and laughing}

okay..honestly...we don't know right now

so I'm glad you asked

but if it doesn't happen...we're okay with that

*maybe*

but we fought so hard for the two we have

that I really can't complain either way

we feel really thankful

I know you understand that Laurie

{my sweet friend who asked that}

to answer more...

because I get asked this too

we are so thankful for the opportunities and procedures

we did do in order to get pregnant and keep our pregnancies

but

we.will.never.do.it.again
I can say that now because we have two
but I don't regret a single thing we did either

we feel...right now...we just need to be thankful and carry on

however, we are hopeful and positive

that if we wanted it to happen

it could happen without any help/procedures now

*******

*martha stewart skills? really?

Laurie...you're just being too kind sweetie

but thank you

you always make me feel good

*******

I really cannot imagine our kiddos wearing those baby shoes either

but then I look at them

and see what great keepsakes they are now

*I love them*

I'd have to ask my mom again

but I believe these are corrective shoes that may have went with my corrective casts

I had to wear after I was born

because my legs and feet were not straight

*******

my favorite tv show

thank you Shannan for saying it's okay to say a few

because sometimes I am as indecisive as it gets

at picking one and only one

okay...here we go...

my favorite show this last fall

*Modern Family*...hands down

I really need laughs this past year

and this show is the absolute best

but I normally watch dramas

so my favorite show goes to

Criminal Minds

love/hate relationship with it

because I no longer sleep "Criminal Minds" nights

any longer

no joke

I really don't

after watching some of the episodes

but I'm still addicted regardless

I love criminal minds for all the characters {especially}

my favorite "guilty pleasure" show

that keeps me occupied

is every.single.one.of the real housewives shows on Bravo

hands down

I watch.every.single.one.of.them

now you know the "secret shows" I watch

and when my husband is in town

he really does watch them with me too

and likes it

I swear it

just promise you won't share that with anyone

that's what "my girlies" and I are watching on this Tuesday

is the new spin off in Miami

NYC was postponed

because I was going to host a premier party last Tuesday

but bravo...

changed the premier date because they were not done with the editing

even after advertising it for a certain date

I can't really believe I admitted that...

but I just did

only some of my besties know I watch that show

oh and I enjoy that show because no thinking is involved

and that is really good for me sometimes

*******

*my favorite places to shoppe...

okay I am in a "budget life"

so Target and Ruche

I adore you!

love you

and want to kiss you

I love also J Crew and the Gap and VS

VS i will always love you

lets just say

once you have worked there

{in college...met some great friends there}

and become a die hard fan

you never.ever.ever go back to buying anywhere else

trust me...the purchases last longer

and they are more comfortable

as I've tried elsewhere and it doesn't cut it

I also love American Eagle

they get my beachy comfortable look hands down

TJ Maxx...I do love you too...

and I will be even more of a fan when your new location opens under 7 miles away

once a year

or maybe twice

I can get the hubs to agree to Anthropologie

for clothes

or a few home decor items

home decor...

I love

flea markets

I enjoy Willow Lake in O'Fallon

where my kitchen friend came from

and I am excited to see a few other local shoppes

a new one just opened in town I'm excited to visit

I really love Anthro for home but not in normal budget for us

wish we had an IKEA but we don't
gotten a few things from IKEA via Bobby when he's been in Arizona

love Target

love Pottery Barn for inspiration items

and they are getting the vintage look more lately

I love, love etsy shoppes

and would love to find more fav local shoppes

{within an hour or two}

I don't have much time to spend to shopping

as I'm trying to save and expand my business

but i know a few people

who know places within an hour or so that I definitely want to check out sometime

I just haven't done any of that yet

*******

thank you for staying with me

never meant this to be never-ending

but thank you all

if you've got 'em...I'll take 'em...

2011-02-17T15:42:00.003-06:00

these put a smile on my face today

my mom found my baby shoes the other day and gave them to me in the original box

completely going in another direction right now

and completely on the verge of t.m.i

I'll tell you a little story

one that will embarrass the heck out of myself

but I'm really at a point where it's better to laugh at myself than not

I sent this e-mail to my husband yesterday

thought he might like the laugh

Me: Who forgets to pull down their underwear when they sit down to tinkle?.....

That would be your wife…not your children…but your wife…

Thank goodness I was home :)

Bobby's response:

When I first started reading that I was thinking it was Hayley.

Are you just that tired?…

SO you just peed in your underwear while sitting on the pot..I wish I could have seen that.

That is some funny stuff

Good thing that you were home.

Love you and thanks for sharing…I needed a little funny

**************************

like I said...this may just be on the verge of tmi...

seriously...

who does that?

apparently me, right?

I'm really hoping I am not the only adult that has done this...

lol

so I haven't gotten much for you all this week

it's been busy

the weather has been beautiful

my husband is in town this week

and we've been enjoying it

but...

since I have nothing else to say

and because you probably don't want any more "tmi stories"

I thought I'd open up and answer any questions you have for me...

never done this before

if you've got 'em {questions}

I'll take 'em!
if you have 'em...that is :)

I'll have the answers on Monday

love day

2011-02-14T08:39:00.000-06:00

today is all about...

strawberry cream cheese waffles

topped with fresh strawberries

strawberry milk

cupcakes

sprinkled heart cookies

strawberry shortcake dolls

with lots of...

love

hugs

kisses

smiles

pink fluffy bows

special moments

shared valentines

small gifts

homemade pizza making

with all the toppings

special italian soda for the girls

and a glass of wine for us

today...
is all about spending the day with my special loves

Happy Valentine's Day
xo

Butterflies and Dragonflies

pumpkin cream tarts with candied cranberries

intangibles

first day

summer wishes

i'm back:)

hayley's room redo

in love...

the best strawberry icing ever...

strawberry bliss

five on april tenth

absence

a place of comfort...

color intervention

this little child of mine...

a celebration in photos

favors...they don't have to be expensive

three...

jumping in the rain...

*winner*

crocodile smiles...

a spring sparkle with *shabby apple*

lately...

cherished

if you've got 'em...I'll take 'em...

*love* day

winner

a spring sparkle with shabby apple

love day