Good bye, June!

And hello, July!

I have to say... I'm so glad to see June go.

In fact, I'm soooo over June.
*I haven't done one.single fun and crafty and semi-homemade 4th of July anything!
*I'm not into vampires.  Sorry, I'm just not.  I watched one of the twilight movies (I think the 2nd one?) and I wasn't a fan.  Everyone tells me I should read the books.  I can't even find the time to read the back of a cereal box! ;)
*June has been full of disappointments in the new.home.building.department.... making life in the Summer House not.so.easy either....  I was hoping to have good news to share today, but nope! 
*My blogging has been zero.  Once the house stuff gets sorted out, I have plenty to say!  And I'm in the middle of planning a couple birthday parties, so stay tuned!
*I hate washing dishes.  They are actually under Mr. Fix-It's chore list.  ;)  Okay... so it was my brilliant idea to give him this gift for father's day... and, for the record, he LOVED it!  I told him I'd wash dishes for the ENTIRE.MONTH.OF.JUNE.  Come on, July!  This is killing me! ;)
*I can't handle one more illness!  The first 4 weeks in the Summer House consisted of FOUR illnesses!  Both kids had a stomach bug and G-man had 2 sinus/ear infections.  In fact, G-man had a couple right before we moved, and he has now earned himself a trip to the ENT!

A quick note because I don't want you to think July was ALL bad. 
*Last Sat, we went out with the Everythings to celebrate Mrs. Everything's birthday.  And oh.goodness!  To say we had too much fun would be like saying I hate to do dishes.  It's a gross understatement.  We saw a group called the Spazmatics... and we danced our faces off. ;)  For several days after, I felt like I'd been in a car accident - I was sore everywhere.  But it was worth the pain.  Ha!

*We really HAVE already come closer as a family in the Summer House.  We're spending more time together in this smaller space and it's nice!  And it doesn't hurt that the Summer House is super close to one of those fun yogurt places that are all the rage!

But here's to July!
*Soon, we're headed to San Diego for my family's reunion and we're doing so many fun things!  Including a trip to the San Diego Zoo!

*G-man turns 2 in July and just wait til you see his Semi-Homemade Vintage Truck party!
*And of course, there's the 4th of July celebrations with the Everythings.
Cheers to a good month!  (Doesn't hurt to hope, right?!)  :)

xoxo,

Birthday Parties!

Looking for birthday party ideas?  Tip Junkie has been featuring all kinds of fun party themes and today the theme was PIRATES!  Well... you know.... we might be known for our pirate obssession. ;)

G-man's 1st birthday, the Pirate Birthday Bash is featured as #5 (but pictured as #6 - they work too hard over there, so I don't blame 'em for having a hard time keeping it all straight!)

Be sure to visit Tip Junkie for ideas on parties for boys, girls, tweens and teens!

xoxo,

Teacups and Vintage Cars

OMG, I heart HL.  I could go every week.  And stay for an hour.  And dream up all kinds of stuff I'd do.  Like my friend said... I like Hobby Lobby because it makes me think I could do anything!  :)  So true...

So, I took my sweet lil shopper with me (the sick G-man shopped at HL for an hour like a champ!  Love that boy!)... and we scooped up lots of deals!

This teacup is actually from a quick trip to HL last weekend (how could I be so lucky to go twice in a wk?  It had been AGES since I'd been there... I think my credit card could tell you I made up for it!)  IF we do the Madhatter themed room for Big Sis, I just know I could put a stuffed white rabbit doll in this or something!  (And if not, I figured that... btwn Big Sis, a niece and Mrs. Everything's 2 girls... someone will have a tea party birthday!)

Last weekend, we also found a new desk for the Summer House.  Neither our home office desk or the kids' desk would fit in the Summer House, so we set out to find something to put our computer on that we would actually use in the New House.  This is kinda a console table turned desk.  :)

And just look - one of my favorite details!

Fleur de lis... love it!

G-man actually found this.  It was in the clearance section, behind a few things... but he saw it and started saying Mommy, truck...truck...truck... on and on until I looked.  He was so excited about it... how could I not get it?  That boy LOVES his trucks.  So, I need to pull together all my inspirations, but it looks like G's new bedroom will be Vintage Trucks.  (Oh, and there were 2, so I scored 'em both!)

Now, G-man went positively insane over the next 3 items.  He told everyone in HL that he had trucks in our cart.  He pointed to them and repeated truck until they looked.  That boy.... obsessed!  :)

Truck!!!

More trucks!  I'm starting to picture it all... Black furniture (like Sissy's).... Navy and red bedding (maybe stripes with small white stripes in there!)  Maybe paint and beadboard like his last room (hey, if it ain't broke!)  Or bold paint of some kind with that bright white contrast.  I'm not sold on it being red... more to come on this new big boy room!

And then all these fun trucks!  (Did I mention I got all 3 for less than $20?)

Happy weekend, y'all!  Mine is about to start - we're heading to OK for the weekend. 

xoxo,

Does this guy look sick?

Yeah, I don't think so either....

but if you'd been around here lately....

 you'd think otherwise. 

He caught the stomach bug from his Sissy.... she had it Sat-Tues... then G took his turn yesterday.  I got "that call" from school... the dreaded one... where they informed me he'd had 4 loose diapers (3 is the max, but I guess 3 and 4 were so close they couldn't even get me called!) and had gone thru all his backup clothes.  Ewww... poor bubba!

So I spent the day at home with him, and it was the best I've ever spent with a sick kiddo.  As a working mom, it's strange.... missing work with a sick kiddo is beyond stressful.  But getting some weekday time (when everything seems slower!) with your kid is so rare and precious.  Today, G-man was so cuddly and lovey and playful.... (AND he shopped at Hobby Lobby with me for an hour and was perfect, lol!  Don't worry, I'll share my finds soon!) 

xoxo,

A Semi-Homemade Summer List for the Summer House

When I saw this cute project on eighteen25, I knew I had to take the girls' inspiration.... and make it a little easier more semi-homemade....

We started immediately, at dinner one night last week.  We've got a list of 25 things we want to do this summer (which might be a little ambitious, because - last time I checked - I'm still working full time!)  A few things we included were:

Go to the zoo
Make homemade ice cream
Meet Baby Caiden
Watch fireworks
Fly on an airplane

I probably have scrapbook paper in storage that would be great for this project. ;)  But as soon as I can get to the Motherland (aka Hobby Lobby) for a frame and paper, I'm sooo finishing this project.  It'll go great with the Summer House Countdown I'm going to hang on the walls of our Dining Room.

Stay tuned and I'll show you the finished project and how I attempted to make it easier!  (I'm thinking some photoshop, a paper cutter and tape...) 

Happy Summer, y'all!

Show Us Your Life: China Patterns

I'm not sure I've participated at Kelly's Korner since I was a regular on the Where You Live Fridays (loved those - check out what I'm talking about here!)

But this one caught my eye... It's funny how much you can change and stay the same as you grow up.  When we got married 8+ years ago, I knew I didn't want fancy china.  We're pretty casual.  So, I picked a casual, everyday Mikasa pattern... and then an even more casual set of fun, red dishes. 

But... I've had my eye on these dishes.... and if they're still around by Christmas, I think I'll tip Santa off to these!  I just love 'em! 

The pics don't do them justice!  I originally was drawn to the gold... then thought the lighter ones were more sensible... and now I'm back to wanting the gold!  I think these dishes just blend perfectly with the style we've decorated our homes in... and it would 'go' with alot of my entertaining pieces. 

Do you love your dishes?  Or are you like me and would love to pick out a new set every year or two? :)

Boo to CHANGE!

So today I visited my 'new' Starbucks.... not to be mistaken with my old one.  You know, the one I've gone to for 2.5 yrs.  (Not so frequently during that damn recession last year, but still.)  The one where the drive-thru lady knows me and my kids (remember when she surprised & delighted us?)  The one that's beautiful (this is it):

Nope, not that one.  I went to the one by the Summer House.  The one that has no drive-thru (WTH?)  The one that looks boring.  (And frankly, the people look more boring, too.)  Sometimes, change sucks!  But, luckily... the 'old' Starbucks isn't far from the kids' school and I'll be taking them most of the time while we're living in the summer.  Whew!  Change avoided, at least 80% of the time! 

How many of you read the title of this blog and thought I was going to complain about life in the apartment?  ;)  Ha..... Maybe later! 

Dear Shoe Retailers,

I understand the nature of seasonality business.  I know that, in the interest of profit, company's must sell thru the majority of their goods before marking them to clearance... and before the season ends and the goods are worthless.  Don't forget that I work in retail (and have worked in the shoe industry, even!)

That being said, what can I do to get just one of you to invest in any level of inventory in water socks for kiddos?  After last minute notice from the school about Splash Day (love that!).... and a 12 hour workday.... the last thing I want to do is traipse all over town in search of the elusive water shoes.  After visiting TWO different chain stores, I now have in my possession THREE pairs of water socks, NONE of which I'm confident will actually fit either of my TWO kiddos (thanks in part to that awful ranged sizing and the width of G-man's feet).  And it seems the boy-girl ratio needs to be re-analyzed.  Because did I mention that all three pairs I have are BLUE?  This is not going to fly with a 4yo who refuses to wear anything that isn't pink, Hello Kitty, purple, Hannah Montanna or a dress.  You're not making any of the criteria with this:

(Which is what I've been left with.  Times three.)

Let me know who plans to own this stuff.... for real.... and I'm a loyal customer.  Probably for at least the next 10 yrs. 
Thanks.so.much,

A Semi-Homemade Birthday Party Brainstorm - the TRUCKER party!

I know, I know, I've been MIA.  We moved into the Summer House!  There's lots of things I should be doing.... brainstorming ideas for Big Sis and G-man's new bedrooms... unpacking... figuring out WHERE my pizza cutter is....

But there's one way I deal with anxiety.  Party planning.  So, instead I'm daydreaming brainstorming G's 2nd birthday party. 

The inspiration:  I knew the time would come when he would move on from pirates (boo hoo!)  His current obsession?  TRUCKS!  So here's my take on a "Trucker Party."  I initially started dreaming up ideas for this party a month ago.... At that point in time, I hadn't narrowed it down to a certain TRUCK type...  There's so many options - construction trucks, fire trucks, etc!  I have since decided on VINTAGE TRUCKS (which of course, is much harder to find - just means I have get to be more creative!)  But I'm hoping most these ideas can be adapted to vintage trucks!  In my mind, I've been picturing light blue and lime green... then I came across this print on ebay.  THIS is exactly what I'm working towards!

The invitations:  Not sure if I'll whip something up or go to Etsy to find something... but how cute are these  invites from Mr. Bean Cakes?!  Perfect (except the price!)

The location:  If we still lived in a house, we'd have it there, i.e. The Truck Stop  (okay, this is gonna take some thinking now...Maybe a pool or clubhouse?)

The activities will be low key - we do 2nd birthday parties with family and closest friends only (just The Everythings!), so it's more about G-man and his birthday... and less about planning lots of party activities.  We'll have food, drinks, and presents!

G-man's party attire:  Okay, with boys I'm a little iffy on the whole matchy-matchy with party attire.  BUT.  Then I saw this shirt.  Too cute to pass up!  And only $15?  How can I not?!  It's from Etsy (duh) from a seller called Elle's Attic. 

Now that I'm going with the Vintage Truck theme, I'm thinking I'll order this shirt from Gymbo while it's 30% off (and I have a 20% off coupon, too!)

And if we rent the clubhouse at the pool,  how perfect would this swimsuit be?

There's also this cute shirt from makrista baby on Etsy:

Favors:  Trucker hats, of course!  From this fun site called Zazzle!  They have a dozen or so colors of trucker hats... you pick the color, the design, the text - totally custom (squeal!)  Since we do low key birthdays for 2 and 3 (translation: small head count!), this could work, because I'd only have to buy a few hats.

Of course, I love this one for the birthday boy (I know, I said the pirate thing was coming to a close... but doesn't mean we can't still have an occasional pirate, right?):

And this one says Big Sis all over it... literally. ;)

I can see her wanting something PINK (even though I think it would be cute to get boys blue hats and girls green hats!)

I think Mr. fix-it would love it if I got G-man this one.

Need a cheaper idea?  Painters caps can be purchased at a hardware store for less than $1.00 - and you can use fabric paint pens to write the names, doodle designs, etc!

Wouldn't these tags be cute to use on favor bags?  Vintage truck tags from Lazy Day Cottage.

And I could totally do something like this cute truck goodie bag:

Mmmm... chocolate truck lollipops from Bryts Angels!

All kids love to color!  Check out these dump truck crayons from Lil Boo and Co!

Party decor and supplies:  I picked up this fun tent a few weeks ago at JCPenney and it's turning out to be perfect!  (Doesn't hurt that I had some coupons and got it for CHEAP!)  I bet I can personalize it a bit, too.....

Y'all know how much I love printable party stuff.  My sister used Parties by Hardie for her daughter's monkey party and it turned out so cute!  I'm thinking I could use some of the Truck Party supplies to set the stage at The Truck Stop!

Do you remember those cute pink, red and green nutcrackers from Paper Quick that I used to decorate for Big Sis's 4th birthday party?  (If you don't, check it out here.)  Well, she's all over it again this time!  Here's some fun vintage trucks she's working on for me to use decorating - I'm thinking I could put these on glass containers, balloons, tablecloths - the possibilities are endless!

I can totally see myself using these vintage tags to decorate (Maybe I add brown to the lt blue/lime theme with vintage trucks!)  I convo'ed her to see if she can do a vintage truck on here - that would rock!

And I could frame these with lime and lt blue mats to use on the cake and sweets table!  Vintage Vehicle cards from Medley Designs

The cake:
Y'all know I love cupcake toppers because cupcakes are easy and you can be so cusom!  Here's some cute ones from Design Favors.

Or these vintage cupcake toppers! Maybe 1/2 of them in solid lt blue, half in lime green.  I've contacted her, and already heard back.  She's reworking these toppers in the right colors for me.  :)

I've never tried fondant cupcake toppers - how cute are these from Two Sugar Babies?

And what better to eat cake on than your very own special birthday plate?  This one isn't "trucker" themed, but I am in love with it (esp because it would grow with him)!  From the Sillhouette Portrait Collection at Aedriel Originals.

The food: I'm thinking Truck Stop food... right? Maybe a build-your-own hot dog bar?? Concession stand nachos? ;) Popcorn in fun cones or bags? (If you have ideas, send them to me!)  I found these fun bags from Etsy seller Hey Yo Yo (they have the cutest vintage stuff - check 'em out!)

I could cover a table with white butcher paper.... Make a road down the center of the table with black construction paper and yellow lines with paint or paper. Then I could add a few toy vehicles on the road.  Like these:

truck from Etsy seller Brown Sugar 1

truck from Etsy seller Marc's Woodworking

Here is some inspiration for the food table from Pizzazzerie.  Love it!

......sigh........perfection

More to come on G-man's 2nd birthday as we get closer!  Happy weekend, y'all.... and Welcome Summer! :)