Our Semi-Homemade Life

Happy Holidays!!!

2011-12-23T12:25:00.000-06:00

I'm going to make BLOGGING one of my new year's resolutions! :) As I head out of the office until Jan 3rd (woo hoo!), just wanted to wish y'all a Merry Christmas!!

Punkin

2011-11-12T20:57:00.000-06:00

It's what I call her EVERYday.... so might as well sit her in one, right?!

Blogging.... Wish I could find more time for it! But right now, being mommy to 3 and working full time is just keeping me TOO busy! I will tell you this... for the first time EVAH, I'm hosting the entire family for Thanksgiving! So... I'll try to find a little time to be creative and show y'all how it went. (And if all else fails, I'll just show you Punkin's nursery - I know I STILL haven't done that and it's too cute not to share!)

xoxo,

Semi-Homemade Bedrooms: Big Boy's Vintage Trucks

2011-09-10T23:09:00.000-05:00

I'm finally sharing Gman's big boy room with y'all! And I'll let you in on a secret... his room was the first one done in the new house... and has actually BEEN done (all but switching out a chest of drawers for a black bookcase) for months... Pictures taken... Complete. But I didn't LOVE the pics, so I kept thinking I'd retake them (because I can be a perfectionist like that). But you know what? Life with 3 kids and a more.than.fulltime job is crazy. I'll never retake those pics. So... here you go, imperfection and all!

The idea: Vintage Trucks

The inspiration: Gman's love of all things with wheels, but especially trucks. This boy is ALL boy. Except that he tells me he's not a boy, but a man. A BIG man. His words... ;) So babyish themes with cartoonish vehicles was not gonna work for my lil - err - BIG!! man.

The sentimental touch (and focal point!): The old truck of mr. fix-it's dad, aka Papa. This old truck is now solely used on their farm and goes literally only yards in a day. Papa loves that truck... it's a reminder of a simpler time.... and, to the kids, it's part of who Papa is.

Last June, I took several pics of Papa's truck. I took them with this room in mind (three of them hang over Gman's bed and are the focal point of the room), but I also ended up using them for Gman's Semi-Homemade Vintage Truck Birthday Party last summer.

The fun touches: There are vintage trucks throughout the room, of course! This one happens to be a fire truck....

My sister Ellen got Gman these vintage truck pillow cases last summer for his birthday. I had found them on Etsy (of course!) and they are just too, too perfect! Love 'em! They go perfectly with the bedding I (finally!!) found him (it's Tommy Hilfiger from overstock.com, and I love the bold colors of the set, and the stars on the pillowcases!)

Remember back when we lived in the Summer House last year? Um, yeah, I've mostly blocked it... but while we lived there, I found 2 of these great metal wall hanging on super low clearance at Hobby Lobby. Each one has 3 vintage vehicles on it, and they're hanging on either side of his red (super cheap - $10!!) curtains.

The color scheme: Gman's Semi-Homemade Pirate Nursery was - and maybe still is! - my favorite of all the kids' rooms I had designed at that point. So I decided to keep the elements I loved in that room (the navy blue paint - Pittsburgh's Star Spangled - and the white beadboard) and throw in red to go for an Americana feel... to pull in the patriotism and wholesome feel of the time when Papa's truck was new.

I love the canvas hanging over this dresser. (This dresser will soon be moved to another bedroom and replaced with a black bookshelf. When we went shopping for Gman's big boy furniture, we found that we were drawn to black furniture.... again... somewhat similar to Sissy's... what can I say? We're consistent.) :)

I love this license plate frame (HL again!!) and a few more metal vintage trucks (yes, HL. I know, I have a problem. But the frame, and the trucks... each item was under $10!)

And the license plate frame ties in to the picture of the US by license plate... which is hanging over the vintage red chair I found on one of my trips to Canton with Mrs. Everything. That chair was.... are you ready? $22. Amazing, I know. And I took some navy blue vinyl and put Gman's name on it - he loves that! Lastly, the clock hanging over the door reminded me of a hubcap... and was a $12 clearance item at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I love it when a ton of clearance buys come together!

Ahhh, looking at that last picture, with that tiny baby in the doorway.... I took these pics during my maternity leave. Can I go back? ;)

Happy weekend, y'all! Next up.... the Semi-Homemade Modern Black and White Safari Nursery!

4 months!

2011-09-10T22:29:00.000-05:00

My sweet baby girl is almost 5 months... but since I scheduled this to go back on Aug 20... and it clearly didn't... (grrrr!) Here's what was going on almost a month ago!

Punkin was 4 months old yesterday... and today I finished c25k!! My goal was to complete it by Labor day weekend and I'm so happy I finished 2 weeks ahead of time! Um, and good thing I was 2 wks early... because right after I finished it, I ended up with bronchitis and didn't run for 2 1/2 wks. Seriously...

Here's a few pictures of my sweet punkin...

Her bow is only as big as her smile, hee hee!

She's starting to push up and roll over... the last 2 mornings, I've found her on her belly in her crib. I think she likes it, at first... ;)

Hope you're lovin the weekend as much as we are! At least this still makes since, seeing that it's weekend again and all.... ;)

School starts TOMORROW!

2011-08-21T20:52:00.000-05:00

Gasp! How did this happen? Sissy starts KINDERGARTEN tomorrow! She went to bed tonight, like a kid on Christmas Eve - she can't wait! And that makes me so happy...

Friday night was Meet the Teacher, and I was in my typical mode... I didn't want us to show up empty handed, but I've been even more swamped (overwhelmed?) than ever. So... mr. fix-it was on popcorn duty (that guy is THE sweetest... ran out last second and got the cutest popcorn gifts in these little teacher gift boxes - I was so crazy I didn't even get a picture, but they were super cute. Way to go, dad!!)

Anyway, the night before, I had Sissy write both her teachers (her English teacher and Spanish teacher - she's in the Dual Language program!) notes about how excited she is for the school year. I found these from Cut & Create and they were PERFECT!

Gotta run - my chocolate chip cookies are done in the oven and I'm writing more thank yous to the little kids' teachers. This is their LAST WEEK at the school we've been at for 4 years - and the only school the little kids have ever known! We're moving them to the same town where Sissy's elementary school is (and where we moved in December). I've got alot of love to put into these cards!

Happy Back-to-School, y'all!!

Meet the Teacher(s)!!

2011-08-19T22:28:00.000-05:00

We are so lucky to live in a town that's entering it's 7th year of a Dual Language program. And Sissy got in! They put all the 5 year olds through a 45 minute interview, basically... then they fill 2 kindergarten classes with a combo of native Spanish speakers and English speakers.

Here is Sissy with her homeroom teacher, which is also her Spanish teacher. She'll spend the other half of her day with her English speaking teacher. School starts Monday - I can't believe I have a kiddo in elementary school! (I did super easy teacher gifts for tonight... will try to get them up here this weekend!)

Happy weekend and Happy Back-to-School everyone!

Giving up Dairy

2011-08-18T21:50:00.000-05:00

Hi, y'all!! Remember me? :) Another "meet someone I think is funny/cool/sassy" post to tide you over until actual blogging occurs over here again.

Remember when I had to give up dairy when I was nursing G-man? And it was so awful, all I wanted to do was complain... and share the precious few recipes I had that my whole family loved... and then complain again? Well, we're at it again (so this is the 3rd time I've had to give up dairy... out of 3 babies, for those of you keeping score at home!) This punkin fooled us and kept her symptoms away until she was 7 weeks! Sigh....

Anyway, to cope this time around, I've done 2 things:

Started reading this blog. MODG.

Omg... she is toooo hilarious. I've had to walk away from my desk at work because I was laughing so hard that I feared I might snort or choke on my (soy) starbucks or something. Today, she's talking about giving up dairy, too... Hello again food, you dirty dirty lady. I was first introduced to her by a friend who also has a newborn....and this post totally describes my maternity leave: 10 things about boob feeding that only I'm going to tell you.

You're welcome. ;)

The other thing I did.... I ordered this cookbook from Amazon: Go Dairy Free.

I hate that the only thing I've cooked from it so far was some yummy cinnamon bread. (I might have woken up on a Sunday morning.. after a Saturday evening out without kids!.... and needed something yummy and carby.) Anyway, my menu planning has been totally a low priority lately, so I keep going with my dairy-free standbys: chili, BBQ chicken, grilled chicken, fish.... But as soon as I try some, I'll be sure to pass them on!!

xoxo,

Mabel's House

2011-07-24T21:07:00.001-05:00

Do y'all know Liz at Mabel's House? She's witty, spunky, and recently became a (working) mom. Oh, and she's hilarious and a great writer.

Which is why.... while you wait (and wait... and wait...) for all the great things I'm going to tell you just as SOON as I get a minute to blog... I want you to go meet her. Today her blog reached out and grabbed me. In The Silver Linings of Working Moms, Daycare & Beano she describes the life of a working mom in a way that I think any working mom can relate. From the paralyzing sadness (so glad I'm not the only one!!) to the special, really ordinary moments you might take for granted otherwise. I totally agree when she says it's not the mommy guilt that gets you. Sure, there's some of that... but it's that sadness that gets to her, and I'm on the same page.

G-man turns 3 this weekend, so for now, I'm eyeball deep in some last second party planning. Which I'll share before he turns 4, I promise.

xoxo,

Priorities

2011-07-10T21:22:00.001-05:00

Well.... it's Back-to-Work Eve.... and I was planning to share with y'all the fun things I did during my leave... the sweet acts of kindness shown to me by friends and family.... the semi-homemade projects I worked on at my house.

But this is what I've got. Instead of doing all that, I'm spending time with this sweet thing.

And entertaining this guy. mr. fix-it's college roommate... even I've known him for 12+ yrs - he was in our wedding over 9 years ago. And he stopped in for dinner tonight on his way from OK to LA for business. The trips we took down memory lane were just what I needed to keep my mind off leaving my sweet punkin tomorrow.

But I WILL share with you the fun things I did during my leave... the sweet acts of kindness shown to me by friends and family.... the semi-homemade projects I worked on at my house. I've got G-man's room all ready to show you. And once I get a couple of decals delivered for the girls' rooms, those will be ready, too. Can't wait! :)

God Bless America!

2011-07-03T22:52:00.000-05:00

Have a safe holiday! From the Semi-Homemades

My Return to C25K

2011-06-30T22:39:00.000-05:00

I've got a strict deadline when it comes to fitting back into my work pants! SO... Here's my view from the treadmill these days:

Sweet baby Punkin (I've GOT to get around to giving her a blog name!) is 10 weeks old and tomorrow I'll finish week 3 of C25K... I've learned that it's definitely easier to run when she's sleeping. BUT.. I don't always get that luxury (I'm trying to cram every dentist/doctor/hair appt - you name it! - into the last couple weeks of my maternity leave!) So... sometimes I have to resort to running & entertaining - at the same time. See my headphones in the picture below? Sweet baby is rocking out to some Girl Talk. ;)

I'd forgotten how running keeps me SANE! (Or at least more sane than I'd be if I wasn't running!) ;)

My work out plan the last several weeks and until I return to work (I have only one more wk off - yikes!) has included:
3 (or more) c25k runs
3 (or more) Buff Brides strength work outs
and TONS of lugging around that sweet baby. Who was a teeny 7% at her 2 wk appt, but came in at 94% by her 2 month appt! (What can I say? I've been working hard at that!) :)

What is Buff Brides?

A super easy, super quick workout...
perfect for busy moms like me (you don't have to be a bride, clearly... although my sister started doing this workout 10 yrs ago when she was engaged, so it's a classic!)...
using mostly stuff I already had (I bought an $8 exercise ball and that's it!)...
and it can even be done while you're catching up on tv (damn this maternity leave for getting me addicted to all sorts of shows I've never had time for!)
Score your Buff Brides on Amazon for cheap!

And when Sweet Pea isn't helping me with my workout... she's usually sitting pretty in one of her girly girl outfits. I just can't help myself - I love the bows, the ruffles, the tutus.... watch her turn out to be a tom boy! ;)

11 days til I return to work... I'll let ya know how those pants fit! ;)

xoxo,

SUPER Semi-Homemade Cooking

2011-06-25T05:00:00.003-05:00

Have y'all seen these? It does NOT get easier than this!

The directions are simple:

Buy this packet (it's with the spices in your grocery store)

Buy some chicken, some potatoes (the back of this packet has a recipe card for you to keep)

You'll need a few things you already have at home (like olive oil and salt)

Chop the potatoes, mix everything together

Roast for 30 minutes (it's not just easy, it's FAST!)

This is so good that both my kids and the hubby love it.... I've used the recipe at least 6 times since I bought it, and changed it up in subtle ways. I love to use sweet potatoes instead of the red potatoes it calls for. And I love, love using fresh rosemary (which has to be one of the most amazing scents EVER) instead of the dried...

There's also several other choices (I keep meaning to try a few, like Garlic Lime Fajitas!) Click here to get a full list (I haven't seen all of these in my store, but I might have to start looking around!)

This may be some of my most semi-homemade cooking yet... :)

Trade Days Treasures

2011-06-22T21:37:00.001-05:00

Wow, it's been a month since mr. fix-it and I loaded up all 3 kids (lil Punkin wasn't even a month old yet!) and headed to the Trade Days in the town.where.we.used.to.live. This isn't the big Trade Days that Mrs. Everything and I try to go to a couple times a year... but it's MUCH closer, smaller (in a good way) and the weather that day was PERFECT. And here are a few things I found:

I *think* I'm going to hang this in the wet bar off the living room. When I know... I'll show you. ;) (OH, and for the record... we scored this at the same place we got the MASSIVE piece for our entry way. We were able to negotiate and got them for a steal. Literally, it was like we stole them.) ;)

Okay, this is standing on it's side... and since I can't figure out how to turn the pic horizontally... just bend your left ear to your left shoulder. Got it? Okay... it's the sillhouette of cowboys. It matches the ones hanging everywhere in our college football stadium. And when I'm done with it, it'll be black and hanging (horizontally, of course!) in our media room. Or man cave. Whatever.

This is for the nursery and it, too, will be getting a few coats of spray paint. It'll be part of a collage... you'll see! :)

These projects are FINALLY coming together - can't wait to show you!

Y'all Come In!

2011-06-14T09:05:00.001-05:00

My 2 big kids are gone for a few days - making memories with mr. fix-it's parents - so I'm trying to finish as many half.done projects as possible. First one done: entryway.

I never liked the way it was decorated in the last house (below). So we'd been searching for the perfect oversized something to hang on that wall. And I wanted to hang crosses around whatever IT was to make the look even bigger. And I love it!

Next on the list: working on some projects for each of the girls' rooms today, then finishing up Gman's room this evening when mr. fix-it gets home. Stay tuned for more semi-homemade decorating! :)
xoxo,

The ONE WORD that's keeping me up at night -- Part 1

2011-06-09T14:16:00.001-05:00

And it's not NEWBORN. Or CRYING. Or REFLUX or COLIC. Nope, I'd give anything if it was any of those things. It's CANCER. Such a poisonous word. A sad word. A devastating word. And a super scary word that can turn your world upside down in an instant.

My mom is a 24 year cancer survivor. Which is completely amazing (considering the advancements in cancer treatment we have now and the increased survival rate they've given us). She was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 10 yrs old. My youngest sibling was 4. My mom was a young 36 years old.

But she beat it, and over the years I've taken such pride in that. My mom is a fighter. But now it's back. 24 years later and it's back. It all started less than 2 months ago....

On March 30 (a Wednesday I'll never forget), my sister called me at work. Don't panic.. but Dad took Mom to the ER because she's had shortness of breath... and they just drained 2 liters of fluid from in/around her lungs. Okay, I was 9 months pregnant... I'll let you guess if I was able to refrain from panicking. My parents are the type to avoid the doctor at all costs unless there's a visibly broken bone or someone isn't breathing. So, the ER? Serious stuff.

However, I was having issues of my own. The baby had suddenly stopped moving. I had tried drinking tons of fluid, I had tried sugar and caffeine, anything to get that baby moving. But I wasn't feeling anything but miserable. A trip to my OB showed I was having contractions every 3-4 minutes and was in preterm labor (the contractions were keeping her from having any room to move - that's why I couldn't feel movement!) I headed home for strict bedrest until a Monday appt - leaving me with nothing but time.. time to put the focus back on my mom.

Mom insisted she was fine and that they were testing the fluid and we wouldn't know anything more until the results came back. My longtime friend (we've known each other since we were 11 and call each other our "forever friend"), a nurse at my hometown hospital, assured me that it was most likely pnemonia and not to worry.

But I'll never again be able to enjoy April Fools Day. April 1 was a Friday, but mom's doctor promised to call if her results came in over the weekend. I had barely gotten the kids in bed when I got the call from her Fri night. Cancer. But not just breast cancer. It was back, but this time it was IN HER LUNGS. Mom was so strong while she gave me the news... told me they'd be running tests in the next wk or so and let's not get too upset until we know more. I tried to keep it together while I was on the phone with her, but I doubt I did very well. And once off the phone... I literally collapsed and have never heard sobs like that out of anyone. Ever.

I've since learned that Diagnosis is the hardest part of the cancer journey. Not just for the patient - but also for their family and friends. It's shocking. It's scary. (And when you're 9 months pregnant, and a hormonal mess.. it's even more intense.) It was another 11 days before we got the full picture of what we were dealing with. During that time, there were scans and tests and more scans. I didn't function. Friends fed my family often... and when they didn't, there were dinners of cereal or takeout. I tried to hide it from the kids and be strong, but I often failed. Sissy caught me crying a few times, and I explained it away, unsure of what or how I'd tell her.

The good news: the cancer is confined to the one place, and all her other scans came back clear. The bad news: it's cancer and it's in her lungs. The fight would need to be immediate and aggressive. Chemo - 6 rounds, 1 every 3 weeks.

So, April 18th came, and mr. fix-it's amazing mom came to town for the birth of #3. My mom met with her oncologist, sooo very far away from me and my big belly. And on April 19th, our dear, sweet baby was welcomed into this world by me, mr. fix-it and my mom.in.law. It was special. But the pain of not having my mom there was so deep. She was here for the birth of our other 2 kids. And we had planned that she would stay that week - with the big kids at night and with me during the day. But cancer has a way of derailing your plans.

So, on that spring Tuesday, I was in Texas, having a baby. Mom was in OK, getting a port in her chest for chemo.

Wednesday, I was in the hospital. At times all alone with my newborn, instead of hanging out with my mom. She was in OK, shopping for wigs with my sister. They texted me pictures, asked my opinion.

Thursday was more of the same for me - hospital food, visits with my mom.in.law, precious visits from friends. My mom started chemo. And I wasn't there for her, couldn't be there for her. I wanted to cry, over and over... not fair, not fair, not fair.....

Not being able to be there for her for that scary time after diagnosis and the first treatment broke my heart. Much as it did that she didn't get to meet the baby until I was cleared to travel... for Mother's day.

And here's my sweet momma... with her new look (because her hair fell out the first week of treatment... the bottom picture is from my baby shower in March, where she's sporting her 'old look').... that top picture was taken on mother's day... holding her newest granddaughter. My mom... th every person who taught ME how to be a mom... how to live semi-homemade... how to be crafty, and cook, and entertain, but to be quick and move on to the next thing... My mom, the fighter.

If you read all this, thanks. I honestly wrote it almost as my own therapy. I'll try to wrap up my thoughts in Part 2... and thanks to everyone who has shared prayers and good thoughts with me in the last few months.

School's Out for SUMMER!

2011-06-09T13:02:00.000-05:00

And look how big the kids have gotten! As we speak, I'm packing them for Camp Magaw & Papa... that's southern speak for grandparent camp! ;) They'll be gone for 9 whole days and it'll just be me, mr. fix-it and the baby! Maybe I can finish any of the 5 semi-homemade projects I'm working on. Fingers crossed!

C25K - the Revivial!

2011-05-27T16:08:00.000-05:00

Let's cut to the chase. It's summer and I'm tired of being chubby. Sugar will be 6wks old (already! sniff, sniff) on Tuesday and I need to fit into my REAL clothes. Pronto. Here's a pic of me with the whole family last night at Sissy's kindergarten graduation (which was such a super special night, btw... filled with all the memories of these kiddos - and their parents - that I've come to know and love in the last 3 years!)

I'm tired of hearing... oh, you'll breastfeed those pounds right off. Or ... you'll lose 'em when your body is ready. I don't buy into either! When I had Sissy, I was horrified to learn that it was possible to exclusively breastfeed your baby (for 9 months!) and STILL not be able to lose the weight. I didn't lose the last 10 lbs until after she turned 1. With Gman, it was easier. I can already tell this time is going to be alot like it was in round 1. In my (not.so.professional) opinion, it's because with both girls, I gained weight in places other than my belly. With Gman, it was almost all belly weight.

So... I start C25K for the 4th time. Or 5th... I've lost track. I'm going to walk for a couple wks, until I feel ready to jog. And I'm deciding which program I'm going to do to firm up and tone up - something must be done about these arms! Until then... you'll catch me in knit dresses, maternity pants, and the one pair of capris I'm gonna buy in whatever-this-size-is.
Have a super fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!
xoxo,

My own little piece of heaven

2011-05-21T22:27:00.000-05:00

Sigh. :)

More amazing work by Kristie. So thankful to have her to capture all these precious memories.

2-4-6-8, who do we appreciate? TEACHERS!

2011-05-21T22:22:00.000-05:00

Well, this momma has been a little busy (I had forgotten how all encompassing nursing a newborn is! Add in 2 big kids and it's a miracle I'm showering these days!)... so these Teacher Appreciation gifts were a week late! But school is still in session... the teachers are still there... so I figure we're all good (esp since they all have met the baby so they're aware of my new pasttime!)

I love all the Thanks aLATTE gifts out there, but I'm unsure if my kiddos' teachers are Starbucks people (gasp, right?) ;) But who doesn't love some Sonic Happy Hour? This is a super quick gift idea, but still fun and summery, and the teachers loved them!

For each gift, you need:

a plastic cup

candy (I used a Hershey's bar and a bag of MnM's)

shredded paper or something to put in the bottom of the cups (I had some leftover from Easter!)

giftcard to somewhere fun & summery

tulle (duh!)

cardstock

Just add the filler to the bottom of the cup... throw in some candy and a gift card... and tie some tulle around the top of the cup. I whipped up the tags in photoshop and taped them to the cups.

Here are the tags!

Much thanks to all you teachers out there! Time to get back to the couch with a certain newborn and a burpie... ;)

April 19, 2011

2011-05-20T21:58:00.000-05:00

It was a beautiful day in Texas.... the 16th anniversary of the OKC Bombing (both me and mr. fix-it are from OK and April 19th is one of those "I know where I was" days)... 2 weeks before she was due... the day we met the Tiebreaker. (Yea for making a comeback to blogging - I promise I have lots to talk about besides the newest addition, but... while I sit with her on the couch - she's sleeping and smiling those newborn smiles in her sleep! - I just want to catch y'all up and share some pics!)

mr. fix-it snapped this picture of me right before we left for the hospital for my 3rd csection.

We did so many things differently this time. We didn't find out the gender (we had with the big kids).

And we picked a name before the birth day. That was huge for us! I still haven't decided what we'll call her on the blog (I'm throwing around a few ideas... like Punkin, which is sooo cute when her brother calls her that... or Sugar, which is what I call her. TBD!)

But I will share with you what the Tiebreaker's name would have been... if she would have been a he. Max Edmund. We went with family names (another first!) for both the boy and girl middle name choices.

Here I am, with the hats I had made (from Etsy seller Brownies N Butterflies) for either occasion!

When my dear doctor called out, "It's a GIRL!" I just couldn't believe it! I hadn't been able to feel one way or another the entire pregnancy... but even on the day she was born, her heartrate was around 110... and both Sissy and Gman had gone by the unofficial rule that girls had higher heartrates (Sissy's was usually in the 170s), boys lower (Gman's was usually around 120-140).

An even bigger shock... her size! She was significantly my SMALLEST baby, weighing in at only 6lbs, 10 oz. And at 18 1/2 inches, she was a good 2 inches shorter than her (consistently 90-100%tile) siblings.

As soon as Daddy shaded her eyes in the OR... she opened them!

It's amazing how all 3 trips to the OR were so special in their own ways - and completely different! Waiting to find out the gender was SO INTENSE. I was a complete bundle of nerves that morning, more than ever! Waiting to hear.... is the most special surprise, like every Christmas rolled into one. Amazing!

My first chance to hold her....

And the big kids come to meet her! (That's mr. fix-it's mom, holding Gman. What a lifesaver she was!)

You can see just how excited Sissy was. No one had told her if it was a brother or sister until she walked in that room. She was in love, instantly!

And she's so good with her... holds her so carefully. This was the first time...

And then... on Good Friday... we got to come home. And we tried - for the first time - to get a picture of all 5 of us. Note that there's only FOUR people in this picture. Someone wasn't cooperating.

So daddy tried to hold him. Still not working.

He wanted mommy. So he's holding my hand. But only time (lotsa time!) will erase the look on a child's face after they've had a complete meltdown. So.. this is what we got. It's not the perfect picture I was hoping for... but it's real. ;)

And these days... look fairly similar to this first full day home. Two sisters... relaxing and enjoying life. And each other. :)

Sugar

2011-05-14T14:42:00.002-05:00

Sugar. At least that's what I call her. :) G-man calls her Punkin. And Sissy holds her every chance she gets.

I am sooo excited to say that I'm on the mend from my 3rd c-section (I STILL can't believe I'm momma to 3 sometimes!), and I'm ready to decorate! So stay tuned as I tackle all 3 kiddos' bedrooms (Finally, right?) as well as take on the rest of the house. I'll also fill you in on what's keeping me up at night (and it's not the newborn!)

WOO HOO to decorating and blogging!

xoxo,

And the tie goes to........

2011-04-27T13:49:00.001-05:00

So sorry to keep y'all waiting! (Thanks for the comments and emails, checking on me!) It's just chaos when you have a baby (and family in town to help, and 2 big kids!) :) So, last Tues, our little Tiebreaker was born. And the tie goes to.......

PINK!!

Here she is yesterday, 1 week old, showing off her dimple!... in a cute outfit from her most frequent visitor (my brother's girlfriend!) and on a blanket that one of my dearest friends made. So sweet!

I'll be back soon with TONS of info about her birth day, how Sissy and Gman are coping, (how I am coping!), what we should call her on the blog, etc. I promise! But right now, I have THE best mom.in.law in town to help and I'm spending my time sleeping and visiting with her - more computer time next wk!

xoxo,

Texas Bluebonnets

2011-04-18T14:26:00.000-05:00

Wow.... by this time tomorrow, my belly won't be *quite* this big - I'll have traded it in for some sweet, squishy newborn goodness. By this time tomorrow. WOW.

My amazing mom.in.law is about an hour away, as we speak. (She even called to see if she could pick me up a little Sonic happy hour - she's the best!) And all that's left to do is some laundry and repack that hospital bag. (We had a rough night last Thurs, in which a chaotic hospital bag was assembled - time to make sure I don't - gasp! - get to the hospital without my favorite mascara or something!)

So in the meantime, a peek into Spring in Texas with my fav... Bluebonnets!

Big Sis and the Big.brother.to.be!!

Can you tell that she loves the camera? ;)

My friend Tracy, mom of MULTIPLE boys, noticed the truck in G-man's hand right away. See, after 2 years of 'bluebonnets & boo hoos!' we finally learned. Entertainment is key.

In fact, take a quick trip down memory lane with me... Here's 2010. Sissy did pretty well, G-man wanted to be held.

And in 2009? Yeah... we got lots of pics that looked like this. NOT funny at the time, but hilarious now! (And I can't believe how much they've both grown up! Sniff, sniff!)

Hope that wherever YOU are, Spring has found you! Wishing you lots of sunshine and a blessed holy week!

xoxo,

Life's a Beach

2011-04-18T07:58:00.000-05:00

I'm about to head to my last dr. appt before we meet our last new baby... but just wanted to share this totally cool giveaway with y'all first. You win the entire.party. Everything you see here (talk about the ultimate in semi-homemade entertaining)! It's unbelievable! Go here to enter (and if you win, I want to be invited to your fab beachy party!)

More from me later today before I'm off to the hospital tomorrow!
xoxo,

3 days and counting!

2011-04-16T14:35:00.000-05:00

So much has happened that I don't know where to start! So, I'll start with an update on #3. We'll be meeting him or her on Tues, April 19. While I'm excited that we've gotten to move the date up (I've been miserable, I've had contractions like nothing else, and I'm READY!), it's a tough day for Oklahomans like me and mr. fix-it. Tuesday will be the 16th anniversary of the OKC Bombing, a date that we both rememeber with more clarity than yesterday.

But we're anxious to add happiness to that day and meet the newest member of our family! More to come, as I fill you in on how my world has turned upside down in the last 3 wks.

xoxo,

Sneak Peek: Semi-Homemade Black & White Nursery

2011-03-25T21:48:00.001-05:00

Because I want to prove to y'all that I really AM still here... because you haven't seen peeks of ANYTHING fun and semi-homemade out of me in forever..... because it's spring and nothing says spring like LIME GREEN!.... and because, if you're like me, it's been one of those weeks where you could definitely use a pick-me-up.....

Here's a sneak peek of Baby #3's nursery!
There will likely be a decal in the space above the crib... Just waiting to see if it needs to be boyish or if we're gonna go girly!

I just LOVE the bedding! I sent some fabric ideas to Mellissa at Mellissa's Boutique on Etsy and she made it happen! She let me mix & match my own set, based on what I wanted or didn't want... and that helped me keep my costs low.

I also got some great stuff for #3's room at my shower last weekend!
My sister ordered a custom mobile - elephants in black, white and chartreuse! - from Lollipop Moon on Etsy. Looks like Sarah is trying to catch up on orders, so she's taken her listings down... but as soon as mine comes in, I'll be excited to share it!

And my brother and his girlfriend (okay, let's not kid ourselves, my brother probably STILL doesn't know what they got the baby!) bought us this cute hamper! Now GT can have his blue one back, and the nursery is set for all the onesie laundry this kiddo can bring!

Whew! After an evening of Braxton Hicks, lower back pain, and spending the entire evening on the couch... this momma is off to bed. Happy weekend, y'all!

A Hangover Party! (No, not for me... yet!)

2011-03-23T21:05:00.000-05:00

I was starting to get several emails and comments of concern so I wanted to apologize!! And let y'all know that I AM still around... still pregnant... and very much suddenly on the countdown. Last week the exhaustion hit and this week I am definitely moving slower. But if all goes to plan, we'll have a newborn in about a month (and if all goes according to history... we'll have one in a few wks!)

And I wanted to share this AMAZING idea with y'all! I have to admit, I've been pretty MIA in the blogging world lately (not just as a blogger, but a reader, too!) But I just came across this and I'm already thinking this would be a PERFECT way to celebrate mr. fix-it and my 10th wedding anniversary next spring!

mr. fix-it and I LOVE Vegas. We love The Hangover. So... what better way to celebrate a big milestone anniversary than with a Vegas Hangover celebration! Ohmigosh, this is truly amazing... and inspiring.. and SO FUN! I'm about to make mr. fix-it sit down with the laptop and look at every last, hilarious detail. Love it! You can read all about the Hangover-inspired party here.

Thanks so much for all the sweet emails and comments of concern. I promise to keep you posted better during this last month as we prepare for Baby #3 (which is still a surprise - our latest gender pool has the guesses at 60% boy to 40% girl, so it's a close race!) And - I know this is sad - but I'm looking forward to getting in ALOT more blogging while on maternity leave... when I'll have a teeny bit more time!

xoxo,

iphone Valentines - THE cutest Semi-Homemade Valentine's anywhere!

2011-02-12T15:22:00.000-06:00

How stinkin' cute are these?! And let me tell you how easy! Amy at Living Locurto has these FREE printables on her site. All you need is a printer, paper, scissors, tape, and a bunch of boxes of Brach's hearts (after testing 3 kinds, Sissy's fav is the Sassy (tart) ones!!!)

All you do is print, cut, tape. They fit perfectly over the boxes of hearts. Sissy wrote her name on hers and helped me cut some out. EASY! And so cute - I can't wait for their party on Monday! We made 20-something of these for the kids and some for teachers, too! (Who won't love 'em?)

Just 2 days until Valentine's day - hard to believe! You should also check out some of the yummy Vday ideas on Amy's blog like this super cute cake:

xoxo,

Recipes for your Super Bowl Weekend - both Semi-Homemade... and not.so.much

2011-02-05T15:03:00.000-06:00

Howdy from the Dallas area - home to Super Bowl XLV! Whew, I was just out running errands and thank GOODNESS, the ice/snow is finally melting. What a week.

But now... on to important things, like what ARE we gonna snack on tomorrow? In case you're looking for that perfect snack, I've got it for you. I have to warn you, it's not all that semi-homemade... but when my friend Erin passed it along, I knew I had to share. If you make this, I wanna see pics!

The Snackadium
(courtesy of ABC News)

They say you can't move this, once you make it, so make it where you want to serve it!

What you'll need:

Guacamole
Cheese dip
Salsa
Sour cream
15 Vienna sausages
8 cubes yellow cheese
7 cubes white cheese
2 sausage sticks
2 slices Monterey Jack cheese
Sponge cake snacks
Cooked bacon
Bags of assorted snacks
20-oz. summer sausage

Equipment:
9 x 13-in. pan
Pastry bag with tip
Toothpicks
Wire

Step 1: Fill the field
Fill the middle of the pan with guacamole to represent grass. Then line one end zone with salsa and the other with cheese dip.

Step 2: Draw the yard lines
Draw yard lines with sour cream. Use the pastry bag to draw straight, even lines.

Step 3: Top sausages with cheese
Use toothpicks to secure cheese cubes to the tops of the Vienna sausages to represent players with helmets. Align the players with opposing colors on opposite sides of the field.

Step 4: Fabricate goal posts
Cut the sausage sticks and fabricate goal posts using toothpicks to hold them together. Then lay a slice of Monterey Jack cheese in either end zone, securing the posts through the cheese and to the field with toothpicks.

Step 5: Build the stadium
Build the stadium. Line the edges of the field with a layer of snack cakes and secure strips of bacon to the tops of the cakes with toothpicks. Add another row of cakes and bacon 4 inches outside of the first and make it 3 layers high.

Step 6: Add the fans
Fill the space between the stadium walls with different kinds and colors of chips or party mix to represent fans. Separate each kind of snack with a piece of bacon.

Step 7: Hang the blimp
Fashion a 20-ounce summer sausage into a blimp and hang it over the field with a wire. After you have displayed your masterpiece go ahead and enjoy your tasty football treat.
Recipe from howcast.com

What am I making? I have a huge bag of wheat dinner rolls that I'm turning into sliders, ham and cheese sandwiches (and possibly grilled cheese for the kids).

(Pic from Imperial Catering)

A couple of our go-to game day recipes (which are totally from my semi-homemade playbook):

Buffalo Chicken dip (a long time fav from my mom!)

(Photo from Frank's Red Hot)

Mix together:
8oz cream cheese
1/2 cup ranch dressing - or bleu cheese!
1/2 cup hot wing sauce (I use Frank's!)
chicken - I use a package of the already cooked chicken strips, but you can slice up chicken breasts you have, or a rotisserie chicken or even canned chicken

Then either heat in the microwave (stirring often) until hot OR bake 20 min at 350.
Serve with crackers, chips, celery sticks.

Bacon Wrapped Smokies (another one from Mom!)
This one is super simple!
Cut cheap bacon slices (cheaper because it's thinner and cooks better) into 1/3s.
Wrap around lil smokies and secure with a toothpick.
Place bacon smokies in a big cooking dish (lined with foil, so you don't have to clean this mess up!)
Sprinkle with brown sugar and bake at 325 for about 45 min.... or until the bacon is done and the brown sugar has carmelized. Yummy!

And check out Amy's ideas on Living Locurto (Amy is from mr. fix-it's hometown and now she lives in the same suburb where I work - small world! Naturally, she and mr. fix-it know ALL the same people back home and she's so sweet and creative!) The Antipasto Bake she has pictured looks AMAZING (and seems pretty semi-homemade, too!)

I'm not even gonna think about the depression that enters my household as the last football game of the year wraps up.... ;) Happy snacking!

14 things I love

2011-02-03T09:21:00.002-06:00

In honor of that upcoming holiday... and in no particular order... here are 14 things I love!

1. Sliced bananas with hot fudge. It's kinda a fake-out sundae. Of course, sometimes, I just say screw it... and add some frozen yogurt to it. (We'll see how that glucose test goes tmrw! LOL!)

2. Decorating! I have 3 bedrooms to start working on stat! But trying to finish unpacking first... and using decorating as my reward/motivation!

3. Getting 2 free drinks from Starbucks - one for my birthday and one 'cause I earned it by being a rewards member! (What? You haven't heard of that! Go to starbucks.com right now and sign up!) In a crazy turn of events, I also received a free Starbucks oatmeal. I'm in Bucks heaven... Sign up here!

4. My big belly!

5. Castle. Yes, I know I've already told you. But I love it that much.

6. Spring in TX! Before long... it'll be bluebonnet time! (Thank goodness - the ground is covered in sleet today and I hate cold weather!)

7. Okay, this is almost contradicting #6, but... Snow/Ice days! We've been stuck in our house for 3 days now. And while most everyone I know is about to lose it, I am LOVING it. We're always on the go, never do much more than sleep at our house, it seems! And I never get enough time with my sweet kiddos and hubby. So I.am.LOVING.it. (Just not loving the drive in to the office that takes as long as the actual time the servers are up and productive there!) I've started getting used to big crashes coming from upstairs, followed by lots of giggling. They can't really hurt anything, so what's the problem? :)

8. Supportive girl friends! This year is going to be full of the sweetest blessings (a new baby, settling into a new home) and some of the biggest challenges (balancing being a momma to 3 with a demanding job that doesn't quit for anything). I thank God daily for some women that help support me, help lift me up, tell me I can do it (even when I have serious doubts). Don't know what I'd do without them!

9. Lists! If I don't have something on a list, it doesn't get done. Period.

10. Traveling! mr. fix-it and I are headed to a weekend away in San Antonio at the end of this month, to celebrate our 9th wedding anniversary (which isn't until April, but that's too close to the arrival of #3!) We don't have family close, so to get a weekend away and someone to watch the kids... it's a big deal!
Have recommendations for our trip to San Antonio? Let me know! mr. fix-it has never been there and we love American history, so we're going to have alot of fun at the Alamo (and then ALOT of relaxation!)

11. Surprises! My birthday was Monday and I worked late. I rushed home to have cake with the kids, but it was too late when I got there (I guess cake after 8pm is a little late for little ones!) Needless to say, the day hadn't been my favorite.
Enter my sweet hubby... he made sure the kids treated me like a queen before he put them in bed. In the kitchen, there were flowers and a card and a trip to the spa for a pedi - from the hubby and kids! When I went to our room to change out of work clothes, more flowers on my nightstand! With a sweet card from my hubby and a GC to Starbucks! When I headed to the bathroom (he knows this pg momma TOO well!), more flowers! Another card! Another gift card! He turned a crappy day into one of the sweetest ever. :)

12. Semi-Homemade Projects! IF I get home from work in time today... I'm going to start on the kids' semi-homemade valentines for their parties at school. I'm starting with the 32 boxes of conversation hearts I bought last weekend... ;)

And if you want to get your house ready for Valentine's Day... and if you're like me and have been meaning to jump on the Subway Art bandwagon... check out eighteen25's cute ones! They have it in 2 colorways!

13. This guy! I told you this was in no particular order! Or he'd be #1! :)

14. These kids!

What do y'all love? Maybe one day I'll do a linky blog and y'all can share these things with me! :) Stay warm, friends!!

xoxo,

3 Semi-Homemade Bedrooms - Ready, Set, Go!

2011-01-27T20:48:00.000-06:00

I'm super excited to start decorating/designing three VERY different bedrooms, each with its own semi-homemade theme. I'm hoping to have a super productive weekend of unpacking so that I don't have to hold these projects hostage any longer! ;)

Bedroom #1: the nursery

Semi-Homemade theme: black & white with lots of lime green! And modern elephants thrown in for fun

Details: I'm working on some fun decals - just need to start contacting Etsy sellers. Contemplating adding some fun Babar stuff.

I got the bedding last week and I couldn't be happier! Mellissa was so easy to work with. I sent her my ideas and some fabric ideas... then she helped me pull it together. Check out her shop:

Mellissa's Boutique

Here's the bumper... stripes and mod elephants and lime green... love it!

And the inside of the bumper is black minky - won't Baby love that?

And the crib skirt... lime green with elephant trim at the bottom. And a lime green sheet!

Bedroom #2: Sissy's room
Semi-homemade theme: A Madhatter's Tea Party
Details: I have tons of ideas here, lots of them DIY... but I've got more work to do in this room, so it'll probably be the last one done. I'm focusing on clocks, keys and custom decals. :)

And here's a little taste of what's to come: Sissy's Wonderland!

Bedroom #3: G-man's big boy room
Semi-homemade theme: Vintage trucks - because what boy doesn't love trucks?
Details: G's room is pretty much bought - I just need a little time to pull it all together. Only real project left to do is go through all the pics I took of mr. fix-it's dad's old truck and print and frame them.

A few of the details:

And a few more. See, I told you I'm about done! :)

It's almost weekend, thank goodness! It's been a long week and I've still got work to do tonight to prep for my big meeting tomorrow!
xoxo,

The NEW Semi-Homemade Home: BEFORE

2011-01-26T21:37:00.000-06:00

Here's the tour I've been promising! Since the new Semi-Homemade Home is still very much a work in progress... these are pics from Moving Day, with more to come soon... room-by-room... as I finish! I'm taking Fri afternoon off & I'm spending the afternoon alone - just me and the house! The plan: PROGRESS! :)

So let's start... with the room that's always my fav: the kitchen!

I love how mr.fix.it always pushes us to the newest thing... the next big thing that's not TOO trendy... it makes our houses unique but, at the same time, incredibly saleable. (He's got a gift!)

I love the black distressed cabinets... the appliances (I've never had a double oven!)... and my fav is the custom hood! And I wasn't sure about the hand -scraped hardwood floors in the kitchen - but I love 'em!

Can you see the 2 windows mr. fix.it added above the cabinets? He knew I wanted more natural light in there! :)

Details... the carvings on the wooden hood....

The office (aka the last room - always! - to get unpacked! We can totally work around the boxes!)
Our last office was pretty... but a few details make this one oh, so much better. We extended the built-in bookshelf across the entire room and added a stained beadboard to the ceiling.

The entry looks the most similar to the last house. But I'm hoping to brainstorm/research/dream up a new way to decorate those big wall spaces!

A peek into the dining room. Can't wait for curtain shopping!

The master bathroom has been such a relaxing space... and it seems so luxurious after 7 months at the Summer House in a cramped bathroom!

I can't figure out how to take a picture that shows how BIG the shower is! I love all the stone work, it's like being at a spa!

This picture doesn't do the bathroom justice, but... mr. fix.it moved the bathtub from against a wall to the middle of the room and it's such a focal point! (It also seaprates our vanitys, which was a must. I love that guy... but when I'm in the midst of makeup and hairspray and products... I need my space, lol!)

The distressed black cabinets carry into the living room... and - as much as I loved the stone mantel in the last house, it was impossible to decorate, with it's uneven-ness.. ;) I shoulda taken a close up pic of the mantel. I'm staring at it now, and it's so pretty...

I love this neighborhood! This is my view from the (totally unpacked, even still!) office...

I can't wait to work on the Man Cave with mr. fix.it this weekend! (He was so cute in there last weekend... holed up, watching the playoffs!) We're doing an Oklahoma State theme and he got some of the coolest stuff for Christmas for this room!

Projects and pics of finished rooms to come soon! :) I absolutely can't wait to decorate the 3 kids' rooms (yikes! 3 kids?!?), but I'm holding those projects hostage... as a reward and to motivate me to finish unpacking and hanging stuff on walls!

Snowflakes and Baby Bumps

2011-01-10T22:00:00.001-06:00

OMG, I'm 24 wks pg - how did we get so far so fast? I did a weekly belly pic when I was pg with G-man and in the chaos of life, I just haven't done as well this time... but I'm getting them in where I can!

I love this little man. He looks JUST like his daddy. But his love/hate relationship with snow makes him JUST like his mommy. (Love, in that snow always sounds like a good idea... but going out in it? See how the hate part comes in?) G-man first refused to go outside and I was all set with that. See, G hates wearing a coat (so much so that his teachers at school have to put his on backwards so he can't unzip it and take it off!)
But once he decided to head out, he was all for it.... for just under 3 minutes. Did I say I love this little man?

My snow bunny Sissy. She fires snow balls with the best of them. Makes the prettiest snow angels. Builds the cutest snowmen. And stays out there as long as mr. fix-it will let her!

mr. fix-it and Sissy, enjoying the big-as-Texas flakes!

Pics of the house soon! I'm so busy DOING that I haven't stopped for a sec to snap pics!

Also to come, I'm taking on Sasha's 11 in '11 - Semi-Homemade-style, of course!

New House, New Job(s), New Baby (on the way!), New Year!!

2010-12-23T11:11:00.002-06:00

We're just exhausted from all the newness around here. As in literally, falling down, exhausted. As in, during just the last 10 days, we've had 1 sinus infection (poor G-man), 1 case of strep throat (a sick pregnant woman is NOT someone you want to have to deal with!), and 4 pink eyes (yes, we've ALL now had it!)

But we've also been so blessed... to have my sweet mom.in.law here to help all weekend.... to have my sweetest bestie Mrs. Everything swoop me off to a Monday afternoon pedi - her treat!... to live in the most beautiful house that really, really feels like home - even amidst the boxes and chaos!.... to be traveling tomorrow to be surrounded by family.

And I feel blessed that so many of you have followed me all year... despite my SLOWEST, least creative bit of blogging in my (somewhat short!) history. But I was just telling mr. fix-it last night... that I can't wait for the new year and lots of creativity, semi-homemade-ness, and blogging. Can't wait to show y'all the progress on the house and what I have in store for 2 big kid bedrooms and a nursery! (Just as soon as AT&T stops pissing me off and moving back our internet service.. which is now set for next Tues, fingers crossed! I'll be MIA until then, just stealing a quick minute on the web at work today!) :)

Have a blessed Christmas! I was planning to share a pic of our tiny 4-foot tree, that's been totally engulfed with all the wrapping (complete with tulle!) that I've been working on the last few nights..... And also send y'all the special Christmas card I made just for you. But since all that is at home, where we are internet-less... I'm just sending a pic from last year's tree (which sadly went from storage to attic) and well wishes for all of you!

xoxo,

THE day has finally arrived!

2010-12-17T21:35:00.000-06:00

I was starting to think this day would never come, but TOMORROW we move into our beautiful new home!

I have some finished pics of the house, but since I'm not done packing.... I won't get to share more until we get moved. I'll be without internet for a few days and then gone for Christmas, but I promise I'll show you the entire house before the end of 2010. Until then, here's a couple bedroom sneak peeks!

By this time tomorrow, Moving in 2010 will finally be complete. I'm so relieved, I'm guessing I'll cry... More soon!

xoxo,

A few of my faves

2010-12-13T21:40:00.001-06:00

Today started out with pink eye and an infection (poor Gman!) and ended with a 9hour work day AND the cancellation of Mrs. Everything's ornament party - boo! (Poor thing had a sick kiddo, too. AND she won the sweetest.friend.ever award when she gave me her daughter's earlier dr. appt so I could hurry to work!) So... I'm calling it quits & crawling into bed with this:

Harry and David's Peppermint Moose Munch - to.die.for.

to watch this:

I'm the first to admit that it's ridiculous how obsessed I am with this show, Castle. I just love it and I can't help it. I watch very little tv in my life, especially WHOLE, ENTIRE shows. But this one combines my love of the murder/mystery with my need for lightness and comedy. Love, love!

G'night, y'all! 4 1/2 days til moving day! :)

Semi-Homemade Teacher Gifts - Snowman Snacks & Suds

2010-12-12T21:22:00.002-06:00

Okay, so this year was way more SEMI than HOMEMADE. But....get ready for this, don't fall outta your chair.... I got them delivered to teachers last week! Yep, ME! Mainly because I knew if I didn't get them out, they would get lost in the shuffle of the move, and y'all know how much we love our teachers!

Both kiddos have new teachers that I haven't yet appreciated (Gman moved up after school started... and Sissy recently moved into a new class, which is a story all it's own - more on that later!) In other words, I could resort to a tried and true idea and not worry about it!

So.... fancy gourmet popcorn from our favorite nostalgic shop downtown (total plus that I had purchased a Groupon from them!) and some foaming holiday soap from Bath & Body Works (had a fab coupon for that AND a giftcard, so these gifts were super cheap!)

Threw them all in bags... added some tulle and this tag:

This week is THE MOVE! I'm so excited I can barely stand it. And so overwhelmed that at any moment I think I could puke (nice, right?) Mainly, I've got to figure out how, in the next 6 days, I can:

* work about 50 hrs, possibly more
* attend an ornament exchange party at Mrs. Everything's house
* finish Christmas cards and mail them before they get lost
* get my hair did (just covering the greys might ease some of this anxiety!) ;)
* finish packing this entire apartment
* try to get the major move check list started - mainly getting tv/internet and our mail!
* squeeze in 2 more runs for c25k wk 7 (got the first one in today - woo hoo!)
* MOVE into our new dream house!

But Sissy's 5th birthday party went off without a hitch and was THE easiest birthday party I've ever even thought about throwing. I'd recommend this semi-homemade party to anyone and will fill y'all in soon! New house pics soon, too!

xoxo,

What to Expect..... when you're Expecting AND running C25K...

2010-12-07T21:29:00.000-06:00

SETBACKS, that's what! ;)

When I was pregnant (and running!) with Gman... I got a horrible stomach bug around 20 wks. Lots of vomitting led to a trip to the ER to be rehydrated. Once I recovered, I never ran again during that pregnancy - I had to make the switch to walking.

After last week's 5 day migraine (and another trip to the ER!), I was afraid I might be headed down the same path. I had jogged the day before Thanksgiving, making it 12 days in between runs - yikes! - and part of me was afraid I wouldn't be able to get back into it.

But then I had dinner on Sat night with 2 old friends. I met these girls online in early 2005, when we were all pregnant with kiddos due in Jan 2006. Sasha and I have been good friends for a few years - we connect on lots of levels (struggling to do it all as working moms, running, shopping!) and I just love her dearly. And she lives in my home state of OK. Beth and I have shared lots of stories about our kids (we have girls the same age and boys about the same age!) and she's THE source when it comes to info on running - I love it! But I'd never gotten to meet her... until last weekend. So fun!

They were in Dallas to run the White Rock half marathon. Over a carb-y dinner of pasta, they shared their training regimens and we talked life. It was that kind of rejuvenating fun - just what I needed! Here we are, after dinner (I stand at a short 5'4", but don't these girls make me look like a giant?) :)

They gave me the energy I needed to run last night. It was tough, but I'm so glad I did it! I'm still working towards a goal of reaching wk 9 of the c25k (I'm currently doing wk 6 - for the 3rd time - see what I mean about setbacks?!) After I reach wk 9, then I'll work backwards towards wk1. It'll be challenging in Dec (I only have approx 3-4 time slots avail in each wk to run, so I HAVE to make it happen in those times!), but if I make it thru without any repeated wks... I'll finish wk 1 when I'm 31 wks pg - almost 8 months! So much can happen, but all I'm thinking about is one jog at a time.

And in the meantime... in the last 2-3 wks.... my belly has taken on a life of it's own! Here I am with Sissy.. in the new house... sans shoes... She loves 'her baby' so much - I think I'll be getting alotta help!

And today was a big day - the SONOGRAM! I've had so much anxiety this pregnancy... I guess I know how blessed I've been to have 2 healthy children... maybe it's that worry that my luck will run out!

We held strong and opted not to find out the sex (mr. fix-it seemed to be wavering a bit, but in the end, he was strong, too!) Baby #3 (I need something else to call him/her besides by a number... or the Tiebreaker... suggestions?) looked healthy in every way - answered prayers!

Hope y'all are having a wonderful week - I just love this time of year, even amid the chaos! Sissy's birthday party is just 4 days away... we close on the house in 8 days.... and 11 days from now, I'll be residing (admist a million boxes!) in my new house!

Sissy is turning 5

2010-12-04T09:59:00.001-06:00

this month and I just can't believe it! When did time fly by so fast?

Kristie got TONS of amazing shots of her when we got together recently. And here's my fav one (although it was hard to just pick one!)

Elaine who? Semi-Homemade what?

2010-12-04T09:51:00.000-06:00

Let me say this... Yes, I've been THE world's worst blogger. I didn't even get to wish y'all Happy Thanksgiving (I hope it was full of blessings, btw!) But yes, I plan to get so much better once we moved. Who knew that my blogging was so incredibly tied to where we live? But now we know. ;)

So... an update on the house. And I'm going back tomorrow and will have MORE updates (maybe even with bedroom pics - that's missing from this one). Moving day is 2 weeks away!!! Dec 18, one little week before Christmas. And if that doesn't give you enough of a sense of my world lately.... here's a tiny peek:

~ Spent this week in a migraine. Literally from Sun until Thurs, when my OB sent me to the ER for IV meds. I finally started feeling better yesterday afternoon. Never had one, tiny headache when I was pg with Sissy. Had them with GT, but this was - by far! - the worst I've ever had!
~ Migraine and all, I traveled to Houston on Tues with my parents for my great-uncle's funeral. It was sad and sweet... and I wouldn't have missed it, even with a migraine!
~ Big Sis's big 5th birthday party is a week from today! Because I'm not supermom (duh!), and because we're in boxes, we're holding it somewhere other than home. She wanted a cooking party so.... Young Chef's Academy for a cooking party! Pics of details, invites, etc to come!
~ Oh, and remember that new job I started a month ago? Probably the biggest source of stress right now.. but that's for another time, preferably with a glass of wine (so that'll be awhile!)

But on to what you're waiting for... THE HOUSE!

I love, love the new brick and stone we picked out!

Pretty, unstained garage door. And I have a thing about lanterns... love this one!

Y'all come in! (Thru our unstained door, of course!)

The dining room. Which has since been painted under the chair rail... some beautiful color like glazed pecan or something. :)

Remember the bar from the last house? Here's this house's version.... all the cabinets in the house are a distressed black. This pic is pre-distressing!

A living room under construction.... but oh so pretty anyway....

The kitchen! Always my fav place. I have to say, mr. fix-it and I were a little nervous to paint that beautiful wood black... but we've gotta stay up with the trends, so distressed cabinets it is! And I can't wait to see them now, in all they're stressed out glory. ;)

The back yard. The patio has that odd shape because of what'll be going on at the end of it. Can't wait to see it - not sure if that's a pre-move in project or post...

And I just love the beadboard ceiling outside! I bet it's stained now - can't wait to see it!

Here's Sissy, checking out the test on the tub.... One of the biggest changes we made from the last floorplan was the layout of the bathroom. We separated the vanities, and put the tub in the middle of the room, as a focal point. I think this pic was as they'd been tiling the bathroom...

My vanity in the bathroom!

mr. fix-it's man cave! I picked the color for the walls in here and I think it's perfect (if I don't say so myself!) I wanted it to have that cigar room feel.... he has some sports memorabilia to hang in here.... Santa is bringing something that will sit on the counter and make the place smell like a movie theater... ;) Can't wait for Family Movie Night in here! Did I mention we move in 2 wks?!?!

I really have to hand it to my sweet mr. fix-it. I just can't believe what he's been able to get done. We broke ground on Sept 7 (after 3+ months of ripping our hair out with the financial world!), and wait til you see the pics I take tomorrow, Dec 5. Amazing! A beautiful house, in record time. What a lucky girl I am....

5 weeks to go - progress pics!

2010-11-07T21:00:00.000-06:00

ALOT has happened since I shared the new Semi-Homemade house with you. In fact, it was 4 wks ago and we had written our favorite 'scriptures on the structure!' But... just like everyone, we've been crazy busy. In fact, in my (almost) total absence since we moved into the Summer House, I haven't quite kept y'all in the loop. So... a few... uh, confessions:

- mr. fix-it was laid off. Which was a total shock. Despite making it 2 yrs in a rough housing market... and being the only guy at his level still left.... we found out in August that he'd be saying goodbye to the company he'd been at for 5 yrs. Heartbreak. Shock. Sadness. (And that was just me!) ;)

- I started a new job last week. I'm still doing the same thing, but I've moved from one end of the 'campus' to another... and from one end of the product specturm (women's lingerie) to the other (kids' apparel). Despite having the same title, most of the job is different, so... lots to learn! Just trying to take it one day at a time.

- The first trimester of this pregnancy has been the hardest I've ever been thru. In one week in August, we found out mr. fix-it was getting laid off, that I was starting a new job, and that I was pregnant. Whoa! And all while we're building our new house and living in the Summer House. But besides being (totally, completely) overwhelmed, I've also been really sick (new to me!) and exhausted. I'm so thankful to be coming out of that. I've been able to eat warm foods at night for a month (the thought/smell/sight of anything warmed made me sick!) And all of a sudden, last Tues, I drove all the way home without closing my eyes at a stoplight! (Yikes, right?) And I could even jog without fearing I'd fall off - I was even dangerously close to falling asleep ON THE TREADMILL!

Okay, now that y'all know everything.... what you're REALLY waiting for, right? House pics!

the outside - brick & stone are almost done (sorry for the overly sunny pic!) It's alot darker than we've done and gorgeous. I promise better pics soon. I just love the addition of those 2 windows over the garage (where the 5th BR will be!) External painting starts soon!

the living room - the stone fireplace was going up on Sat when we visited!

what was just a cabinet with granite top in the last house... is a beautiful built in for this house!

the kitchen - one of my FAV features in this house is all the feet! LOL! This is the footed island in the kitchen!

okay, and if you had to ask me my absolute favorite feature in this house vs last (since we're building the same floor plan, just with addt square footage and diff features!), it would HAVE to be the hood in the kitchen. I nearly passed out when I first saw it on Sat - and it hasn't even been stained yet!

the detail on the vent.... ahhh....

another footed cabinet! this time, in the master bath.

the back patio - again, mr. fix-it had to improve on the old patio, just a tiny bit! He added these arches and I think it looks perfect!

the staircase - this is the back staircase, the one that leads to the kitchen and family room and gets 99% of the use. We picked a different look this time - can't wait to see it done!

the media room (aka man cave): mr. fix-it added a half wall with cabinet space, a bar and counters. Santa might even bring a fun popcorn popper to sit on these counters!

the kids' rooms - I owe paint colors to mr. fix-it for the kids' rooms TONIGHT! Yikes! G-man's is done... Sissy's will be done tonight. And I'm gonna have to get a pass on the Tiebreaker's room. We're going to paint it a generic color and come back in a few wks with just the right shade of lime green. Bedding has been ordered (from a new-to-me Etsy seller - can't wait to show y'all!), so I'm just waiting on swatches so I can pick paint!

Thanks for peekin' in with me! More soon, I promise!

xoxo,

Trick or Treat!

2010-10-31T21:20:00.000-05:00

From my sassy Alice....

And my tough Boxer! (Seriously, he fell into something at the Halloween party we were at last night and had a real life scrape across his face. Awesome.) ;)

Hope y'all had a happy Halloween! We started out with Mummy Dogs.....

then on to TOTing! Love this time of year! :)

Round 3 - Who wins? Pink or Blue?

2010-10-19T21:39:00.000-05:00

I've been both nauseated and starving. At the same time.
Both exhausted beyond a doubt and suffering from insomnia. At the same time.
Both insanely overjoyed and extremely pissed off. At the same time.
And apparently have lost ALL ability to withstand any kind of heat. Whatsoever.

Yep, Baby #3 is on the way! We'll meet the "Tiebreaker" (we're 99% sure this is the last one, so this new kiddo will sway our house to a pink or blue majority!) at the end of April.

And we're going to wait until that exciting day to find out just who wins - the pink team or the blue team! And I'm soooo thrilled that my "planning side" is allowing my more "free-spirited side" to do this! :) (It totally helps that I had brainstormed an entire black and white playroom with lime green accents - it's now the theme for #3's nursery!)

We planned for around a 3 year gap between G-man and Baby #3, but we were pleasantly surprised to get lucky QUICKLY - so the new baby will be about 3 months old when G-man hits the big 3! With one kiddo's birthday sandwiched between Christmas and New Year's.... And the other born in the middle of scorching Texan summers.... I'm excited at the thought of outdoor birthday parties!

Sissy has wanted a baby sister since G-man was born ;)... mr. fix-it would love another son playing football in TX.... and I just want a healthy baby! So who will win - pink or blue? Guess we'll know in April!

Scripture on the Semi-Homemade Structure

2010-10-11T22:18:00.000-05:00

Say that three times fast! I first saw this idea once when walking a house under construction (mr. fix-it and I have loved walking houses for as long as we've been together! even before mr. fix-it was a builder, when we lived in Lawrence, KS, and he was an investor accountant!) But as much as I loved the idea, I never remembered to do it during the framing stage. Until now.

So... We started with my all time fav... Then I consulted with friends and searched the web until I found 2 Bible verses, perfect for the occasion. Here I am, adding one over the fireplace:

The verse is from Proverbs:

A quick update on the view from outside! I'm so excited that mr. fix-it and I decided to add those 2 windows over the garage. We won't finish it now, but in the future the space behind those windows can be finished out to be bedroom #5!

The verse on the eat-in bar in the kitchen reads:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23

(Don't laugh at G-man's outfit in the background.... that's the result of ALL his shorts - except the gray/white plaid shorts with skulls - being in the load of laundry that was the Purple Crayon Incident. And yes, he has shirts that match these shorts... but none of them have bicycles on them and that boy is OBSESSED. Nothing but bicycles would do that day. So... I give you... G fashion.)

Thessalonians 5:16.... my fav verse. Over our front door in the entry way. I think it's a good reminder. I want this to be my first thought when I come home and my last thought when I leave!

I voted mr. fix-it to write this important verse over the door!

Then the kiddos got in on the action! We let them write their names on the floors in their bedrooms. Then Sissy got carried away, and before I knew it, she had all 4 of our names in almost every room! LOL!

I didn't get a good pic of G-man ~~getting permanent marker on his only non-crayon shorts~~ writing his name. But here he is, in that crazy outfit, peeking thru the walls of what will be the closet under the stairs!

This was so much fun... definitely a new Semi-Homemade tradition (even though we hope to only build one more house and then settle for awhile!)

Wait til y'all see the cute stuff I got in Canton - update to come!

Another Episode of Everything is Bigger in Texas: State Fair Edition

2010-10-08T15:52:00.000-05:00

The rides, the attractions, the people watching (you know that part is half the fun), the FRIED FOOD! We did it all last Monday at the Texas State Fair! Ever since Sissy was one, we've gone to the state fair DURING the wk (what an important detail - it's the big key to our success in everyone having fun!)

The legend: Big Tex. He's huge. He's Texan. And he talks. Really slow and really deep and with lots of "y'all"s thrown in (like any good Southern cowboy).

The Little Hands on the Farm: Big Sis is a pro at this. GT did it for the first time this year. You slip into an apron, do a bunch of chores around the farm... feed animals, collect eggs and milk, plant and harvest crops, drive tractors... at the end, you are paid for your hard work and get to use your $ to pick out a treat at the general store. Awww, the kids love it! (And it never hurts to have an extra granola bar in case your kiddo decides to opt out of the fried-whatever-you're-eating.)

Here's my crew at the beginning of Little Hands! Farmer Fix-It, Mrs. Farmer, and my cute little G-goat. hee hee

A (rare!) shot of mom with her Little Hands.

There are SO many photo opps at the State Fair, but we do the same few every year and it's fun to compare to past years.

The FRIED food: I have a confession.... I'm not really all that into the fried food. I know, I know... it's all the rage at the state fair. And I do love some french fries... fried okra... but most the fried fair food is a little over.the.top for me. But this year was - by far! - the best for fried food.

My biggest priority was trying the award winning Fried Frito Chili Pie. And it didn't disappoint! Of course, it came with salsa and sour cream to dip... and how do you go wrong there?

Everyone loves the corny dog. Again, I'm not the hugest fan. BUT... add jalapeno and cheddar and suddenly I'm MUCH more interested.

Sissy's fav food in the whole world is "pelly and jelly"... aka PB&J. So, we tried the fried version. Again, not bad! (Is it possible that my taste buds are just adapting to this Texas way of life?)

This pic isn't great, but... we were enjoying Fried Chocolate. Imagine a brownie (now you're talking - my fav food in the world!) fried! Which basically meant it was warm, but kinda crispy... then topped with whipped cream. The 4 of us practically fought over this one! Whew, seems like alot of food, huh? The 4 of us shared those 4 sinful treats in between rides....

The annual photo opps: this is another one! Last year, baby G-man was much tinier in the stroller. And before that it was just me and Sis!

This my all-time FAVORITE annual State Fair pic! mr. fix-it and his sweet girl!

And G-man couldn't be left out... Not to mention that Sissy wanted to prove she was tall enough for the 'big flower.'

The Rides: GT is currently obsessed with 2 things: trucks (duh, you know this) and motorcycles. He was in heaven! Even if Sissy bossed him into a pink one. ;)

mr. fix-it LOVES the showrooms with all the new trucks and cars. And now... apparently, he has a buddy in all that man stuff. It was G-man's hands-down favorite part of the fair. He wanted "in, in!" every.single.truck. On the bright side, it was like a ride to him but FREE!

Sissy will ride anything. No fear. Here she is, pretty much the lone kid on a roller coaster.

I think I snapped this sweet shot of 2 siblings waiting to ride the plane together. Not 5 seconds later, Sis is crying because her brother won't hold on and GT is considering hitting her for bossing him around (I swear, I could see the look in his eyes!)

Tell Sissy she isn't big enough? She'll say she is (and damnit if she couldn't ride just about anything at her VERY tall 49" - she's just 4 yrs old, guys!) Tell her she'll be scared? She says she isn't. Then she'll prove it! She climbed up a billion steps... carrying this gunny sack thing.... and then slid all the way down.

And loved it. Wanted to do it again.

So fun! Already looking forward to next year..... wonder what they'll fry up in 2011. :) Any suggestions?

My Canton Shopping List

2010-10-01T22:06:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, Mrs. Everything and I are running away! ;) We're gonna escape the stress of our daily lives (work deadlines, sick kiddos - you get the picture!) and go to Canton! Mr. Everything informed us last night that you can't go to Canton with a list. But we disagree... as long as it's a loose list... with room left for treasures you didn't even know you needed... it's all good! So, just a few things I'm looking for:

1 - KEYS
So many ideas come to mind, especially for Sissy's Madhatter bedroom. I love the color in the project below, and it would be perfect in her new room! A little spraypaint, some scrapbook paper... Well, that's how I'd make it semi-homemade. The real how-to is here at Modge Podge Rocks!

Love the element of the keyhole in this collection - it's so Alice! From Etsy seller Jordan James.

And for the family, I love the idea of this. Y'all know that we move. Alot. It's what we do. So we might as well celebrate it, right? Love Stitched shows us how with this cute project. She spray painted her keys, added the addresses, framed it all on burlap, and done!

Here's a close up. But I'm thinking about chaging it up a little...

I'd like to use big, antique-looking keys (I don't even have keys for any of our old houses!).... And frame them - along with pics of the front of our houses - in an old antique window pane like this:

They come in options of more panes than this, and Mrs. Everything got one during one of our previous trips to Canton (it's so cute - full of their family pics).

These Vintage Medicine Bottles (from Etsy seller Jordan James) are perfect, too! Maybe with a Drink me! tag around the neck of the bottle?

2. Black/White/Lime Green

I'm working on an idea for possibly a playroom.... and I'm thinking black...white....lime green... possibly zebra! Doesn't that sound fun? A few sources of inspiration:

LOVE this zebra chair from Kirklands. (It's already so reasonably priced, and this weekend, it's on SALE!)

Maybe picture something like this, but with LIME GREEN where the blue is? From Etsy seller Art by Kristi.

And I think this is so cool - you purchase these great frames by the lot! From Etsy seller Mountain Cove Antiques.

3. Clocks

Besides keys, the other element I'm going to focus on for Big Sister's new bedroom is clocks. I'm picturing a wall of clocks and hoping to work on it in Canton. Because the clocks don't even have to work, I'm hoping to find some steals! Just a few for inspiration:

Etsy Seller Cyber Moon

Next 3 clocks by Michelle Allen Designs

4. Teacups

What would a Madhatter room be without a spot of tea? Most specifially, I want to figure out how to score some teacups (which are always so girly and prissy) and paint them so they're funky! And I'd like to try my hand (maybe with mr. fix-it's help!) on this diy Teacup Lamp. I totally think I can do this...

Check out the DIY at Be Different, Act Normal.

Who knows? Maybe we'll come across something like this, even! (From Etsy seller Whimsical Collections)

5. Vintage Trucks/All American

We can't leave G-man out! I've already scored several great items for his first Big Boy room, but I'll be looking for anything Vintage Trucks or All American (think navy blue, red, stripes!) to finish pulling his room together. I don't have anything specific in mind, but a few ideas:

Etsy seller Simple Block Sayings

Okay, off to bed! Gotta be well rested for a FULL day of shopping and girly time! It all starts with pumpkin spice lattes at 8am! I'll be back to show off my treasures. Happy weekend!

Orange! Power!

2010-10-01T09:16:00.000-05:00

Omg, did y'all catch that game last night!?! (I *might* have really struggled to get to work today... after staying up for the game and getting so ~~freaked out~~, uh passionate... that I couldn't go to sleep afterwards! The Pokes beat the Aggies by kicking a field goal with 2 SECONDS left! Agh, the stress of it all!)

So, in preparation for Homecoming weekend (just 3 wks away!), my sister and I just placed our order on these adorable dresses for Sissy and her cousin. From Etsy seller Oh Sew Sweet Boutique.

They're gonna be Oh Sew Cute!!! Go, Pokes!

Lotsa Sticks!

2010-09-28T10:51:00.000-05:00

At least that's what Mrs. Everything said their oldest, Miss Priss called the progress at our house. We visited the frame on Sun evening... and plan to return tonight!

They were just starting on the 2nd floor (but had to stop over the weekend because of all the rain!)

Here's the living room:

And in case you're having a hard time visualizing it.... here's the last living room!

We're building the same floorplan, but it won't be the same house! We're adding a bedroom (yea for 5 BR!), we've added sqft, and lots of the house will have a diff look. For example, I LOVED my last kitchen... but we're going to try something new this time - black distressed cabinets. I'm meeting mr. fix-it later today (yea for having a Tues off!) to make our selections!

Here's the front of the double staircase.... this is the entryway of the house!

And here it was at the last house....

Off to talk tiles, countertops, flooring, etc!

Beautiful Concrete

2010-09-21T22:15:00.000-05:00

Have you ever seen more beautiful concrete? OMG, I could just break out in song! Tonight we visited our slab. Our 12.hour.old slab.

Which was just the kinda progress we needed to have after a typical day in the Summer House. (You know, the kind where you come home from work to find a love note from the office. About how your satellite dish - the one that's been there for 4 months now - is not installed to code. Mr. Apartment Mgr, you sooo do not want to get into a pissing contest with me. Let's start with the dishwasher that could wake a person 2 suburbs away. Or what about how the people upstairs flooded our master bath last wk. And you sent someone to fix the ceiling in the 2 spots where we had DOWNPOURS. But that painter that was supposed to come take care of what looks like war damage? Yep, still waiting. And don't get me started on the smell. That bomb you set off only kept the odors at bay for a wk.)

Anyway.... ;) Check out how cute Sissy and G-man are, sitting in my soon.to.be master shower. It'll be a beautiful, walk-in shower.... and I'm picking tile a week from today!

Check out my rockin' dance floor!

mr. fix-it is already hanging out in the new bar...

And Big Sis posted up at the front porch. Can you tell how comfy we are here already?!

And to show you just how ready we are to actually LIVE here... This pic is from Fri. Here's mr. fix-it with his green tag. We passed an inspection Fri and another one yesterday, so we could have Slab Day today!

Here you can see some of the cables and such... what goes on under the floor!

And G-man? Still obsessed. with dirt.

Stay tuned!! The frame goes up THURSDAY!

xoxo,

The Summer House List: #21

2010-09-14T22:21:00.001-05:00

So, most of the items on the Summer House List are family activities. In fact, I think only 2 are specific to just one person. One of them? Take a photography class with Mrs. Everything.

Those of y'all that have read this blog for awhile, know that's been on my to do list... longer than I've been blogging. But we finally did it! Mrs. Everything found a local photog Jenna (of That Wife) to help us learn a few things.

Our main objective: To learn enough to take (slightly) better everyday pics of our families and the events of our lives.

Objective met? Yep! Jenna was so wonderful to work with. Totally laid back and didn't laugh at the fact that we knew absolutely nothing. She even brought a beautiful model. I only wish I'd taken some notes (the class was on a Fri evening after a particularly long work week), but now I just need to spend some time (what's that, right?) playing around.

And so... a few shots I took that night in Aug. You can see (hopefully!) all the playing around we were doing... focusing on the subject, on the background, etc. We were in this beautiful area near where I live. It's modeled after a Croatian village and no detail has been left undone. This is the church - it's gorgeous!

More Summer House List activities to come!

And maybe now I can breathe...

2010-09-13T21:04:00.000-05:00

Because we have dirt!

(Um, can you imagine what my laundry looked like this weekend? After visiting the land to check progress both days? Small price to pay though for PROGRESS!)

Saturday morning, Mr. Fix-It heads to the land to work on a few things and I follow later with the kiddos. Mr. Fix-It promised I wouldn't be disappointed... and woo hoo!

We have forms!

Trenches have been dug!

I am (finally!) happy to have progress.

Sissy helps Daddy measure, by throwing off the tape measure after each measurement. In a dress. Because that's how Big Sis rolls.

And G-man pulls himself away from the dirt long enough to help measure, too.

Oh, and to tell our new neighbor that he is TWOOOOOO. I was thrilled to meet one of our neighbors. She and the other neigbhors have been chatting about how excited they are that we're building across the street. There are lots of kids in the area (which we knew. Duh, haven't we been stalking the land every weekend?) and they like to get together and have neighborly shindigs. Perfect.

On Sunday, we go to church.

Kids nap (okay, G-man naps and Sissy watches Hello Kitty).

Mr. Fix-It and I switch up our workout routines and do the C25K (prob more on this later... I've been too.bored.to.believe with my current running and treadmill location in the Summer House!)

Then we head to the land. We can see the orange netting from down the block - MORE changes!! I kiss Mr. Fix-It. ;)

Plumbing work has been done. Here, Mr. Fix-It is standing in the master bathroom. I have to say, since we're building the same floor plan as our last house (with a few modifications and more sqft), it is MUCH easier to visualize than any of our previous houses!

Um, this is one way to meet your new neighbors! Think they'll mind? They have a couple dogs and Sis was trying to get a closer look!

Next up: we've gotta pass a few inspections before we can pour the foundation. Keep your fingers crossed for green tags, perfect scheduling and NO RAIN!

xoxo

Put 'Em Up or Tee Up?

2010-09-10T21:35:00.000-05:00

So, I'll tell you this..... I haven't run any of these ideas by G-man yet.... But. Here is MY Top 5 list for G-man's Halloween Costumes. I plan on getting his opinion tomorrow. But, of course, I want to hear what you think, too!

1. A boxer - lately it is NOT unusual for me to get a call at work from the kiddos' school. And it's almost always an 'incident report' about G. That kid is all boy, a total bruiser. Depending on the day, we might not even have to add the fake shiner. Love this one!

2. A Golfer - it's almost the anti-costume of #1 and I love it equally. ;) Mr. Fix-It lit up when I showed him this costume, complete with the set of golf clubs and bag.

3. Lil Frankenstein - I don't know what it is about this one, but I can totally see G-man as a Lil Frank. (Mr. Fix-It brought up a good point.... G prob will NOT wear anything on his head. Which seriously takes out 92% of all boy costumes. Geez.)

4. Woody (or Buzz Lightyear) - this boy is OBSESSED with the Toy Story movies. He'll stay glued for the.entire.movie. (Moms of 2 yr old boys know how amazing that is!) He's got Woody and Buzz toys, cars, movies, even a hooded towel!

5. A Lil Devil - I couldn't resist this one! For all those days he's being insanely onery. ;)

Now... to figure out what I'm going to be! :) Last year, I was a semi-homemade witch. I bought a witch hat, spiced it up with some purple and green tulle, and wore my black dress. This year? Maybe... the Queen of Hearts. Same black dress with some heart accessories? I heart Halloween!

My New Favorite Thing

2010-09-09T13:03:00.000-05:00

Ain't that the truth? So why do we all keep tryin'??
By last night, I was really wondering if having Monday off was worth it.... when I worked 25 hrs Tues/Wed to make up for it. But tomorrow is Friday - we can make it! :)

xoxo,

What are YOU gonna be?

2010-09-08T20:30:00.000-05:00

I LOVE OCTOBER! Those of you who know me well, know that it's probably my fav month! What's not to love about the pumpkin patch, homecoming (with its parade, walkaround, sea of orange, and the big game!), and Halloween! I have never outgrown my obsession with dressing up! When else do I get to abandon my real life persona (thirty-something, full-time working, momma of 2) and be WHATEVER I want?

Sis and I have been brainstorming our costumes for a few weeks now..... and over the holiday weekend, she put together HER Top 5:

1. Batgirl (but not just any Batgirl... the PINK one!)

And G-man would just have to be her Batman (I like the one with the muscles, lol!)

2. Cat - she's never mentioned wanting to be a cat before, but after seeing this cute costume, I can't really blame her for picking it!

3. Southern Belle - I have to say, a part of me (the same part that loves her Southern drawl!) is just lovin' that she picked this in her top 5! I don't really love the mermaid-like color combo, but I could def see her in a hoop skirt!

4. Hannah Montana - the choice she mentions the most often, but that I often don't quite hear. ;)

5. Alice in Wonderland - there's the sassy version and the sweet version. And while I usually go for tradition and know that Sissy would make a sweet, traditional Alice... I'm liking the sass!

Now that Sis has narrowed it down, I've gotta spend some time with G-man and see what he likes! And I have a few ideas for myself.... but since we can't throw a Halloween party at our house this year, I've gotta find somewhere to go and dress up!

xoxo

The "Summer House" List

2010-09-06T15:35:00.002-05:00

Remember that super cute idea I saw on eighteen25 about making a "summer list" of all the fun things you wanted to do over the summer? Remember that it was back in June when I blogged about it? And remember that I was so excited to get started, that we sat down as a family that very day and pulled together our list?

Well..... this summer has gone anything but according to plan.... So, I decided to make ours a "Summer HOUSE" list - a list of all the super fun things we're going to do before we move out of the Summer house. A list that will keep our minds OFF the fact that we're still IN the Summer house (and will be thru Oct... Nov... parts of Dec...) So our list now includes items like:

Carve pumpkins
Go to a football game
Eat turkey
Walkaround
Make a recipe with pumpkin in it

Mr. Fix-It is gonna hang my masterpiece next to the giant calendar/countdown in the dining room. (Ohmigosh, I won't be sad to say goodbye to the horrible lighting in this place either!) We should be getting our permit back tomorrow (from what appears to be THE slowest small town in TX!) and then watch out! You'll finally be getting progress updates on the 2010 Semi-Homemade House!

Enjoy the last day of summer! We sure have - we went swimmin' and then crashed at The Everythings for some yummy grillin'!

xoxo,

Say Cheese!

2010-09-06T15:05:00.002-05:00

My favorite time of the year is coming up quickly! First it's fall, which means football season, my favorite smells and pulling out all my fav recipes. Then we're on to the holidays! I love, love checking my mailbox for all the amazing cards from family and friends. So.... if you're in the Dallas area and wanting to have a truly special holiday card this year, contact Kristie! Y'all have seen the great work she's done with my family (she did the family pic in my sidebar, as well as the pics of Big Sis and G-man over there, too!) She's a teacher and a whiz with kiddos.

Contact her and tell her I sent you! (Awww, look at those cute kiddos in her flier!) ;)

xoxo,

Back to the basics - it's SCHOOL time!

2010-09-03T20:45:00.000-05:00

The kids have been back to school for 2 whole weeks... so I'm finally getting a chance to show you the big day! We started the year with appreciating our new teachers (y'all know how much we love teachers!)

$3 fun clipboard from Walmart

+ oh.so.yummy popcorn from our local shoppe

+ a handwritten note (I used the apple notes from The TomKat Studio!)

+ tulle

= several happy lead teachers!

And we love assistant teachers, too! For them: a bag of savory popcorn with a candied popcorn ball and a note about how much we appreciate them. Big Sis and G-man loved picking out the flavors!

Here's Big Sis on her first day of Pre-K - I can't believe it! She's so grown up... when I picked her up after the first day, she showed me her pencil case and composition notebook and everything! (When did she get so grown up?!?)

Big Sis with her onery brother on their first day of school

I'm surprised to say... but I just love my pretty girl in a UNIFORM! Being the girly girl that she is, we didn't waste time with shorts/pants/skorts... so nothing but jumpers Mon-Thurs!

But watch out for Fridays - when her true style comes out. ;)
Happy back to school, y'all!

Watching grass grow....

2010-09-01T22:04:00.000-05:00

Here's our land on Aug 1, 2010

And here it is again, on Sept 1, 2010

Nothing.has.changed. (Okay, shut up, we all know it's the exact same picture... but that's the point!)

OHMIGOD! Most of you know that patience has never been my strong suit. And the speed (or lack thereof!) of this building process is killing me. Or in the least causing me sleepless nights, failure to be motivated, and weight gain. Seriously. We've run in to more roadblocks and slow downs than we ever dreamt was possible. And my hubby is a professional builder!

We MUST break ground this week before I lose my mind. I'm ready to be excited about this process!

But in the meantime.... the view of our neighbors to the back:

And these are our neighbors across the street. I hope to meet them soon, when we start visiting in the evenings several times a week. That's how we met Neighbor Mike at our last house and we ended up as great family friends! (Love Texan hospitality!)

Come on, House of 2010! Happy Labor Day, y'all! I'm debating on spending it with a shovel, breaking the ground my ownself!

Oh, Alice!

2010-08-18T21:09:00.000-05:00

It's come to my attention recently... just how closely my emotional well being is tied to our HOME. Most specifically, I'm at my happiest and most creative when I'm entertaining, decorating, project-ing (that's a word, right?) And so... this summer.... (in the Summer House)... I just haven't been myself. Have I? ;)

So, I'm going to start virtually working on the new house. I'm starting with Big Sis's Madhatter room. I was going to explore a couple more options and build storyboards around them, but... let's be honest. I've had that on my to do list for 5 months, and it's not any closer to happening. So... here we go!

I came across these Antique Keys in my search for a 'key to Wonderland' feel... and I figured, at $5, they'd satisfy my need to buy something (even though that's not fitting in the budget right now!)

Right before I sealed the deal on this purchase, I decided to browse the rest of Queen Flourishes antique shop on Etsy. I came across this Vintage Frame and I'm wondering if a) I can pop that picture out and replace with something else, b) if I could spraypaint the frame black, and c) if I'd even love it after all that. What do y'all think?

She also has this Vintage Silver Creamer set, but looking at it again, I'm undecided. I originally got a funky/creepy feel for it, but... I'm looking for teacups/teapots with lots of fun color, so maybe I stick to that.

I'm building my ideas on KEYS and CLOCKS - can't wait to share with y'all!

We went to Wonderland!

2010-08-15T22:55:00.002-05:00

March Hare: Why don't you start at the beginning?

Mad Hatter: Yes, and when you reach the end.... Stop.

Ahhhh, yes... LOVE that movie! Just wanted to share with you the totally enchanted morning we had last weekend at the Gaylord Texan! Upon news that Sissy's bestie was moving (and quickly!), we set out to plan THE perfect last weekend in TX for her. See, this is her sister and partner in crime... the girl that makes her giggle... the girl that knows ALL her secrets (whatever that my be when you're not yet 5 years old!) And perfect is what that day was...

The picture above makes me both happy and sad. We had so much fun getting the girls all glammed up. The four of us had been spending more and more time together - miss them already!

Below is the girls with Alice and the White Rabbit. This year's Summerfest at the Gaylord featured scenes and characters from the Lewis Carroll version of the story. I loved the umbrellas and flamingos and teapots that surrounded us at breakfast... every detail was perfect. And you've never met anyone half as sweet as Alice!

Alice led the girls in all sorts of wonderful activities... things you can't do anywhere but in Wonderland. Like standing on a chair for pictures. And eating chocolate for breakfast (at the White Rabbit chocolate fountain!)

The menu was full of yummy Wonderland treats like:

The Hatter's Mad French Toast

Tweedle Dee-licious Eggs Benedict

The Humpty Dumpty Omelet Station

Queen of Hearts Chocolate Fountain

We're all mad here...

The girls pose with Alice and the mommas (I was still in my old glasses then... I just wonder how much fun I would have had if I could SEE that day!)

If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn't.

And contrary-wise; what it is it wouldn't be, and what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?

And because we were celebrating Bestie's time here in TX... the girls had to get in some time as Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders! (This looks like some interpretive dance? Maybe a little too much So You Think You Can Dance?)

Curiouser and curiouser...

After breakfast, we walked around Wonderland. Amazing! And what would Wonderland be without mushrooms? If you look closely, you can see a giant caterpillar sitting on a mushroom in the distance behind the girls.

In my world, the books would be nothing but pictures...
Each display had a book with information on the artist and materials.

Drink me

Off with their heads!

Why, you're nothing but a pack of cards!

As we approached a giant scene with most of the pack of cards in various stages of painting the roses red... we couldn't help but notice the fragrant smell of roses in the air. They left no detail undone!

Here's our favorite little spades.... (we let them turn the cameras on us mommas, too - hilarious!)

This is just part of a scene built from SAND, which included the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, Tweedle Dee and Dum, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit... and, of course, Alice herself.

I got soooo much inspiration for Big Sis's Madhatter bedroom! I'm working on a wall of clocks - vintage/new, working/not, whimsical/serious.... We've hit a rough patch with medical bills lately (nothing serious, but including an adnoid removal for G-man the day before we went to Wonderland!), but I'm planning to start building the clock collection as soon as I can!

(Oh, and do you see that cute Alice in the pic at the left? So many girls dressed in costume.. loved it!)

These pictures do NOT do this justice! Just know... that keyhole was on the side of a rocky ravine... and stood at probably 10 feet tall... and the golden keys laid across the water below and were just as big. SO cool! (I'm also working on a variety of key accents for Sissy's room - I've found some amazing treasures on Etsy, as always!)

Every lampost was covered in scenes from the book. And I scored a coloring book at the gift stop with all these same pictures. Except I didn't tell Big Sis I bought it. See, I'm thinking I might frame some of the most recognizable prints... THEN give her the rest of the book to color!
The bottom pic shows you just how excited those girls were to be together and in Wonderland... they couldn't help but skip thru the atrium!

And who.... are.... you?

The Caterpillar presides over his section of the atrium, atop a giant mushroom... and the Mad Hatter's mad hat sits on top one of the resort's restaurants (and again, this hat was GIANT!)

The second I saw the singing flowers, I instantly broke out in Golden Afternoon. In my head, of course. ;) These flowers were equal parts creepy and totally cool. Nearby, we strolled thru topiaries of flamingos and the White Rabbit.

A few more details included a shower of colorful umbrellas that started at the 9th floor (and worked its way down), the Gryphon made of balloons, the Rise of the Jaberwok sculpture, and a 256 sq ft chess set (like the ones I've seen in pictures at some of the amazing Alice-themed birthday parties!)

When I get home I shall write a book about this place... If I ever do get home.

We didn't WANT to go home! What a special morning for 2 special friends. Oh, and the girls, too! ;)

G-man just keeps on TRUCKIN': A Semi-Homemade "TRUCKER" party!

2010-08-07T22:36:00.002-05:00

Keep on truckin'.

The theme: To say G-man is obsessed with trucks is like saying that - last year at this time - I kinda liked pirates. In other words... that boy is all about trucks! He seems to love all trucks, so I settled on Vintage Trucks (because I was considering it for G-man's Big Boy room - can't wait for you to see it!)

The invite: Right after I started contemplating vintage trucks... we spent a weekend at Mr. Fix-it's parents' house. Just so happens his dad owns this old truck that was perfect for the front of G-man's invite:

And it just so happens that I was throwing a Surprise Party for my mom's 60th the weekend before G's birthday. In Oklahoma, near all our family. So... because the Summer House just doesn't have much capacity.. ;) ...and because 2nd birthdays in the Semi-Homemade house are family-only affairs...we held the party at my parents' house - aka The Truck Stop!

The back of the invite:

(I'll have to share my mom's party with you later. But imagine attending a surprise party in your honor... and then being told another party is being thrown at your very own house. Later that day. But I had taken care of every detail, so nothing for her to worry about!)

The decor: trucks - everywhere! While brainstorming bedroom ideas, I had seen so many amazing vintage truck finds that I just couldn't pass up! Some of them did double-duty to set the stage for G's trucker party!

There's only 2 challenges to throwing a party at my parents' house. Long distance parties are complicated (so much to pack, grocery shopping to do once you get there, etc.). And the lighting isn't the greatest. Meaning there is exactly zero natural light. But imagine this without the harshness of the flash - it was so fun!

This is my grandmother's sideboard. That clock is older than anyone I know. Perfect for our vintage truck theme. I ditched the original color scheme of light blue and lime green as soon as I ran across so many great things at Hobby Lobby in red and light blue. Such a happy color combo!

There's so many fun finds on this table. First of all... those super fun trucks on the tablecloth are from one of my favorite Etsy sellers, that isn't actually a party shop. Debbie from Paper Quick can make anything, I'm convinced. She did the toy soldier's for Sissy's Nutcracker Sweet party last year. And she created these trucks for me (I ordered them in red and light blue and I'll use the small ones in G's birthday book!)

Fun sippys for the kids (another cheap find at HL!) And I loved the popcorn napkins... perfect with the menu of Truck Stop fare.

Remember how much I love the nearby nostalgic candy & popcorn store, Mom & POPcorn? I had them do a custom mix in the birthday colors... blue rasberry & cherry... YUM!

The party hat on the right (and the tag in the background) is part of a printable party set I won earlier this year from Esty seller Parties by Hardie. Their parties are such an amazing value and include everything you'd need for a custom party. Everything had G-man's name and age on it, and the whole thing was easy!

You'll see more of the trucker hat later. I ordered them on Amazon. To get a reasonable price, I ordered adult size hats, but they adjusted small enough to fit. This seller had tons of colors for under $4 per hat!

The food: I snapped this shot before the food was ready. Just cupcakes and mnm's (we just didn't have parties at my house growing up without 'em!)

The napkin rings and placecards are both from my Parties by Hardie set - love the way it came together. And that matchbox vintage truck (from Target) was perfect, too!

I picked out these chalkboard canisters for my birthday last year and I just love 'em! Add a paper vintage truck from Paper Quick and done. Perfect!

Dinner was a hot dog bar (because after all, we were at a truck stop!) We had it all - ketchup, mustard, relish, onions, chili, cheese... then we also grilled brats, had Truck Stop Nachos, Mr. Fix-It's Famous Guacamole... and various sides.

The cake: Cupcakes and toppers have become my M.O. So... I'm thinking I'll switch that up for Sissy's next birthday. But they were perfect for G-man's low key 2nd. Cheap cupcakes from Sam's (their colors are always right on!), printable toppers in my party pack from Parties by Hardie. Doesn't get easier (or cheaper!)

The guests: Big Sis and her cousin Ainsley, cheesin' with their dogs!

G-man does low carbs. And guac. ;)

G-man with his Magaw (Sissy came up with that name... and we're still not sure where it came from, but it's not going anywhere!)

G-man loves trucks. And tents. This was G-man heaven.

The games: I'm not really one for games. Maybe because Sissy and I prefer to just eat and mingle. ;) But... the 'trucker' theme wouldn't be complete without trucker hats. And since custom hats for tots cost $25+... We decided to DIY. Like I said... $4 hats, a set of markers, and we were set!

Daddy helps G-man pull his trucker hat together...

Sissy was concentrating. G-man looks like he's inspired. ;)

G-man's trucker hat wouldn't be complete without... a TRUCK!

My sister and I try on the girls' handiwork. (There's a glimpse of the banner that read: Happy Birthday G-man! I just don't have the time right now to blog-ify it and take G's name out. But trust that it was all truck and looked great!)

Seriously, these kiddos spent more time on these hats, than the 4yos spent on THREE activities combined at Sissy's last party!

Cousins!

Time for gifts!

Some of my fav gifts! My sister got G-man the Vintage Truck pillowcases for his new room (from Etsy seller Branch handmade.)

He also got his own tool set - you should see that little man in nothing but a diaper and a toolbelt!

Good ole fashion fun: Growing up, it wasn't a party without homemade ice cream. We did it one better by making it an ice cream bar. Fudge, caramel and candy toppings... mmm! Perfect for a hot July day!

Happy Birthday, G-man!

To my sweet little man... It's been amazing to watch you grow and change this year. Daddy and I love that you are 'all boy!' And Sissy adores you (to a fault, sometimes!) It's so fun to be your momma. Can't wait to see what this year has in store! You are loved.

On a side note... I've been trying to finish this post for what feels like ages! But kinda fun that I FINALLY finished it on Aug 7... the day we had picked for him to be born. :)
xoxo,

The BLIND Side

2010-08-04T21:54:00.000-05:00

Uh, that would be the side I'm on about now.

How sad is that - when shown the classic eye chart today - I not only failed to read the top line with either eye... but when I was given the opportunity to read it with BOTH eyes, I squinted until I proudly announced it was an A.

Uh.... I think that makes me both BLIND and STUPID. How often do you see anything but an E at the top? Yikes!

So... without boring you of the details of my vison woes, just know that my eyes are revolting. They're rejecting my contacts after years of abuse. (Sure, I've been told that only going 5 hrs a day without contacts will lead to problems, but....) I'm now banned from wearing contacts. Indefinitely. For a few months... at best. Could take a year or more to heal, and worst case scenario is no more contacts. Evah! (For the record, I'm highly emotional at any and ALL medical offices, apparetly. I promptly told the dr. he was going to make me cry... and that he'd scared me straight and I would be on best behavior from now on.)

Boo hoo! Going to bed to wallow in my depression.

Oh, and when I replace my 7 year old glasses.... y'all will be the first to see the new specs!

xoxo,

G-man turns TWO!

2010-07-31T23:13:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it? My sweet little man is already 2. Seems like his birthday was just yesterday:

I was working up G-man's Vintage Truck party post, but.... ugh, my internet is not cooperating. But stay tuned - today was an amazing day!

A date with a Firefly and Busy

2010-07-29T22:23:00.000-05:00

I've been Busy. Which is funny because.... after a few wks of insanity, Mr. Fix-It and I took tonight off. No running here and there... no late night at work.... no 9pm dates with the treadmill. We mixed up some sweet tea vodka and watched 3(!!) episodes of Cougar Town (on tivo, duh, so it was quick. But I never just sit and watch tv - fun!!) That show is hil-arious! Funny thing is... one of Courtney Cox's besties is this girl and her real life name is Busy Phillips.

Seriously.... why didn't my parents name ME Busy?! ;)

But after a few months of blogging hiatus, I promise I'm back and I'm working on a few fun things! I want to share G-man's Semi-Homemade Vintage Truck party (which was last weekend) and some updates on the new Semi-Homemade House!

Going, going, GONE!

2010-07-11T20:53:00.001-05:00

Any of you remember what gave me 2 painting projects, caused me to go thru a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and had me answering questions about my baby for 4 months?

Yep, it's (FINALLY!!) paid off - I'm sending the last payment right now! Woo hoo! G-man graduated from his doc band ("helmet") almost 15 months ago....

and it's finally falling out of the monthly Semi-Homemade budget. It was a nightmare with insurance (who didn't pay one cent towards it!), but when I look at that beautiful head... it was all worth it.

Cheers to my beautiful "baby" boy! And here's to hoping that we never go thru that experience again! :)

We heart America!

2010-07-04T14:31:00.001-05:00

Wishing your family a safe and blessed 4th of July!

We had so much fun at the kids' parade yesterday! :) (mr. fix-it thought g-man looked like a little Shriner! so cute!)

This is frick and frack... ;) Big Sis and her bestie. They're always together... and usually oblivious to the world around them.

I actually got in G-man's face as he came past us and he did.not.see.me. He was so overwhelmed... he just grabbed his teacher tight and marched, LOL.

Big Sis grabbed Bestie and they marched with Brother...

And here's to remembering the meaning behind this special day.

Happy 4th, y'all!

xoxo,

Good bye, June!

2010-06-30T21:52:00.001-05:00

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!

2010-06-21T22:46:00.001-05:00

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,