Our Royal Day!

Well, we have survived our Royal Wedding Party, and I am so excited to share some photos of our tea with you! I am so glad the girls were on spring break this week - they have had lots of adventures all week long, but I have to believe that today's Royal Wedding party was truly the highlight of it all. The girls had such fun . . . and me? I really felt like royalty. I think we did a fantastic job celebrating the new bride and groom, and I think the wedding was just spectacular.

Here are a few snapshots of our Royal Wedding celebration. We started by hanging the Great Britain flags that we colored, and the chains of red, white and blue, all throughout the family room.

We even colored some of the flags and taped them on skewers I found in our kitchen drawers . . . just perfect for cheering as we watched the procession route! I cleaned up some of our china dishes and we set the table - all ready for our tea.

Some delicious cranberry orange scones really fit the mood, and I remembered these really cool princess toothpicks were given to the girls a couple of years ago - luckily they were in a cabinet in our kitchen. Just perfect for our party, don't you think? 

 We dressed in pretty party dresses and wore lots of jewels . . . nothing is too good for our princesses!

 Ella really got into the whole thing, and insisted on calling me "Mother" in her very best English accent. And Katie loved pointing her pinkie as she drank her tea. I think our table looks just beautiful, don't you?

Lady Katherine, me (the Queen Mum), and Princess Ella . . .

Finally, it was time to watch the ceremony . . . I think we had the best view in the house!

 And of course . . . the reason for our gathering . . . .

They are so gorgeous, don't you think?

We had such a lovely time this morning . . . and I know this is a day the girls will remember for a long long time. That is, until the next Royal Wedding.

I hope you had a lovely day, as well! Thinking of you all, and off to have some more fun! Not sure what to do after this, though . . . it will be hard to top it, don't you think?

You know, even if you're not a royal, life is still pretty wonderful.

Getting Ready for the Royals!

Happy Wednesday, dear blog friends! I hope this post finds you all enjoying your days to the fullest! Just a quick little post to share our latest adventure with you . . . you see, we are getting ready for a special party in our home this week. Oh, let me be a little more formal, shall I?

Eh-hem . . .  .

Here Ye! Here Ye!

Ok . . . that's better. Preparations are well underway for our very own Royal Wedding Celebration!!! Because . . . well, why not???

The idea came to me the other day at work, as I thought through our plans for the week. Knowing that the wedding between Prince William and Catherine Middleton will be taking place on Friday, and remembering how I (a young 10 year old completely fascinated with the royal family) watched the wedding between Prince Charles and Princess Diana in complete awe and amazement, I decided that I wanted to make this 2011 Royal Wedding a special time in our home. So, I printed out a little invitation for Katie and Ella for our very own viewing of the Royal Wedding. (Thanks to the DVR, we won't have to get up at 4AM to watch it live . . . . our viewing will be just right for our time zone!)

As I started to explain the whole tea party idea to Katie and Ella - their bright eyes gleamed with excitement over the whole idea. Because, as you can imagine, this is going to be a WONDERFUL party!!! The list of things to do set us on the right path for planning this great party . . .

We started the decorations by coloring our own flags of Great Britain, and will be cutting them out and taping them all over the family room. I'm going to set up a card table and set the table as fancy as can be with doilies, flowers and beautiful floral napkins I picked up today.
Oooooo . . . . and we must dress for the occasion. Our outfits are going to be just lovely . . . as we stopped off at a nearby resale shop this afternoon to pick up a party dress for Katie ($6 - what a deal!). A quick shopping trip at Grandma Carol's found us with even more hats, costume jewelry and long gloves for each of us. And we have a lovely menu of cucumber finger sandwiches, peanut butter & jelly finger sandwiches, cranberry orange scones and iced tea. Oh, I think I'll have to pull out my good china, too . . . I mean, nothing is too fancy for a princess, don't you think?

I'll have to share some pictures of the event with you after Friday . . . I know we are going to have a lovely time. We've also decided on our titles for the day . . . I, the Queen Mum, will be joined by Princess Ella and our very own Lady Katherine.

I'm so lucky my girls are as silly as me . . . . it makes life so much fun.

Hope you all enjoy the rest of your week. I'll be back soon with more.

Cherrio!

More Inspiration for the Soul

“You see things; and you say, 'Why?'

But I dream things that never were;

and I say, 'Why not?'”

- George Bernard Shaw

All because of $1.98

I should have been a pianist. Really.

I don’t know what happened.

Ok, I know what happened.

But I think I really could have been an amazing pianist. I had thoughts of playing the piano while at work today. Wondering . . . what if?

I started thinking about how similar typing on a computer keyboard is to typing along the keys of a piano. And I am darn good at typing on a computer keyboard, I must say. But piano keys . . . something all together different.

I wish I was musically inclined. I can sing like no body’s business (especially in the shower), and follow along with music enough to get pretty close to the notes. But playing the piano . . . it’s like a foreign language to me. And while typing today (which is what my day time job primarily consists of), I found myself in a groove. In a rhythm. Selecting the keys with a pep and jump in my step that had me wonder why I never fell into piano playing. But then I was reminded of my enemy. . .

I took piano lessons when I was in 3rd or 4th grade. I don’t remember much . . . I think my music teacher had a Dorothy Hamill sort of hair cut and wore really large glasses (it would have been 1979, mind you.) And she seemed to take the whole music thing sort of serious (I was 8 . . . music playing was meant to be fun, wasn’t it?) I remember taking lessons and thinking this was going to be easy, but somehow things just got really jumbled up with all the notes in my head, and the song never quite came out the way I wanted it to. My teacher often assumed I didn’t practice. So, off I would go . . . with my music sheets in hand, and a strict reminder to practice before returning to her the next week.

The days would go on with little time (if any) spent practicing my craft. And the night before my next lesson, warnings from my Mom would come to me that I had better spend some time practicing, or she was going to stop sending me for lessons. I would sit down at our little organ and play. For a minute. Maybe two.

In the background, I remember hearing something on the T.V.

Something that was going to make my life more culturally rich and rewarding than playing the piano.

Something that offered a lesson on talent, style and overall communication skills that would help me in life.

Right?

It was, the $1.98 Beauty Show.


From Google Image search

 And I wanted to watch it. So, I would slip away from the piano, and watch my favorite television program. Mom, who had three other really active kids, was probably busy with one of them at the point when my playing would stop. So, she never caught me leaving my practice. And me? I was thrilled because on the little t.v. council in our family room, I could watch real talent. I mean, they danced, they twirled batons, and they even sang . . . or tried to, anyway. And I loved that show.

The next day, when I got to my piano lessons, my teacher just knew that I hadn’t practiced. Something tells me she wasn’t as impressed with my decisions to watch the $1.98 Beauty Pageant, instead of practice. As for me, I was pretty happy.

The piano lessons didn’t continue much longer. I think I participated in one recital (I have a photo somewhere to prove it.) Mom was proud, I’m sure. I most remember the fancy dress I wore to the recital and have no idea what song I played. Part of that whole beauty pageant idea, I guess.

Now, I’m a pretty great typist. And I think I owe it all to those early piano lessons. But part of me wonders what it would like if computer keyboard would send music sounds . . . what song I would be playing today, as I type this post. What notes would I press as I paused for my next thought? Would Mr. Beethoven be inspired?

I guess I’ll never know. I guess that’s just one more “what if” to let go of . . . and smile at the thought of winning a bouquet of carrots and a check for $1.98. That seems just like the type of talent show I’d win . . . and I will always love it just as it is.

From Our Home to Yours

Wishing you all a

wonderful

Easter!

Mary never had one of our lambs . . .

As the Easter holiday quickly approaches, I went back through some photos taken last Easter, and realized that I never shared my lambs with you.

Yes, I have lambs. Every Easter. Usually two.

And sometimes they are injured. Sometimes they can't hear a darn thing, because their ears have fallen off. Sometimes they can't see out of one eye because a certain four year old has eaten one of their eyes. Sometimes they have a furry coat, sometimes not. It all depends what stage you get to them. Oh, and we have come to universally agree in my family that the best part of them, is their butt (because that piece always gets lots of frosting!) Sorry to be crass, but it is what it is.

It starts with their birth . . . compliments of my mom. Mom makes the lambs each year . . . and let me tell you, there is nothing like my Mom's pound cake. Seriously. Once they have been take out their pans, they arrive to my home.

Next, we call on the spirit of Grandma Josephine for Gram's Butter cream Frosting recipe. Have I ever told you about Gram's Butter cream Frosting? Seriously?? We're talking the Frosting Gods shined down on my late Grandma with this one . . . a long time family favorite, there is nothing like it. So, I whip up some frosting . . .

And then the decorating begins. We usually throw some fur (coconut) on one, and leave the other without. But they always rest on a lovely lawn of green grass (coconut).

Add some jelly beans and some chocolate chips, and you've got yourself a happy lamb. That is . . . until after dinner.

Uh-oh . . . this one is all ready for the taking!!!!

Oh . . . . and . . . . thank you!!!

I’m tired today.

Absolutely completely and totally exhausted.

All day at work, I wished and wished I could put my head down on my desk and float off to some La La Land. One where Mr. Big (Chris Noth from Sex and the City) would come down rub my feet. Oh, he’s so handsome, isn’t he?

I’ve been fighting a cold this week, and yesterday I felt like I lost a little bit of the fight. Not all of it, just a little. My Mom offered to take Ella to her ballet class, so I just slept . . . for a few hours in the middle of the afternoon. It was heavenly. (I can’t even tell you that last time I did that.) Boy oh boy, I sure could do that again.

At 10:45 PM last evening, as I was just about the lay my head down for the night, I remembered that I was in charge of bringing Easter napkins to Ella’s pre-school celebration today. Augh. Of course. Always at the most inopportune time, right? I contemplated getting out of bed and venturing out at that time, but my struggle took on a whole new fight when my pillow got involved. And the pillow won. There was no way I was leaving to buy some bunny napkin.

I turned over and reset the alarm to wake me up a little earlier today, with just enough time to get the napkins. Then to La La Land I drifted.

For a little while.

Little did I know that last night’s La La Land was going to consist of napkins and bunnies. And napkins. And bunnies. And napkins. And bunnies. I think I tossed and turned all night . . . so fearful of oversleeping and wondering what would happen if the bunny napkins did not make it to school. I mean, I held the power of this Easter celebration in my hand! Could I ruin the Easter of 13 toddlers????? Oh, how could I go on?

So, at 4:00AM, I got out of bed, and left for the nearest grocery store.

The store I thought was open 24 hours . . . isn’t.

They don’t open until 6AM.

And the store across the street from that store, the drug store, they are open 24 hours. But they didn’t get Easter napkins in this year (just in case you were wondering.)

Oh, and the Starbucks doesn’t open until 5:30 AM, in case you really wanted to know.

So, I returned home at 4:45 AM . . . wide awake . . . staring at the clock . . . wondering if I could get away with drawing a bunny on the white napkins I have in my napkin holder. Would the Crayola washable markers bleed on the napkin? Would the kids come out of their class with stains of black, pink and yellow all over their faces? Hmmm . . . that’s wouldn’t work.

So, at 6AM, I ventured out once again to the store, and finally meet the bunny napkins. Yeah!

Now, hours later . . . I’m exhausted. Wishing I was back in my bed, with my pillow. Oh, how I love my pillow. The Starbucks I picked up on the way to work this morning isn’t even helping right now.

Augh.

And Ella seems less than enthused at the bunny napkins I showed her at breakfast. I think I expected her to jump up and down in delight.

I mean, I wanted her to jump up and down, and to say, "Gees, Mommy . . . thank you SO MUCH for being up all night worrying about these napkins, and getting up extra early just to go and buy them, then realizing that the store wasn't open yet, and coming home, and going back out when the store opened, and buying them, and coming home and getting ready for work and then getting me ready for school and for giving me breakfast and taking the garbage out and for putting labels on my Easter goodies for my classmates and for waking Katie up and helping her get ready for school and then for putting my hair in ponies and for helping me brush my teeth and for the hugs and for all of that."  Hmmm . . .

It makes me wonder how many trips my own Mom had to make in the middle of the night, for me. Sorry Mom, I should have been more grateful for all that you did for me. Thank you, Mom . . . for all the late night errands and the running to and from that you did to make sure I had everything I needed when I was a child. I appreciate it . . . more now than ever before. Oh, and for fixing my hair when I was little. Thanks for that, too. Love you.

What about you . . . anyone you'd like to thank today? Go ahead - leave a comment and let them know! You'll feel better if you did!

Peanut Butter & Banana Stuffed French Toast . . . for real

PG loves to travel. His job is absolutely perfect for him, because he is able to see some really great places in this country of ours, and enjoy some really great food. And if you know anything about PG . . . know that he really enjoys food, and loves to tell you all about it.  And if you know anything about me . . . know that I am working hard at living a healthier life this year (and I am going to Weight Watchers), so most of his stories make me sort of mad.

Not really. Just a little. ;)

Last week, when he returned to tell me all about the Peanut Butter & Banana Stuffed French Toast he had, I wanted to deck him.

Not really. Just a little. ;)

I guess he went to some restaurant that had been featured on Food Network, or some garbage like that. (Side note: I say that in jest, as I am a Food Network Junkie and my television is often set to that channel.) He ordered the PB&B Stuffed French Toast, and said it was the best thing he ever ate. EVER. (That says a lot.) So, he wanted to make it for us for breakfast last weekend.

Again, I'm doing Weight Watchers.

Augh.

So, we looked at the recipe (which you can find here), and decided if we use wheat bread, use skim milk (in place of the heavy cream) and spray pam on the pan (in place of the butter), that it might actually be slightly less bad for us. Since PG is a Wiz in the kitchen . . . he went to work.

My friends . . . it was to die for.

I had 1/2 a sandwich, with some strawberries on the side. Oh, why don't I just show you . . .

Yeah, I know.

It was insanely amazing. It was phenomenal. It was better than "Cats" (the musical). It was out of this world. And at 1/2 a sandwich . . .  I calculated the Points Plus on Weight Watchers, and I'm ok if I don't eat anything else for the week. ;) Kidding. In all seriousness, by changing to wheat bread, and by omitting the butter and the maple syrup,  the 1/2 of sandwich I had was 7 points. Yes, that's high. But . . . I counted it. . . and it was TOTALLY WORTH EVERY SINGLE ROTTEN LITTLE POINT.

There. I said it. Oh, here's another picture . . .

And here is the recipe, for those of you who can't stop staring at the picture long enough to link over to Food Network . . .

Peanut Butter and Banana Stuffed French Toast

• 6 slices day-old white or wheat bread (we used wheat)
• 1 to 2 ripe bananas 
• 4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• Honey, for drizzling
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (we used skim milk)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon dark rum
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Dash salt
• Butter or oil, for frying (we used Pam Spray)
• Powdered sugar, for topping
• Maple Syrup, for topping (we omitted the maple syrup . . . and you didn't need it - at all!)

Remove crust from bread. Lay bread out on counter and spread a thin layer of peanut butter on each slice. Peel banana and slice enough to cover every other piece of bread. (You will be making 3 complete sandwiches). Drizzle a small amount of honey on each piece of bread that does not have banana on it. (These are the tops). Place honey drizzled piece of bread on top of a piece with bananas on it to make a sandwich. Repeat until you have made 3 sandwiches.In a shallow medium sized bowl, gently whip, by hand, the eggs, cream, vanilla, rum, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Heat skillet to medium heat, around 350 to375 degrees F, or until butter melts and begins to sizzle. Dip 1 sandwich at a time into rum batter and place into skillet. Cook until golden brown (about 3 to 4 minutes before turning) on each side. Remove from skillet and cut in 1/2 diagonally. Top with powdered sugar, butter and maple syrup (we left off the butter and maple syrup).

I have to go. I want some more of this, and continuing to write about this is making me really really crave it.

That, is not good.

But life . . . with PB & B Stuffed French Toast . . . really doesn't get any better, does it?
Have a good one, my friends!

I'm All About the Vinyl

I bought a new tablecloth last week.

You know, one of those vinyl ones.

The kind that I grew up with, that my Mom and Dad had. The kind that I swore I would NEVER use when I had a house of my own. The kind that smells all plasticy when you first open it. The kind that you can wipe off quickly with a sponge or towel, and is totally kid-proof because even a tall glass of milk won't go through it. The kind that makes me think of jello, avocado colored appliances, and casseroles.

Yes, I bought a new tablecloth last week.

And I love it.

The colors are my new spring/summer palette. They make me happy. And the little flower I bought at Michaels matches perfectly. It makes me feel happy . . . and like Martha Stewart. Although, do you think Martha Stewart has any vinyl table cloths?

I think I want to leave it on our table all of the time. You know, just like thought I would NEVER do. All day and night long.

Because I love it.

Is it still a tablecloth if it is vinyl?

Just wondering.

Do you have anything that you never thought you'd have? And do you love it as much as I love my vinyl tablecloth? Leave me a comment . . . I'd love to know.

Spreading my Wings

I have been writing a great deal outside of this blog lately. Writing words and sentences that come to my mind about this life of mine. Little inspirational thoughts that appear in the midst of my happy chaos. It has been a good exercise for me - to put words together in a way that touches my soul.

The other day, when Ella asked if we could paint, I decided it was time to try and do something with some of the words that I have written. Thus, the following piece of art was born . . .

I have never tried a collage like this before. It was truly the coolest creative moment. Free.

It's a little busy. A little chaotic.

Part of me really likes it. The other part of me passionately dislikes it.

My brain is struggling with the artist inside who desperately wants to find a way to come out.

But the words . . . they are true.

I may have to explore this avenue a few more times, and I'll certainly share with you, I am sure.

I like this journey I am on right now. How about you?

A Story about a girl, a bra, and a Day that changed my Life

Disclosure: This is a long one, my friends. I hope that you will take the time to read it - if not now, than perhaps in a day or two. It meant so very much to me to be able to tell you this little story, and I appreciate any time you give. This truly changed my life.

And I wanted to share it with you.

We are going to see the movie "Hop" this afternoon. PG has just returned from a trip to the west coast, and Katie, Ella and I are looking forward to spending the afternoon enjoying a fun family movie with him. Ella has been hopping around the house for days now, telling me all about the rabbit that poops jelly beans. (Joy!) I can't wait to see their reactions as we watch it on the big screen. (Gotta love the cinema!)

While getting dressed this afternoon, I reached in my underwear drawer and pulled out the first thing I touched. I wasn't looking for a specific bra or pantie to wear (it's a Saturday afternoon and we are going to see a family movie, after all.) So, there was no need to search for pretty lace or anything special to boost me up, as anything would do.

I pulled it out.

The bra that changed my life.

And I put it on.

Yes, I felt like today was a good day to wear it. I'm melancholy today. And this bra always makes me appreciate life. So very much.

Phil called upstairs to see if I was out of the shower and dressed yet, and I yelled down that I was. "I'm wearing the bra today," I told him.

"The bra?" he questioned, sounding like he didn't quite get what I meant by that. "Yes," I replied, "the Lane Bryant bra . . . from that day."  "Ah," he said, "good."

I guess now is a good time to tell you a little bit more about the bra.

It was a cold, gray, Saturday in February 2008. Katie was 4 1/2 years old, Ella was a few days over 1 year old. PG was out of town for work, and Katie was enrolled in a swimming class at a local fitness club. So it was a busy morning of arranging my sister to come and sit with Ella while I drove Katie to swimming. Her class was over at 10 AM, and most Saturday mornings were spent by running errands afterwards. As a matter of fact, a few weeks before this day Katie and I had visited a new Lane Bryant store which had opened not far from where her swimming class was, and during that visit - I purchased a new bra. It was a simple bra - cotton, black and wireless - nothing fancy. But it never quite fit me, and was in a bag in the back of our van just waiting for the opportunity to be returned.

This particular morning in February '08, as I got ready to take Katie to her class, I thought I might be able to run over to Lane Bryant with her afterwards and return the bra. Her class was over at 10 AM, so I thought it would be a fast stop on the way home, in and out. But something told me not to go that day. I don't know what it was. I think I was concerned that I would be running too late . . . . and that my sister, who was home watching Ella, would be delayed longer if I ran that errand. So, Katie and I didn't stop and Lane Bryant. We went home.

And we went about our day as usual. My sister went home, and Katie and Ella and I did whatever it was we would do on a Saturday in 2008. I remember, at about 1:00 PM I received a phone call from Phil's Aunt Vicki (who lives in New York) asking if I heard the news of the shooting near our town. I was so confused, because I couldn't imagine how Aunt Vicki . . . in NEW YORK . . . would have heard about a shooting in Illinois. I immediately turned on one of our local news channels, and began to watch the live coverage of the story that changed my life.

Five women were killed by a gunman at a store.

The Lane Bryant.

Around 10:40 AM.

The very store I was going to be at.

Five women.

An attempted robbery that 'went wrong', the news said.

Killed.

I don't remember much about the rest of that afternoon. I called my Mom, my sister, my sister-in-law. I remember having this overwhelming feeling that I was thisclose to death. I could have been there. And that Katie and I had been saved. I prayed and I cried. A lot.

The next few days, little was known. No one was apprehended for the horrific crimes. The store was closed up and a make-shift memorial of flowers and crosses were set up in the parking lot. The victims were remembered. And I . . . I cried.

I had a journal during that time, one that PG had just bought me for Christmas a month earlier. In it, I shared my thoughts and fears about this day . . . day after day. I sent an email out to dear friends and co-workers, sharing my story about this tragedy. And in return, I received words of support, strength, and faith from them all. I printed out the email responses from everyone, and taped them into my journal. Their words continue to inspire me and provide strength for me during my darkest days. As for the journal itself . . . I haven't written in it since that February. It has become a sort of monument to that time, and to those women, and I can't write anything else. It is meant to be kept empty. For their stories and their lives to continue.

It took me about six months to be able to go into a Lane Bryant again. I remember that the store I went into was probably the closest one in distance to the store where the shootings took place. I remember there being an armed police man at the door of the store. I remember telling one of the employees that I was very nervous to be there and telling her that I hadn't been in a store since the shootings. And I remember her taking my hand to calm my nerves down, telling me that we were safe.

Even though I wasn't there that day of the shootings . . . I was so close. And I constantly think about Katie and me . . . had we stopped at that store . . .  we would have been there at 10:30 AM. 10:30 AM. The angels were watching out for us both that day. My Mom comforted me when I was working through these emotions by telling me that it just wasn't my time to go. It wasn't my time.

Nope.

It wasn't.

I was thinking about the post I did a couple weeks ago, about living a life of "WHAT IS" and enjoying life as it is . . . I think the change took place on this day in February of 2008. The day that I realized how quickly life can be taken from us. Simply when returning a bra.

So, as you can imagine, I never took the bra back. It stayed in my underwear drawer with its tags on for a year or two. Then one day, I tried it on. Surprisingly, it fit perfectly. I cut the tags off, and wore it. I've only worn it a few times now. But each time I see it in my drawer, I say a prayer for the women whose lives were taken that day, and I thank God for my life.

Today, I am going to wear the bra to see the movie Hop. And I am going to think of those women, again. I will remind myself of the blessings I have been given, and I will look at my family and I will smile. A big smile. With a tear. For them.

We are blessed, my friends. Each and every one of us. Today, love your families, your friends, and be grateful that it isn't 'your time'.

I'm grateful for you. And your bras.

Peace.

It's in the Wind

Artwork by Katie

There are times in my life when I like change. Changing my furniture around, the color of a room, or my hair style. For me, change is good. It’s refreshing, it’s something new, and it’s an opportunity to reinvent.

But there are other times in my life when I like consistency. My favorite toilet paper, my coffee, my job. For me, these things bring me great comfort, make me feel safe, and usually are just as they are.

But consistency is never a given. Really.

And lately, I’ve been thinking about making some changes in the things that are usually constant.

What stops me?

The fear of the unknown. Darn, that ‘unknown’. Always lurking around, telling me to ‘go back to what is safe.’

I’m in a strange mood this week. Feeling a little out of control.

Control. That’s a whole other ball of wax, isn’t it? While talking to my sister earlier today, she hit the nail right on the head with the whole ‘control’ thing. I feel like things are spinning out of control for me this week. And I don’t like it.

There has got to be a silver lining in all of it . . . somewhere.

But . . . where?

Oh, I’m not worried. I’ll find it. I know I will. I always do.

Until then . . . I’m going to take things nice and slow. Explore. Spread my wings. See where the wind may take me. Want to come along? I’d love to have you . . .

Any Day Now . . .

Any day now . . .

Any day now . . . we will see you in all your glory, and the memory of past Springs will become our reality once again. 

Any day now . . . I will walk passed you and be reminded of that scene in "Willie Wonka" . . .

Gene Wilder as "Willie Wonka" image obtained
from Google Image Search. Original site unknown.

. . . when Gene Wilder drinks something (that I like to imagine is the sweetest, butteriest, most amazing thing) from a buttercup, and I'll wish just once I could do the same with you.

Any day now . . . I will turn the corner of our block and find you waiting for me with your petals wide open, as if wanting to give me a Spring hug, and your scent will make me feel as if the heavens have opened up and sprinkled sweet smells over us all.

Any day now . . . can't come soon enough.

A Little Inspiration for the Soul

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."

~Henry David Thoreau

Here's wishing you all a wonderfully creative Wednesday!

It brings JOY to her ears . . .

I like to play the “What’s your favorite…?” game with Katie and Ella. You know, the “What’s your favorite color?”, “What’s your favorite TV show?”, “What’s your favorite pizza topping?” . . . those kinds of things. I like to keep up with their favorites in the ever changing minds of theirs, and they LOVE when I ask them these questions.

However, I’ve learned that there are some questions I have to preface with additional rules. Like the other day, as Katie and I ran errands around town and I started asking her questions. “You can’t say recess or lunch,” I told her, “so, what is your favorite subject in school?” (Her 7 year old brain usually feels that recess and lunch are subjects and are both very deserving of her vote.) “Mom,” she answered, “I have to tell you that I really really love music class. Because when the music plays, it brings such joy to my ears.”

Seriously.

You have just got to love that child.

"...Joy to her ears...," she told me. I love that.

Katie loves music, and we had planned on turning her room into a “Rockstar” room months ago. I actually bought a new comforter for her last September, but couldn't get my act together long enough to paint the room and change things around for her. She was patient, and never fussed about it. But after hearing that music brought 'joy to her ears', I had to get the room done.

So last week, the planning began. Colors were decided upon. Furniture placement was analyzed and discussed. Paint and wallpaper stripper was purchased. And the bedroom transformation was underway.

Katie and I started by stripping the border wallpaper Friday evening, and PG and I painted on Saturday. Saturday night I added some little finishing touches on the walls and by Sunday morning, all was done. And let me just tell you . . . I think it’s one of our best home decorating jobs yet (I think PG and I need our own HGTV show!) And Katie, well . . . she is LOVING her Rock and Roll room!

It started with this comforter that I bought last fall, from Target (and you can buy it here, if you like it!)

I couldn't find valences to match, so I picked up a couple solid black ones for $10 each, added a couple bottles of Tulip fabric paint, and bammmm  . . .

We found the coolest light at Lowe's that just had to be part of the new space . . .

And, I had to paint her old jewelry box to match . . . I mean, how could I not?

PG just loves this "love" that I painted on the wall. He said it reminds him of 'House of Blues' . . .

I found this little sign at Target (LOVE me some Target!) and it fits perfectly (click here if you must have it, too!) . . .

Oooooo . . . I picked up this little flower at Michael's for $2.49. It's such a simple little thing, but adds so much (I bought  2 more of them, and will be borrowing Katie's to accompany them for our Easter table centerpiece!) And that little book is her CD holder that she has had for YEARS. I think it may have been my inspiration for our color palette.

And here are just a few more photos of the final look . . .

 

I am so blessed to have these amazing children who love life and are as passionate about it as I am. And being able to create exciting environments for them to florish and grow in is the most exciting thing for me.

Yes, my friends, Life is Good.

And now, I have a new music hang out . . . I sure hope Katie doesn't mind!

I'm 'doing' just swell!

Wow . . . where did that weekend go? I hope this post finds all my dear blog friends doing well and enjoying life. Me? I'm coming off of a week of craziness . . . lots going on, lots taking place, lots of "doing."

Doing . . . that's how I feel today. Like I've been . . . DOING and doing and doing . . .  like crazy. "Doing what?" you ask. Well . . . here's a short list:

• Volleyball practice for Katie
• Spring "The Bear Went Over the Mountain" program for Katie and her Second Grade class
• Ballet class for Ella (getting ready for her Spring "At the Movie's" Program in May)
• Designing Munchkin houses for Ella's ballet program
• Religious Ed . . . First Eucharist Sacrament preparation for Katie
• Planning communion celebration for our family
• Buying paint for Katie's room
• Lots of snuggle time with Ella while we nurse her sniffles away
• Multiple viewings of "Tangled" and "Ponyo" (have you seen Ponyo? It's absolutely delightful!) with Ella
• Attended Weight Watchers meetings
• Signed up for 5K (yes . . . seriously)
• Feeling bummed that I didn't lose any weight this week
• Had creative painting day with Ella . . . created some MASTERPIECES that I will share with you later
• Bought seeds to start garden . . . sweet peas, tomatoes and romaine are just a few of the delicious goodies we'll be growing this year
• Painted designs on Katie's curtains for her new "rockstar" room and
• Painted Katie's room (will have to share pictures later)
• Lots of play time outside (temps got up to 85 here in Chicago yesterday - a little tease of the months ahead)
• Worked
• Slept
• And stayed away from the computer for 4 days straight . . . it was kind of nice

So, it's been a busy and creative few days of 'doing' in our house. And I've enjoyed every second of it. I have lots of photos and stories to share with you, so I'll be back soon with more.

Until then . . . what have YOU been 'doing'?

Shutdown? Are you kidding me?

I am not one to write about political things . . . never have been, and don't plan on ever doing it again . . . . but this news of a pending shutdown of our government has me . . . . enraged.

I don't know all the facts . . . and don't really have the time this week to read all about it. Because I am doing my job . . . working, raising a family, attending meetings for my children, church activities, etc.. That is what I have decided to do with my life. Those are the choices I made.

But the politicians . . . they made a different choice.

They made a choice to run for office, to work hard getting their voices heard, to win their elections, and to continue to work for the American people (while earning their salaries and reaping the additional benefits that may come their way...and there are benefits, quite often, I would imagine.) Shouldn't they . . . play nice? I've listened to their promises and made decisions to support those I believed would make a difference in this world.

Republican, democrat, it doesn't even matter what line they are . . . I'm disappointed in the whole lot of them right now. And I'm angry.

Angry that the rest of the world is watching as our country nickles and dimes each other to death. COME ON now . . . this is ridiculous!

Angry that there is so much work that needs to be done, and we can't come to terms with our own individual ideas long enough to put them aside and GET THE JOB DONE! COME ON!

Angry that they are trying to call each others bluff . . . playing . . . a game. This is LIFE, people. Get it together! COME ON!

Angry that our country needs this like we need a hole in our head.

Angry that there are people starving, people dieing, people killing, people destroying . . . and those we have entrusted in putting the programs in place to help can't seem to look past their own noses to make it work. I understand that all sides have valid points . . . but COME ON!!!!

What would happen if I decided to SHUT DOWN and not do my job, or if I failed to figure out solutions to problems that come up each day at work? I would LOSE MY JOB!!! What would happen if I didn't listen to my boss (and I believe that we hold that title of boss, don't we)? Well, I would LOSE MY JOB.

COME ON all you smart people in Washington . . . get your act together.

Sit down . . . get the numbers straight . . . and GET BACK TO WORK. Or . . . GET OUT and make way for people who want to make it a better world. Because what you are doing right now, is make it a very ugly place to be.
 
Ok . . . sorry for that . . . I had to get it off my chest. Believe me - this is not my style, nor will it turn into my style, of blog. I appreciate the opportunity to voice my opinions, just as I always appreciate when you voice yours. I'm wishing you all a peaceful day, and throwing the hope of a bright tomorrow out there in the universe . . . for all of us.

Random Thinking Moment . . . returns!

Just a little Random Thinking Moment for those of you who have been around a while. It’s been quite some time since I’ve shared one of these random moments with you. Don’t worry . . . I still have them all the time. I just usually decide not to bore you with them. But this one, I just had to share.


You see, I have come to the realization today that . . . I . . . am a baby.

In my lifetime, I have broken a wrist, had countless scraps and softball injuries (and have scars to prove it), have given birth to two children (ok, so I had an epidural . . . but still, there is pain), have had surgery on my esophagus (now that’s a long story I don’t think I’ve ever shared with you), have slipped down stairs numerous times, and have stubbed my toe hundreds of times as well. And I survived it all . . .

However, TODAY my finger is killing me.

“Why, pray tell?” you ask? Well, quite simply, I have one of those sore little finger nail thingamajig injuries. Is there a formal medical term for this? (PK, let me know.) You know what I’m talking about . . . don’t you? Have you ever had that moment when the nail pulls ever so slightly from the finger and there is an itty bitty teeny weenie bruise right at the spot where it attaches to the finger, but you have this throbbing pain each time you do anything? It’s the teeniest little injury, but man alive . . . it’s killing me.

I’m not sure how it happened . . . I think at some point yesterday I was paying bills or writing a card out or doing something, and a piece of paper slid between my nail and finger. And today . . . I swear, I am a baby. All day at work, I winced as I typed (seriously . . . I KNOW. It’s ridiculous!)

As a matter of fact, typing this post right now is killing me . . . but sometimes we must endure great pain for the love of a great story, right?

I started thinking about how silly I am acting. As if I had a real ailment or something. I think God gives us what we can handle. And lucky for me . . . he knows that my little nail bed thingamabobber is about all I can handle today. Yes, I am counting my blessings.

It’s kind of like a paper cut . . .the simplest little cut on your finger, yet it always happens to me on a day I am planning on cutting up an orange, or a lemon, or something. . . and the juice always finds its way to the cut and Owwwieeee!!! PAIN!!!!

Silly little paper cuts and nail thingamabuggers.

It probably wasn’t a good idea to have microwave popcorn for my snack at work, either. The minute my 94% Fat Free Orville Redenbacher popcorn salt immediately found my nail thingamapooper injury . . YOWWIEEE!!! That HURT!!!

Ah, well . . . maybe I need a band-aid. Oh, that’s a good idea. A Band-Aid. Hmmmmm . . . wish I would have thought of that earlier. Good thing we have some Disney Princess bandaids in the cabinet. I think that’s exactly what the baby in me needs.

;)

Living the Life of "What IS"

I've come a long way. . . and today, I was reminded just how far.

Years ago when Katie was a young toddler, and long before Ella joined our world, I was an uptight mom. (Can you even imagine it? Crazy, I know!) But I wanted things . . . . perfect. No, let me explain it another way. I believed that if things weren't perfect, that it was a direct reflection of the type of mom I was. Crazy, huh?

Crazy, but true.

If Katie had a hair out of place, I thought people would think I didn't take good care of my daughter. If she had messy hands, it must mean that I didn't clean her. If she was chubby, I fed her too much. If she was skinny, I didn't feed her enough. I like to think of this time as the whole 'new mom syndrome'. It wasn't fun.

I was surrounded with questions of "What If?" . . . What would people say if I let her get dirty? What would people think if . . . . you get the picture.  And I was miserable. Miserable trying to be what I thought I was supposed to be.

Somewhere along the line, though, I realized that none of it mattered. At some point, while I tried and tried to be the perfect mom, and realized that I wasn't enjoying any of it, I decided to give up the perfectness. And I found Me.

And, my friends, being Me is really the best Mom I can be for Katie and Ella.

And I was reminded of it all this afternoon, as I sat outside enjoying this beautiful Spring afternoon with Katie and Ella. We pulled off the socks and threw on the flip-flops, grabbed a bucket of chalk, and drew on our driveway until our hearts were content. It was the best afternoon I've had in a long time. And I needed it, bad.

At one point I looked up and found Katie and Ella sitting side by side, and the sight of them filled my heart with joy. I had to run inside to grab the camera, because I wanted to remember this moment forever.

And as I snapped the photo below, I realized that I am living the life of "What IS" and not the life of "what if", like I used to. These dirty, chalk covered, wiggly tootsie toes are "What IS" . . . . and I have long given up the worry of the "what if". Because the 'what is' is really all that matters.

What IS . . . . is so much better.

It's hard to believe that these little flip-flops were brand new when the afternoon began . . .

Have you had any "What Is" moments lately?

Leave me a comment and tell me about them . . . . I'd love to know!

Katie and her LOVEness . . .

"Mom, I love Justin Bieber," Katie told me yesterday, as she taped pictures of him to her school folder, "I'm going to marry him."

"Oh, you're going to marry Justin Bieber?" I asked.

"Yep. Abby [her friend from school] says we have Bieber Fever," she continued.

"You have Bieber Fever?" I asked.

"That's what Abby said," she answered. "But Gabe [a boy who takes her bus] said he doesn't know what Bieber Fever is . . . he said it must be some sort of a sick-ness," she said, "and I told him we didn't have a SICKness. I told him we have a LOVEness."

A LOVEness.

I love that.

Listening to Katie go on about her future husband, reminded me of my crushes.

Chachi . . . . (aka Scott Baio . . . LOVED HIM SO!!)

The boys from St. Elmos Fire . . . aDORable!

All My Children's Tad Martin (aka Michael Knight) circa '80's

Mr. "Say Anything" John Cusack . . . I love this scene!

Ooooo . . . and I can't forget my current crushes . . .

Javier Bardem . . . specifically, in Eat Pray Love (he was kinda scary in No Country for Old Men, so I don't really like thinking of him that way. I prefer as he is above. Beautiful.) 

Ryan Reynolds . . . . be still my heart . . . just lovely.

Oh, and of course . . . my leading man, Mr. PG himself.

No need for further explanation here. He has all the other beat, don't you think?

Yes, I think LOVEness is pretty fun, no matter what age you are . . . don't you?

(p.s. All images where found on Google image search from various sites here or there ... none are my original images, except for PG. But I would have gladly taken all the other photos, had I been there with these handsome fellows, for sure!)