My holiday BFF

The bitch meets me everywhere.

She is quite the enabler too.

On Tv today, she made cookies that NEED to be embossed

with this gadget at my house now too..

Hopefully she will forgive me for Googling 'faux boix' spelled like that. and at Michael's with her glitter tactics and fancy punch ways.
At Costco in the food aisles.
We even meet after play area time at Macy's.
Even when we have seen enough of each other out and about,
she loves sending me emails with workshop ideas and daily tips.

She really knows me like a true friend should

and has my best interest at heart.

She always brightens my day.

wink wink to you Martha.

I'm sure we'll catch up again sometime real soon girl.

Holiday cheer

Making cards,

singing Christmas carols with the kids in the car,

chomping on candy canes,

spotting Christmas trees atop cars,

decorating the house,

bundling up in sweaters and scarves,
and finding an old wooden sled for a few bucks,

are just a few happy December moments around our house.

This truly is the most wonderful time of year.

This is as close as we'll get to snow at our house.

Snowflakes.

Honestly I am not a huge fan of cold weather, but I find snowflakes just beautiful.

Glittery ones at that.

Found these foam ones 6 for a dollar and had to spruce them up.

Using MS white gold glitter I went to town.

I still shake my head looking at these glittered up goodies because it's uncanny how much it looks like glass glitter.
and I love me some glass glitter.
So I started glittering everything in sight.
The huge clam shell glitzd up has me all giddy.
Ideas are flowing for Christmas present ideas.


Not to be forgotten, Thanksgiving was wonderful.
But instead of pumpkin pie, I was ready for some candy cane cookies.

I'm not gonna lie.
Hello Christmas Time!!

a happy place.

I just have such guilty pleasure in seeing peoples collections of found junk.

Giggling about spotting something I used to have as a kid.

Digging in boxes of random goodies to find that one little treasure.

Hearing the stories of strangers.

Getting flooded with creative ideas and "I can make that" moments.

Bargaining for the 3 tubes of vintages buttons I bought for just 5 bucks.

maybe to make more of these.

cheers to good finds.

I blame the crooked dance floor for my busted pump.

I laugh looking at this picture because we look so put together.

Definatly not how the night ended.

We won 50 dollars in gift cards and I busted the heel off of these shoes from dancing like the super nerds we are.

Like the heel was dangling by the fabric.

Much twirling, laughing with friends and even beer pong took place.

Needless to say, I hang my head low when I say I did not make it to Paper Source Saturday morning.

But I did manage to make some scrap pages this weekend for Just let me scrapbook.

Dusting off the old craft table feels good.

short and sassy it is.

Finished off with these snazzy kicks and a big bling ring, I'm all ready for a date night.
You girls (and mike) were such a huge help in making this so very fun.
Thanks.
An all done up picture will be posted to see the final look, not to worry.
The plan is to not enjoy the beverages too much due to the grand opening of the Paper source in Thousand Oaks.
This girl has priorities.
Seriously?!?
The temptation of crafty goodies being only about 20 miles away now versus 60 is just fantastic.
Hot damn. Speaking of crafty.
For this festive outing tonight, I made these.
Glittery pumpkins galore.



And glitter covered corks that will be poked with a bamboo skewer and then topped with the squadron symbol printed out on transparancies.
This is a first at table settings for me, but I think it will go over well.
Especially due to the fact that everyone will be seeing it with beer goggles on.
And because everything is better with candy, it will be sprinkled all over the table to enjoy.

a little something I made for the house.


Happy Friday.

What's a girl to do?

Option A:

Option B
*Don't be distracted by the pile o' laundry on the floor or the unmade bed please when helping with your opinion.

The occasion: a formal Navy Hawkeye ball (aka Jr. high prom for adults)

Anthony will be all foofed up in this.

The problem: I love the short fushia dress and I have killer shoes to match, but I think its more cocktaily than formal. We are living in CA where the weather has been abnormally warm even for here. So maybe I could pull off the short dress?

Or the lovely plum and violet colored one? How the top ties and is padded a bit in the boobage area, is a big plus. This mom of two wee ones needs all the help she can get. But for shoes and jewelry? What the heck color do I wear with it?

Please help.

Much appreciated,

conflicted fashion victim in CA.

easily amused these days.

• Finding out that my old favorite Japanese dollar store is now alive and kicking in the US. The closest one is way up north from me, but it's just another reason I need to make it to the Bay area asap. Back in my flight attendant days, this was always my first stop on a layover. I would spend hours ewwing and ahhing the aisles. Just the thought of reliving this past time soon has me all giddy.
• being refered to this fantastic mommy's blog. 2008's version of a love note in your lunch box. This may just get my kids eating more too. Yet another reason to make it to bulletpoint number one.
• making these little guys for various holiday projects.
• the I phone. holy crap. This thing has my mind spinning. The 2 features that woe me... Shazam and Urbanspoon
• Loving the prices at Mister art...especially for these

Have you found anything that has your mind racing lately?

What's in a month?

Adjusting.
A date weekend to the wine country.

tap classes that put me in tears from laughing so hard.

adjusting.

jumping on hotel beds.

playing tourists with those crazy Kayne esqe sunglasses.

painting pumpkins.

leeching on to daddy.

La zoo exploring.

adjusting.

Finally art journaling again thanks to Dina's class.

Halloween.

and lots of the in between.

Finding the new normal and enjoying the heck out of eachother.

When even my mom asked about the delay of posting on here, I knew it had been a little too long.

I do want to say thank you thank you for all the sweet welcome home comments.

It warmed my heart.

and Anthony's too.

Now I say, resume on thrift store shopping, garage sales, crafting,catching up with friends and Michelle time.

You know things have been turned upside down when I don't even get a chance for these little pleasures.

So hello November, nice to see you.

and it feels so good.

tomorrow.

When I awake in the morning I will be overwhelmed
with the thought that it is the last 24 hours we have as just three.
What a whirlwind of 7 months we have had.
Road trips, potty training, tap classes, days crafting in our PJ's,
picnics for dinner, and all the in between.
It was not always easy, but I would not have rather
shared this time away from Daddy with anyone else that you two.
My constant companions.
You always knew that a hug would everything better
and it did.
everytime.
Thank you.
As we transition from 3 to 4 again,
may you always look at Daddy as your hero
and treasure this time we spent
together in your hearts.
I know I will.

scan it in.

I have this really bad habit of letting things pile up way too high on my desk.
The good part of that, is when I finally go through it all I find little papers of goodness.
Like the one on top of Olivia writing out Mom on her own and making good use of old stickers of mine.
Or our hand drawn picture by the artist Chuck E Cheese himself from Kyan's birthday.
Or finally thumbing through Salvage sisters to find this page that totally rings true for me.

If you are looking to find something to brighten your day, I suggest rummaging through your junk drawer.
You never now what you might find stuffed in there.

Welcome October. Nice to see you again.

Feeling Halloweeny around the house despite the beautiful weather outside.
and loving those MM vinyl wall letters I found on super clearance at Target last year.

and working on a few new glittery decorations as well.
Learning by trial and error with this glittering business too.
Spray adhesive is a no no for glitter application.
It gets too spiderwebby and goopy.
Perhaps if I had consulted with Martha Stewart first, I could have saved myself the annoyance.
Nevertheless....Happy October.

scatterbrained.

nervous.
anxious.
nesting.
punchy.
tired.
happy.
sad.
stressed.
distracted.

I feel a bit ADD these days.
The whole "being able to count on 2 hands the days before A's big return" is mind boggling.
Swirling thoughts and worries consume me.
and in turn, trickle into the kids behavior as well.
currently on the brain...
The fact that I really need to make the switch to waterproof mascara because even though Halloween is fast approaching, raccoon eyes are so not me.
Nervous eating is a super bad habit.
I made sugar pumpkin cookies yesterday and 7 layer bars today.
If I keep this up, I may not be able to zip my Welcome home dress.
and the fear of the unknown.
How are the kids going to react to finally seeing Daddy again?
How do little brains even begin to comprehend where the heck he has been?
My hope is that the lost/apart time dissipates as soon as we embrace.
What does it feel like to get an intimate kiss?
Is it just like the whole bicycle theory, that you never forget?
and by nature, we have formed into a 3 ring circus and is a 4th member going to cramp that a little?
Once the euphoric stage wears off from the first seeing each other bit, how is it going to be?
readjusting all the way around.
No more every Saturday doughnut, garage sale, Lakeshore Learning, beach days.
no more cereal boxes in bed while Mommy sleeps a few extra minutes.
Or having breakfast for dinner twice a week.
But loads of love and needed support.
My best friend will be back and I foresee many wine filled, eating out of the ice cream container and talking till the wee hours nights ahead of us.
and that makes me cry.
To see him playing with the kids again.
Hearing his jeep pull up after being at work all day.
Nasty, stinky running shoes at the door.
His toothbrush.
His voice.
His smell.

I have missed him immensely and am so thankful he is coming home to us safe and sound.
Complete as a family again.
As it should be.

Thanks to everyone that has been there for us through this time.
I felt the love and it made this all bearable.

bitten

I an enthralled with Halloween decorations and it's not even October 1st yet.
My mind is swirling with spooky things to make and do around the house.
and I think this is me caving to my "wait until the 1st to decorate" plan.
Trick or treat!

my happy place.

I briefly mentioned Angels a few weeks back,but realized I never posted the pictures.
This place knocks me off my rocker sort a speak.
Its jam packed with things I never even knew existed.
and organized by theme...seriously?!?
The man who owns it also lives there and is fantastic.
He was so intriguing that I wanted him to be stranger#1 of my 101 strangers project.
He was timid though and said no thanks.
darn.
and to be honest, he has kind of scared me off from wanting to ask anyone else.
I guess people are just not that fond of having their pictures taken.
Totally understandable.
But I will never forgot that sweet old man with his ukulele music blasting and his store O goodies.