grandperson's day

today was grandperson's day at emeline's school.

we had lunch together...mcdonald's...um, um, good.

emeline gave me a tour of her classroom.  her favorite spot...her classroom library nook.

(no surprise there.)

we visited the music room.
she spontaneously performed a song from her school christmas program.

we went by the library but it was closed.

we toured the 6th grade hallway.  sacred ground to a 1st grader.

we had our picture taken together.

i love this girl.

she is captivating and engaging and delightful and smart.

she was the grandperson in my day today.

thank you em for showing me around.

you make my heart sing.

christmas cheer

i love christmas decorating.  here are a few of my favorites so far this year.

just looking at them fills me with christmas cheer.

see all these lovelies and more at http://www.bhg.com/

thank you bhg.  you brighten my holiday.

i came, i went, i conquered

thanksgiving 2009

dave and jen's.

yummy food, great company, needed nap.

(we demolished tom...nary a morsel left.)

thank you dave and jen for hosting.

it was a great day of thanksgiving.

 

next up...target.

2:45am.

about 50 people in line in front of me.

target took pity on us and passed out candy.

thank you target.

but next year you might want to consider some hot chocolate.

it was craazzzzy.

some people were quite grumpy.

(note to world:  if you are going to be a grump on black friday...stay home.  the lines will be long and you might not get what you want.  deal with it.)

i conquered and i scored.

woot!  woot!

now i think i'll go to bed.

p.s.  for my posterity, the boy i live with ditched me for a chance at a whitetail deer.

the checkbook will reflect this injustice.

confidante: a woman to whom secrets are confided or with whom private matters and problems are discussed.

shannon, me, donna and deb

(it was a bad hair day...and a fat day...and an i might need a breast reduction day)

tonight we celebrated deb's birthday.  she picked acacia.  a lovely restaurant.  especially the chargers.  we closed the place down...we were the last to leave.  there is just something about girl time.  we let our hair down.  we talk about whatever we want to talk about.  sometimes we talk about people (sshhh...don't tell).  we divulge secrets.  we laugh at each other.  we laugh at ourselves.
and it just makes us love each other even more.

want to know what we talked about?

here it is.

sex

children

shopping

church

movies

books

boobs or the lack of boobs

thanksgiving plans

hair

blogging

facebook

and a few other private matters that aren't for public consumption.

it was a very grand evening.

happy birthday deb.

we love you!

last week

 every day was a full day.  here are some highlights.

a doctor's appoitment where my mom received a shot in her left eyeball.
yep, right in the eyeball.

next time i'll leave the room.

but it didn't stop us from shopping and lunching and shopping somemore.  good times.

(and take my word for it, be glad i didn't document this event with pictures.)

a sleep over with abelha because we like to hang out together.

the start of the christmas decorating.

bee and i had fun rediscovering our favorite snowmen.

a soccer game with sani leigh.

but i forgot my camera so this tennis pic will have to do until her next soccer game

when i'll be sure to bring my camera.

and her 6th grade soccer team tied with the 7th grade soccer team, 3 to 3.

way to go sani leigh.  show them 7th graders who you are and what you got!

a visit from these 3.  just because. 

this boy.  he warmed my bath towel one morning as i was showering.

he knows how much i hate these chilly mornings.

i love living with this boy.

oh and i was in charge of the food for the wedding reception of david and marissa andrews.  with the help of some amazing women whom i love and admire beyond words, we cooked and worked and fed more than 175 people.  we had asian chicken, peppered tri tip on the grill, roasted red potatoes, raspberry vinegrette salad, and garlic and oregano toast.  i was too busy cooking and serving to get any pics of this event.

but it was beautiful and resplendent and classy and divine.

that's just how the andrews roll.

i am a lucky girl to have such a full and satisfying life.

this kid

he is ubber cool.  he spent the night with me last night.  we ate pizza and ice cream and drank a gallon of egg nog and watched tv and played on the computer.  this morning he chowed on pancake, sausauge and egg sandwiches.  (he loves my cooking so i am very happy when i get to feed him.)  then he went to church with me and after church to the u of a basketball game.  (cats won...woot woot...and since they scored over 80 points we got to stop by jack in the box for free tacos.)

thanks koll...i had a great time.  and did i tell you i love you.

next week's project

i have always loved burlap.  i've used it to trim draperies, to make gift bags, to make a bed skirt and a christmas tree skirt and to trim our christmas stockings.  and i use it every year in my nativity scene.  i love its texture and its weave and that it is so simple it can't help but be elegant.  so when jen sent me the link to an awesome website and i found this

i knew immediately there was a project on the horizon.  they will look lovely on my mantle.  and for under $12.00 who could resist. 

a date

this

plus this

 

plus this

plus this

equals lots of love and laughs.

Pièce de résistance

jen and i worked today to create this lovely piece for over her fireplace.

we first saw it at viva terra...but holy moly...$649.00 is just a tad more than we could spend.

so we created our own version.

total cost for our version - $20.44

now i need to make one for my bedroom.

did i tell you i'm redoing our master bedroom?

no, well that's my next project.

i need to find my inspiration fabric.

then i'll be ready to go.

thanks for a great day jen.

my chickas and me

day 1

oh my.  i didn't know i could have so much fun in one weekend or that i could laugh so hard, or shop so long, or talk so much.  palm springs with these ladies was over the moon!  oh and the things i learned.  why there is just no end to my new knowledge base.  here are some of the things i learned:

1.  tl = totally low

2.  if you fling a twinkie you might be found out.

3.  the vig is a one cheek establishment.

4.  that might not be a plane you see in the sky.  it might be someone's stallion.

5.  nose clamps are not an attractive look.

6.  "cut to the chase" exists only as a precursor to wtmi.

7.  "my point is"...really, could you just cut to the chase.  oh yeah.  you don't do that.

8.  wtmi.  yeah, well, like it or not that's what you get.

9.  hobbits like the word sunshine.

10.  when you say you don't watch tv it doesn't really mean you don't watch tv.

11.  if you drop the cosbys off at the pool be sure to flush.

12.  fit to be tyed causes panic attacks.

and last but not least...

13.  diet pepsi with lime is really, really good.

day 2

day 3

full trunk to match our full hearts.

love you chickas.

thanks for the most fabulous weekend.

and we're off

he to do this

me to do this

i sure am glad i'm a girl!

p.s.  i need a tutorial in uploading pics...almost makes me swear every time.

p.p.s.  did you know palm springs has stallions in the sky?

what would make a girl stay up until midnight cooking?

love.  my hunter is going hunting...again.  (it never ends, i tell you.)  as much as i dislike hunting (because it never ends) i don't want that boy i live with to go hungry.  so here is what i did tonight.  fried 68 tacos.  yep 68...i counted.  (but i ate one so he only gets 67.)  made one big pot of casuela (mexican beef and potato soup) and homemade salsa.  enjoy babe...think of me with every bite. 

ah, the love of a man...that's why my house smells like a taqueria.

tomorrow's project

ruffly t-shirt...

you are so cute.
i can't wait to wear you.

tomorrow i'll be working on this.  but i'm not making my own t-shirt like the tutorial says to do.  i just went to kohls and bought a couple of t-shirts.  i'll add my ruffle and be done.  now i just need to find a tutorial for those big layered flowers that are also popular adornments for t-shirts right now.  maybe then it won't look like i'm always wearing the same shirt.  that's a problem when you're a black and white girl like me.

confidence

i love that my children have taught their children to be independent thinkers coupled with a healthy dose of self confidence. i never realized though, just how much self confidence they possessed until emeline showed up for a family dinner yesterday in an outfit that absolutely oozed self confidence.

yep, that's my girl. a self confident woman in the making.