HELLO! (Hello, hello...)

I'm slackin' here!  I've been little crazed these last couple weeks.  Just trying to keep up with everything and you all know the rest from my last couple posts.  But one thing I've realized in the last few days is, THERE REALLY IS TOMORROW.  Ha!  You know the saying - "There's always tomorrow." - right?  Well I've never really accpeted that.  Actually, at one point in my life I did, but that was in high school when procrastination was pretty typical.  I grew out of that into this wound up person that was afraid to let too much time lapse on ANYTHING.  And of course that leaves one stressed out pretty much all. the. time.  Not to mention unable to deal with life's curve balls.  It's always taken something BIG to get me to slow down.  A knee injury tipped me off that I was spending way too much time on my treadmill.  A house flood hinted to me that I *might* not be taking enough time to be grateful for my many blessings.  Other such events force me to carve time out for myself or my family and you get the picture.  SO - there actually IS a tomorrow.  And it actually IS ok to leave something until then.  And so my priorities are lining up a little more nicely these days (hope it lasts).  Not that my blog here isn't a priority (don't worry, this isn't a dramatic exit announcement, lol)... but it's not going anywhere. And I can post about the fun camera charm necklace I'm making tomorrow.  Or the next day, even! And that's ok. ;)

I DO want to thank Stacy at The Birthday Blog again however before I go.  She's featured 3 of my birthday parties in the last week!!!  Thanks so much, Stacy!  You can see the Rockstar Party, Fancy Nancy Party and Lego Party at The Birthday Blog if you missed them here the first time!  And my 12 year old had a birthday this past week, and yes she had a party... her LAST formal birthday party until she turns 16.  We kept it pretty simple (you know teenagers), but it was still so. much. fun!  I've pictures to show... TOMORROW maybe! ;)

Sundays

Gosh, I love Sundays. I love getting dressed up in our Sunday best, as a family, and going to church. I love doing my hair - often it's the only of the day of the week that I do my hair. (It's long and I have to straighten it and yada, yada yada...) I love wearing heels and feeling pretty. I love my calling at church (for those that do not know - a "job" so to speak). My calling is to teach the children music. We sing and play games and they are just so sweet. I seriously love them all. I love coming home from church and snacking on yummy treats. I love how much quieter the house is on Sundays. I love taking a nap. I look forward to it all week. I can crawl into bed and not have to think about anything at all. I let out an audible sigh nearly every Sunday when I lie down. I love being in my pjs in the middle of the day. I love my kids curling up around me on the sofa while we watch a movie after dinner. I love to read and soak in the calm. I love not looking at the clock or worrying about having to be somewhere. I love to hear uplifting music wafting out of my husband's office where he's doing his own thing. Where he's also soaking up our day of rest. I love the smell of whatever scent I am burning. And on this particular Sunday, I love having the window open and sensing that Autumn, at last, is coming.

What is your favorite day?

Lost Pines

This weekend my husband and I stole away to the Lost Pines Resort in Bastrop, TX. We had an amazing time - no children, no responsibility, no schedule. It was the first time we'd been away from our children in nearly 10 years! So we were definitely due for some alone time.

Here are some pictures from our trip (disclaimer: point and shoot pictures ahead, NOT professional quality):

This was taken on our hike... that would be a mirky Colorado River behind us in the first shot.

I couldn't believe how big this place was... I had been there once at night for a party, but in the daytime it is really a site to see.  And there is so much to do... we opted to keep things low key but you can go horseback riding, swimming, biking, there's even a community area for marshmellow roasting!

I loved this little reading knook near our room.

And the inscriptions in the carpet - this one says "Birds sing in the bushes, which always remain green."

As we came in and out of the lobby we noticed many couples cuddling in front of these fireplaces.  And all I got was this lousy picture!  Lol!  Maybe next time!

 View from our balcony.  Great place to sit under a starry night.

The food was FANTASTIC.  Oh my goodness I took more pictures of the food than this (it was that amazing), but the pancakes were by far my favorite.  Seriously though?  Everything I put in my mouth was scrumptious.

Thanks honey.  I loved every relaxing minute,  and I love YOU!

The girl with the yellow shoes

I buy most of my clothing from the same stores again and again, but when it comes to shoes I will take them any way I can get them. Some might call me a shoe whore. I won't deny it.

Recently I bought a pair of bright yellow pumps. It was a bold move even for me! But I love the color yellow. Yellow however does not love me. It just doesn't go well with my coloring. So when it comes to wearing yellow, shoes or handbags or jewelry it is. And the fun stops there.

I looked and looked for the perfect yellow shoes for quite some time. Months, probably. In fact, I was afraid that the color was going to go out of style before I actually found a pair I liked. So a sense of urgency was beginning to set in, the kind that only happens to a shoe whore, which led to my buying a pair off Amazon.com.

Did you know that Amazon sold shoes?

When the shoes arrived I tried them on. The heels were a lot higher than I thought they would be. And I am 6 ft. tall. Hasn't stopped me from wearing heels before, but I usually draw the line at stillettos. So here are these BRIGHT, super HIGH heel yellow pumps that I have wanted for so long and I am not even sure I can bring myself to wear them in public.

I've always admired fashion forward women. They aren't afraid to try new things with their hair, or wear bold accessories. You know the type. And as bold and outside of the box as I am I think I am a pretty conservative dresser. Maybe I am wrong (I'm curious what those of you who actually know me think!), but I was going to have to find a way to show off those shoes!

They sat in the box for 2 weeks. Sasha pulled them out several times, admiring them, urging me to wear them. To the post office. "To the store, Mommy!" Wouldn't that be a sight. I really don't know what exactly I was waiting for, though. A vision?

I didn't have any intention of returning them. So I took the next most obvious step and brought them with me into none other than Charming Charlie's. If you've never been to CC or even heard of it, it's a fabulous place to find inspiration for all your fashion needs. Whenever I walk in the door I am immediately transported into what I call "Rebecca Bloomwood's world" ("Confessions of a Shopaholic" anyone?), and I am mesmerized (and consequently, close to being banned by my husband from ever going in there again).

CC is color coded, so there is a whole section of fabulous yellow there. Rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, headbands, watches, shoes, scarves, bows. It all made my simple yellow pumps look pretty tame. Huh, I thought. these shoes are nothin'! And I picked out a yellow headband and bracelet and made my merry way to the cashier.

"Let's see those shoes," the woman at the checkout counter said to me as I paid for my loot. "Wow, those are bright."

And that was all she said.

The other check out girl glanced at me, presumably to measure my reaction. Surprisingly, it didn't affect me at all. I was finally ready to wear those shoes! And I walked out with my head held high.

I awoke the next Sunday morning feeling mighty sassy. I put on my black dress with the little white polka dots. Along with the yellow bracelet, yellow headband, and of course, those bright yellow pumps. The piece de resistance. And left the house that morning with a little extra pep in my step.

It's ten to zero...

... with Sasha in the lead. The doorknob covers I put up in the apartment to keep her out of trouble (and keep me from having to follow her around) are losing by a large margin. Figures. Smart kid.

The safety gate at the mouth of the kitchen however is up for player of the year. Yay!

settled for now

Were it not for toting groceries up and down stairs, confined spaces and low water pressure, I might consider making this apartment dwelling a long term deal. It's easy to keep clean and there is no yard to keep. And there is no one below us to hear the scampering of my children's feet every night at bedtime. Or the occasional melt-down over having no backyard and no playscape for exploration.
I caught this clip over at Lara's blog. It's awesome. And has me convinced to leave the violin and viola packed up for now. At least for the people next door who've already gotten a few "knock, knock hellos" from above mentioned children. If they complain, I'll just threaten Puccini. :)

Random Product Review

Have you tried the new orange 3 Musketeers? Oh my heaven-- at only 24 calories a pop,no less. I'm not kidding! The cherry flavor they marketed for Valentine's Day was a total flop. But these? I'm stocking up!

I have something brewing blog-wise. A monster post. Lol. It's consumed my thoughts the last few days, which is in part why I haven't posted anything new.

Hope you're all having a fabulous day!

How's this for random?

My little boy Jonah turned 5 this past Monday. See details and pictures of his lively cooking party at my other blog Creativity Cannot Be Stifled.

Another crazy summer begins on Monday. Stay tuned for lots and lots of coverage on our 3 month long routine of library days, learning days, cooking days, art days and outdoor/potty training days ;). Not to mention a trip to Lake Tahoe!

Thanks again to all participants for another fantastic Woman to Woman. I think it was a great success and a cathartic exercise for many of us. I personally appreciate all the encouraging words I received. Feel free, of course, to continue to add your posts and comments as you find time.

Be a doll...

... and let me know if I am on your blogroll. I would very much like to return the favor.

:)