Boy was I shocked when I woke up this morning and saw that it was STILL raining. OY-VAY! I can't take it anymore! PMS'ing, kids home for summer vacation and rain, rain, rain. I HAD to get the kids out of the house. So we headed to The Children's Museum...yet again. Crazy madhouse. I knew it would be. We had loads of fun for about an hour and a half and then BYE BYE! Picnic in the car and off to swim. Kids loved it! By the time we left there it was already 4pm!!! Woooop! Stopped off at Hollywood Video and let the kids pick out a couple of movies. Came home made Pasta Primavera (Giada style) and now....well, now it's 8:45 and my house is s.i.l.e.n.t.


Daily Gratitudes

1. Miss Mother Nature decided to let us see her smile again at about 5pm...thank YOU sunshine.
2. Made dinner and before I even sat down Zoe said sweetly 'thanks for dinner Mom' :)
3. Both Ruby and Zoe learned to dive today thanks to a new little pool friend.
4. Stella didn't nap today so guess who went right to sleep tonight?
5. We had a fun day...just wish Daddy could have been with us.

Daily Gratitudes...

I just love N.
Love her so much.
I've never met her but I'm happy to say we DO know each other.
We met a few years back when we both got involved in something rather hmmmmmm, innnnteresting...shall we say (business related).
Well, she writes this amazing blog.
I love her humor.
I love her wit.
I love her honesty.
I love that she doesn't take crap.
I love that she calls them like she sees them.
I love her sensitivity.
I love her writing.
I love her stories.
I love her creativity.
I love that she's....quite something.

She's started this thing called Daily Gratitudes...and I love it!
Spread the word.
Do the same.
It makes a really bad day seem like a great day when you think back on those things you DO have to be grateful for.

Here goes...

Daily Gratitudes

1. My dog pooped yet AGAIN in the house...thank her lucky stars it was solid...did I mention she's a LARGE dog? Yep, you know what that means ;)
2. Had a relatively stress free shopping day with the girls at the mall...it was fun!
3. Found a fantastic pair of black pants for work at the Gap marked down to $13...and they fit...Gap pants NEVER fit me!
4. It's the first day of Summer vacation and nobodies killed each other.
5. Arthur. I just LOVE Arthur...I'm talking about the PBS show peeps. I'd watch this even if I was childless. No lie.

Look how well Stella was staying in the lines...she just turned 3!!!

Father's Day was a blast.
Went to the pool with Daddy and braved the AWESOME water slide for the first time!
Zoe fought her fear and Ruby took the swim test without batting an eye.
You have no idea how much MORE fun we'll have at the pool this Summer!!
Then we headed over to Kittery for fried clams....mmmmmm

Graduation day...Stella thought she was all that and a bag of chips...and she truly was!

Oh my...this girl.
LOVE!

Zoe won THREE awards!!!
I loved the surprise and knowing she was chosen to receive them...not everyone does.
I am SO proud and best of all her fragile esteem was boosted!
She got one for her excellence in creativity for Art, the Presidential award for physical fitness (her second year in a row), and a class award for Most Creative.
Perfect way to start the summer.
Oh yeah...she got the teacher we wanted!!!!!!!!!!

Ruby-Doo received an award too!
For her 'Outstanding Artistic Skills'...she really is SO artistic...I love all her drawings...SO CUTE!

Look at her trying to read the awards...so funny!

She's a big kid now...the lockers are all cleaned out.

Ready for first grade!

Can you believe how much she's hamming it up for the camera?
SO unlike her!

See ya' Kindergarten!

A lick for me a lick for you a lick for me....
Now this is hilarious.
I don't even think they even realized I was recording them.
Zoe had given them a lollipop to share...and that they did.

Worked last night.
Woke up with a start.
HAD to make a little outfit for Ruby to show off on her last day of school tomorrow.
Found the cutest rainbow fabric at......cough, Walmart.
Found a basic pattern which made NO sense to me and took it's measurements and added a couple inches.
Love the white eyelet ruffle.
HAD to make a little tee to go with...
Love.
A little funky and VERY Ruby.
For her last day of Kindergarten.

Don't think many Dad's read my blog other than mine :) But if you're a Dad and reading...thanks! Happy Father's Day!

xoxo

Taaa-Dahhhhh!

OMG.
I'm done.
It took me hours and hours and hours.
Miles and miles of shrimp colored tulle.
Yardage upon yardage of fabulous fabric.
It's not perfect and I don't care.
This skirt can twirl like nobodies business and frankly that's all that matters.
A certain someone will look gorgeous wearing it in front of the whole school on Monday:)
Will I make another one?
Ugggggg.
Yes.
I'll have to make two more.
Am I looking forward to it?
No.
Will you see these in my shop?
NO WAY!

Have a great day!
Later Taters!
xo

Chaaa-ching...

I'm a girl with champagne tastes (Cristal, please) but a beer budget (Corona with three limes).
I love all things expensive.
Put me in a shop and ask me to pick my favorite thing and inevitably it will be THE priciest thing they have.
I've tried to tone it down but I can't.
I even avoid certain stores because I'm a snob.
There.
I said it.
I'm a snob.
Who cares if they're less expensive than my all time fave Mini Boden...I'd rather go without.
I don't like cheap looking clothing. I don't like things that promote Disney or any of that other nonsense. Not to say some of it isn't cute because some of it is...though few and far between.
So yesterday I went to one of the big shops that I've only ever been in twice (and hated) to see if I could find some PJ's for the girlies. I came prepared with a printed out 15%-20% off coupon (if you spent $100 you'd get 20% off). Believe me I wasn't expecting to walk away with much...and no, I didn't end up with PJ's. I DID however fall in love with their Jumping Beans line. Have you seen it? I think it's as cute if not cuter than Gymboree (I'm not fond of the embroidery often attached to all Gyms clothing). The quality is as soft as can be...none of that stiff cheap feeling cotton. Needless to say I stocked up.
The best part? And you will die when I tell you.
I beat the system.
Want to know how?
I hesitantly opened up one of their credit cards because combined with my coupon I'd end up saving 35%. I figured I'd just pay it off when the bill came in the mail. Much to my surprise the cashier asked how I'd like to pay...I thought you HAD to put it on the new charge. NOPE!!!! I paid cash...no charging, no interest...YIPPEEE!!!!!
I ended up spending $85.98.
Saving $156.02.
Now, that's a big WIN WIN!!!



Love.
Love.
Love.
Know where I found the bedding and birdies??? WALMART! On clearance girls...go snatch them up quick! The bedding is made with 100% organic cotton and comes in a bag so you get the comforter, sheet set, sham and pillow case. I just checked online and it's 10$ more online...I paid $35 for the whole set. The pillows are extra but ON CLEARANCE!!!! GOOOOO!

Picnik...

Having fun playing with Picnik.
Been busy.
Will write later.
xo

Juice...

This lovely device is used for numerous things.
Most find it helpful when juicing a lemon,
an orange,
a lime.
I however deemed it prudent to juice my finger.
Yes, it worked.
Juiced and juice.



Ahhhhhhh. Nothin quite like bartending with a mangled finger.
I'm thinking next time I should just stick to the lemons and limes.
OUCH!

Quick!

Just a quick post so my sister doesn't get testy...she's mentioned a time or two that it's annoying to come by and not have something new to read :)

• I was hoping to be able to show you the skirt I've been working my tail off on but alas, I ran out of tulle :( I've placed an order so I'll hopefully have it finished by Friday!
• Made this cute little guy for the shop but looks like it won't go in there until tomorrow morning.
• Working tonight.
• Need a shower.
• Raining.
• I've got sprouts in the Fairy meadow...sprouts people! I'm not a seed failure after all!!
• 10 days left of school or 9 since two of those days are only 1/2 days.
• Just booked Ruby's birthday party at the Works (pool).
• I can't believe we stopped watching last seasons Weeds...playing catch up last night...such a great show!
  
• I'm supposed to take a food test at work. The word 'test' IS a four letter word...kwim??? Stommmmacheee achhhe.
• Time to print the tide chart.
• Time to print Butternut Farms fruit schedule.
• mmmmmm, Summer.

It's been a loooonnnnggg week. I don't usually work this much and doing it four nights in a row is tough on all of us. Holy crap-ola!!!! I still need to get through tonight and tomorrow night...I'm getting too old for this...at least I feel that way.

I swear a herd of elephants visited me during my four hour 'nap' last night...trampling on my back, arms, neck. You know mama is one tired lady when sleeping on a big fat hair clip is WAY better than taking the uneccessary time it takes to reach up and pull it out ;( ouch, ouch, ouch this morning!!!

***

The Fairies paid a visit to my girls last night...they brought notes of encouragement and fresh flowers. I wish I could have been here to see their faces...I was at work :( Am I feeling guilty lately...hellllloo yeah!

I love that they believe...it makes me believe...magic.


Have a great day!
xo

H-our long walk...

Gorgeous day!
We went for a walk.
I should have brought water.
Lunch.
A sleeping bag.
For our jaunt around the neighborhood took FOR-EV-AHHHHH!
Thankfully the weather was purrrrfect.

We started out at a good clip.
Stopping to check out some stuff on the side of the road.
Squished caterpillars.
Mica.
Dog poop.

The determination was there.
You can see it in her face.
Ahhhheeemmmmm.
This shot was taken at the end of our driveway ;)

OK. Mom.
I'm going!

Two seconds later there was a flower (weed) that needed to be picked.

A few more steps and baby needs to learn how to play brick breakers on my phone.

Luckily Stella knows just what to do.

She insisted on wearing her hair like Mommy's...messy and pulled back.
Do you think her ear was bothering her with her glasses like that?
She's too cool for school to care!

Us before I gave up and carried her home.
Which by the way is less than a hundred yards from this shot.
Hundred yards in an hour.
Yeaaaaahhhhh.

A little...

Cuteness to start your day :)
So far a good morning...the sun is shining!
I've started sewing all the pieces cut for Zoe's skirt...I have NO idea what I'm doing and to me it looks like there's enough fabric to make a bed spread...maybe I'm doing something wrong. Well. If it doesn't turn out a bed spread it will be!
Making eggs Benedict for dinner...cr.av.ing!!! yummmmmm.
I'm working tomorrow through Saturday...a lot but I'm psyched to do it!
Maybe I'll catch ya later...we'll see!

Later taters!
xo

A little something for someone...

I made the big pillow to go in the shop but it's not perfect so I'm keeping it! I just got in some super fun fabric to back more pillows so do stay tuned!!

Goof girl in my pseudo (cough) garden.

Flying color.

My kitchen aid until I get the Ice blue Kitchen Aid...ho hummmmm.

***
~ I'm fighting another headache.
~ Made delicious chocolate chip cookies with Ruby this afternoon...hence the headache maybe?
~ No sign of any...not even one teensy tiny bud from the seeds in the Fairy Meadow I planted.
~ I'm like a ticking time bomb...don't mess with me.
~ Laundry, laundry, laundry.
~ I hate that I often feel like I don't measure up...broad statement and that's how I want it.
~ Chef Jamie made me feel awesome Saturday night when he said 'why can't you work here seven days a week.' :) You just can't find owners and management like this everywhere...worthy of the hour commute there and back.
~ I'm attempting to make Zoe a skirt...you'll see what I come up with if it looks decent enough to share.
~ Yippppeeee for Farmer's Markets!!!
~ Three weeks of school and I'm scrambling.
~ I'd love to send Zoe to either a Waldorf or Montessori school in September.
~ Do I look like a mind reader?
~ I love our neighbors Charlie and Patty Brown. Yep, Charlie and Patty Brown...how freakin cute is that??? Charlie even wears a Charlie Brown tee shirt!
~ Three fighter flew over our house this afternoon...F.r.E.a.K.y!!!!

***
Ok. Gots-to-go! Have a super fab night!
xo