I'd Already Seen AVATAR... 17 YEARS AGO!

Did ANYONE ELSE make the CONNECTION?

New Friends...

BUTTONS... and BUTTONS

THESE are BUTTONS (one of Lilley-Kate's FAVORITE THINGS)...







And THIS is BUTTONS (one of Lilley-Kate's NEW FAVORITE THINGS)...






Hope everyone is enjoying the SUMMER!!!

Catching Up...

WHEW! We are full sprint to the end of the school year! 2 Field Trips... EOY school carnival... teachers gifts/cards to prep for giving...


RECITAL is fast approaching... Lilley-Kate's last "Studio Lesson" is next Tuesday... formal portraits scheduled... then starts a week of "Stage Lessons"... Dress Rehearsal and finally RECITAL DAY!!!


"Shy Child" got a Summer Job at a neighborhood Convenience Store and has been coming home every evening with the most HILARIOUS stories...


Just when I thought GLEE couldn't get ANY BETTER... IT DID!!!


Our Annual Multi-Family Garage Sale is set for June 5th... My Dining Room has been taken over with all the "STUFF" for the sale


Michael INSISTED that the AC be turned on this past WEDNESDAY when the temp hit 88*...


Lilley-Kate is becoming quite the HULA HOOPER, JUMP ROPER, and BADMITTON PLAYER... now if we can just get her on her BIKE we'd be set!


The "Bird War" continues between Michael and the neighbor... it's a "friendly" war... but a war none the less!


We've been enjoying dinners out on the patio every evening...


Time has been flying by so fast... it's hard to believe the end of SECOND GRADE is here! Lilley-Kate is excited to see WHO her teacher will be (it's a toss up as our district does not (formally) allow "requesting") for THIRD GRADE... SHY CHILD will begin his SENIOR YEAR of COLLEGE (how did THAT come so fast?)... I've decided just to "hang on tight" and enjoy the ride as best as I can... THANKFULLY my calendar... and a cabinet front of sticky notes keeps everything is order!!!


Have a nice day!

Puttin' On The Ritz...

Lilley-Kate had CLASS PICTURES taken at dance this past week... this is the first year the CLASS PICTURES will appear in the RECITAL PROGRAM!


Every once in a (great) while... I surprise myself... and snap a HALF-DECENT picture! I've decided to use this one in the PROGRAM AD that we placed... (and THANK YOU to my BESTIE for pimping it up a bit for me!)


One month to go!

Just Stuff...

Last night was SENIOR PROM... Lilley-Kate LOVED seeing her FAVORITE SENIOR all dressed up!

I remember MY Senior Prom... and how disappointed I was to arrive and see TWO OTHER GIRLS wearing the SAME GUNNE SAX DRESS that I had on!

We'll be planting our annuals this weekend... although we still have 2 weeks of possible FROST to contend with... Last week the temp didn't get above 55* all week!

Michael has taken up a friendly "bird feeder war" with the neighbor... Michael is NOT "winning"

Recital is a MONTH AWAY... and Lilley-Kate and I are getting VERY EXCITED! (Gotta make her PORTRAIT APPT.)

I have started switching over to our "warm weather" favorites for meals...

Since my "shy child" arrived home for Summer Break our grocery bill has DOUBLED...

I need to price all my Garage Sale items...

Hope everyone is enjoying warmer weather!

SEVEN LAYERS

Layer ONE... Hemmed 3"



Layer TWO... REMOVED



Layer FIVE... Hemmed 2"



Layer SIX... Shortened to length



Layer SEVEN... Shortened to length



Ready for PROM!!!

SWEET DREAMS...

I've been busy... catching up on some sewing projects...



SATIN PILLOWCASES... for promoting BEAUTY SLEEP (using satin pillowcases helps minimize facial wrinkling)... HEALTHY HAIR (using satin pillowcases helps keep long hair smooth and tangle free) and SWEET DREAMS (using satin pillowcases promotes sweet dreams... just because WHO doesn't have sweet dreams sleeping on a SATIN PILLOWCASE?)... Made for MY FAVORITE GIRL (who is growing her hair to her WAIST) and me... and our BESTIES!!!



The pattern is pretty "straight-forward"... you can use a premade pillowcase as a guide... OR use THIS GREAT TUTORIAL!!!



I cut them all out and sewed then "assembly line style"... and it went lickety split! I bought FLANNEL BACKED SATIN (at JoAnn's)... so the pillowcases "stay put" on the pillow... I'll definitley be making more of these!!!

A REMINDER of HOME...

Right outside my window...



Who says you can't "go home" again? Even if only in our memories?...

Home Again Home Again...

We enjoyed a nice change of scenery for the Easter Holiday... lots of flowering trees, shrubs and flowers...

Some relaxing "deck time" watching the birds...

Some FABULOUS SHOPPING (and a new housekey!)...

Good food...

SUNSHINE and WARM temperatures...

A LONG car ride home...

Hope everyone had a nice Holiday!

Just Sayin'...

My FAVORITE seamripper has went missing... I'm suspicious as to WHERE... I miss you FAVORITE SEAMRIPPER... PLEASE reappear soon

I'm going to have to take Lilley-Kate to have her feet measured... she's wearing shoes ranging in size from 13 1/2 to a 3... It's really got me curious as to WHAT her "true" shoesize is

I found out (quite by accident) that EASTER is NEXT WEEKEND... Hmmmmm... I thought it was 2 weeks away... so once again I am totally NOT PREPARED and have 6 days to get it together

Willard Scott STILL CREEPS ME OUT... and AL ROKER is starting to

Michael asked me how I was liking "being a FOLLOWER"... and then commented "how can you TYPE that fast?"... PRACTICE sweetie... LOTS of practice

Guest Blogging/Blog swapping... is it the newest trend? I'm thinking... but it's just too much clicking and backreading for me to enjoy

We're expecting SNOW... but have had a few "teaser days"... it gives me HOPE

Cleaned out my closet and drawers... got rid of a shirt I have had for over 10 years (and miss it almost as much as my FAVORITE SEAMRIPPER)

I really DON'T like it being "ALL ABOUT ME"... I'd MUCH RATHER it be more about someone else...

A VERY HAPPY Girl...

OK... FIRST... I have NO IDEA why the picture won't upload RIGHT SIDE UP... so crink your neck to the side... and I'll tell my little story....



I gave Lilley-Kate the opportunity a bit back to get her ears pierced (I now realize I SHOULD'VE just had them done when she was a baby)... and she has been BACK and FORTH... "Yes Mommy... I want my ears pierced... will it HURT?"... "Um... Yes... it will hurt... but just for a little bit"... "I'll think about it"... "OK... you tell me when you're ready"...



"OK... I'm ready... will it HURT?"... "Um... Yes... it will hurt... but just for a little bit"... "Hmmmm... let me think about it some more"... "OK... you tell me when you're ready"...



BACK AND FORTH... BACK AND FORTH... even an offer from her (much) older brother to ENTER CLAIRE'S and hold her hand hasn't "sealed the deal" for her...



So... we were at the mall... and just went into CLAIRE'S to look at the earrings... and LOOK... CLIP EARRINGS for LITTLE GIRLS!!!! Lilley-Kate was SO EXCITED...



Until she makes up her mind... she is MORE THAN HAPPY to sport "clip ons"

Sparklie CHERRIES... Sparklie BUTTERFLIES... and Sweet DAISIES... (all her favorites)...

One step closer...

"HUMP DAY" Again... ALREADY???

WHEW... can you BELIEVE how FAST the time is going???...

Willard Scott ("Uncle Willy" as "Al" refers to him) give me the creeps...

I have RELUCTANTLY become a "follower"... and am SECRETLY LOVING IT!!!

LINDSAY... YOU are NO OPRAH... MADONNA... OR PRINCE... so GOOD LUCK with that!

I am LOVING "RANDOM TOPIC CHAT"... BEST conversations with my BESTIE...

61* here today... according to the display on Dr. "BackCrackers" office sign... WOOHOO!!!

LOTS of meliting snow... DIRTY DIRTY streets though... we need a hard rain to wash it all away!

OC REUNION TONIGHT!!! THAT should be good!!!

Happy WENDESDAY everyone!!!

*SIGH*... Another MONDAY...

I poked myself in the eye with my mascara wand this morning... my eye BURNED ALL DAY...

but...

The sun shined ALL DAY and the temperature got up to 48*...

I didn't have to wear my BULKY WINTER COAT...

I wish I knew how to say NO INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING in GERMAN... because apparently saying it in ENGLISH means "yea... bid on my auction and I'll happily send you the items"...

A headlight went out on the van this evening...

Tomorrow is suppose to be SUNNY and 53*... we shall see!!!

HUMP DAY...

Mid-week and my MIND is full of thoughts...

I HAVE to be ME... TRUE to MYSELF...

I have THE BEST BESTIES...

THANK GOD the OLYMPICS ARE OVER...

The SUN IS SHINING... (that is a VERY GOOD THING in my world)...

REGIS NEEDS to RETIRE... (PLEASE RETIRE REGIS)...

I'm NOT diggin all the "MOOBS" on SURVIVOR this season...

Even if we CAN'T choose our FAMILY... I'm SURE GLAD we CAN choose our FRIENDS...

PATRICK JANE is HOT HOT HOOOOOOOOOOOOT...

"RANDOMLY LALA"... whatcha think???

Rescheduling Turning 8...

Our FAVORITE GIRL turned 8 this weekend... I can't get over how time FLIES...



Party day came... with a TUMMY ACHE and FEVER...



24 hours and 6+" of snow later we celebrated LPS style...

They grow up WAY TOO FAST!!!

Tummy Ache gone... temperature a perfect 98.6... snow FINALLY stopped... Company departed... back to school today... everything back to "normal"...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LILLEY-KATE!!!

Looking UP...

I ordered NEW BOOTS... to replace the broken ones...

I changed purses... to a style with "sturdier" handles...

The snow FINALLY stopped... and we saw the sun!!!

My FAVORITE GIRL is having a BIRTHDAY... has it REALLY been 8 years already???

LITTLEST PET SHOP is her current obsession... and the "theme" of the party...

MORE SNOW in the forecast... let's HOPE it holds off though through the weekend!!!

It's Tuesday... but FEELS like Monday...

The ZIPPER on my boots broke...



So did the strap on my purse...



It's STILL SNOWING...

Anytime... A N Y T I M E...

OK... SERIOUSLY... I've had enough... it can STOP SNOWING anytime now... the white stuff (albeit as pretty as it is) falling from the sky is getting "old" quick...



We didn't have school today... canceled b/c of the 8 ADDITIONAL inches we received overnight... our first snow day of the season...


We have close to 28" total (in the last week)... and yes... it is CURRENTLY SNOWING... still

Before You Click the Link...

Grab your kids...

Crank up the volume...

Now ENJOY THIS...