A Special Day...

For our FAVORITE GIRL...

TAMED!!!... A HEADBAND SOLUTION...

Lilley-Kate has "pretty much" said "good-bye" to her collection of bows... (although SOMETIMES I can coherce her into wearing one to accent a pony tail... hey... I'm holding onto those bows with BOTH HANDS... LOL)... we are QUICKLY acquiring quite a collection of HEADBANDS... and finding a STORAGE SOLUTION has been challenging at best...


Lilley-Kate had been keeping some of the headbands around her lamp on her dresser... the headbands were "wrangled"... easy to see and grab when getting dressed... and it WORKED... for a time (as the headband collection has grown... this method of storage has become more irritating than practical.. think HOT TANGLED HEADBAND MESS...LOL)... but we needed a more permanent and practical SOLUTION....





After looking around "blogland" (and eBay)... I decided to MAKE a HEADBAND HOLDER similar to a "classic" BOWHOLDER... easy peasy (lemon squeezie)... This isn't "my" original design... gotta give credit where credit is due!... I used what I had already here at the house (1 1/2" wide grosgrain ribbon)... and "whipped" up THIS headband holder in about 10 minutes!!!







Headbands corralled!!! Easy to SEE and GRAB when getting dressed... and NEATLY stored!!! I'll be making a couple more of these!!!... BUT I'm STILL holding onto those BOWS!!!

TIDS... BITS... and SPONGETOM...

CAM is hotter than MITCH... but NOT hotter than PHIL


We stopped watching DWTS when AUDRINNA was voted off... I actually thought my Husband was going to cry that fateful night... My BESTIE has been keeping me "up" on the show... we hope ANYONE but BABY wins the mirror ball trophy...


PLEASE... THANK YOU... PARDON (EXCUSE) ME... SORRY... words to REMEMBER when BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING... I will NOT be shopping on Friday... I have found over the years it's just NOT worth the HASSLE


KOURTNEY is hotter than KHLOE... but NOT hotter than KIM... and who DOESN'T KNOW NOT TO GIVE A BABY PEANUT BUTTER???


The temp here hit 70* today... is it NOVEMBER or JULY???... yes... in these here parts 70* in July is NORMAL


MANMEET is hotter than TODD (TOAD)... but NOT hotter than ASHA


I see NO REASON for the kids to be out of school for Thanksgiving WEDNESDAY THRU MONDAY... OH WAIT... it's HUNTING SEASON... WHOOOOOOOOOPIE


STUFFING STUFFING and MORE STUFFING... THAT is my "Turkey Day" Dinner FAVORITE


OLIVIA is HOTTER than TRACEY... but NOT hotter than GIGI


A HOLIDAY TRADITION at Lilley-Kate's school is the FAMILY TURKEY PROJECT... It's something we look forward to every year... Weeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllll... THIS YEAR "our" FAMILY TURKEY was one of (five) the WINNERS!!!


Hope EVERYONE has a WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!!!

"Trick or Treat"...

Lilley-Kate and her "country bestie" Kylee had a blast Trick or Treating in the neighborhood this year...




An 80's girl and a 50's girl (although most people thought Lilley-Kate was LAVERNE from LAVERNE and SHIRLEY... LOL)

The Daddy's took the girls around this year... and us Mom's stayed back and handed out candy...

ToT was a bit "early" this year... 5 to 7pm... kinda nice with it being a school night...

The girls had a fun time and Lilley-Kate is ALREADY thinking of NEXT HALLOWEEN!!!

OH... and our pumpkins were a BIG HIT!!! Hope EVERYONE had a nice evening!!!

A HELLO KITTY HALLOWEEN SURPRISE...

About a week ago Lilley-Kate and I were scoping out all the pumpkins people had carved for Halloween... and happen to come across our FAVORITE KITTY ON A PUMPKIN!!! Lilley-Kate was so excited to show Michael the pumpkins...

Little did she know... her Daddy would give her a HALLOWEEN SURPRISE!!!

Her VERY OWN HELLO KITTY PUMPKIN...




Michael spent most of the evening last night in the garage listening to FOOTBALL on the radio... and carving the SURPRISE!!!!

ToT is tonight around here... Lilley-Kate is SO EXCITED!!! Hope EVERYONE gets LOTS of treats (and maybe even a few tricks!!!)

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!!!

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!

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...

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!!!

Passing on THE LOVE...

of SCARVES... once the temp dips below 50* here (yes... you read that right... to ME 50* is COLD) out come my scarves... Lilley-Kate has inherited my "love"... but finds all that FABULOUS length a bit hard to manage... so... she picked out some yarn... I crocheted it up (yes... I DO "craft")... and we made her a "baby scarf" (her term) or a "scarflet" (my term)...

Now she can easily manage putting it on (without having to wrap it numerous times around her neck) and just button it up!!!

SHE'S already decided she wants to pick out some more yarn so I can crochet (yes... once again I DO "craft") her some more... AND we've decided they would make good gifts too for some of her BESTIES!!!

Keeping Busy...

We've been busy with our Hoiiday Events...


Gingerbread Houses with Friends...

Classroom Christmas ("HOLIDAY") Crafting...

Visiting with "SANTA" (or as Lilley-Kate told me "Mom... he's not the REAL SANTA")...

And the 2nd grade HOLIDAY concert...

We still have to make cookies for the neighbors (and ourselves)...

and Go look at the neighborhood Christmas lights...

Tomorrow is the last day of school before WINTER BREAK...

And the snow continues to fall...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

We woke up to RAIN this morning... Michael kept a close eye on the radar all day... and by noon all the rain had passed and by Trick or Treat time we were starting to see a bit of blue in the sky!!!

The HARDTS came over for Trick or Treating... since they live in the "country"... it's safer (and more "candy profitable") for them to come to our house for Trick or Treating... we make an evening of it... out for ToTing and then homoe to our house for some HOT CHEEZIE PIZZA and games...

Lilley-Kate was a MONARCH BUTTERFLY this year... and her friend Kylee was a BUMBLE BEE... the girls had a BLAST ToTing and saw lots of their friends in the neighborhood!

Hope everyone had a HAPPY HALLOWEEN too!!!

Fall Fun...

Fall has "offically" arrived... Michael and Lilley-Kate spent Saturday afternoon raking up leaves in the backyard (the first of many "rakings" they will do)... we'd had a few days of damp, drizzly weather... translate... WET LEAVES... but that didn't stop Lilley-Kate from making her own pile to jump in!




Saturday was our first "sunny day" in a WEEK! A bit CHILLY... but SUNNY!!!

Today since Lilley-Kate didn't have school... we decided to try to beat the rain forecasted and headed out into the country to our (my) FAVORITE pumpkin patch... AAAAAAHHHHHH... pumpkins "gathered" by SIZE, SHAPE, COLOR... all in neat rows or stacked into BINS (You KNOW how HAPPY that makes me!!!!)

We made it there... CHILLY, MISTY, a bit BREEZY... and saw some pretty funny looking pumpkins...

We thought these "bumpy" gourds and pumpkins were hilarious!!!

I even cajolled Lilley-Kate to take her jacket off for a quick pic next to the scarecrow (it was CHILLY!!!)

We had to cut the visit a bit short... as the light drizzle turned into more... but we had a nice time....

Hope everyone had a nice weekend and Holiday!!!

Back To School!!!

Today was the first day of school here... SECOND GRADE (how the heck did THAT happen so fast???)... Lilley-Kate was SO EXCITED to be going back to school... I think mostly because her classroom is located on the second floor... LOL... she was EXCITED and "rarin'" to go this morning... aaaaaaaahhhhhhh... UNIFORMS... LOVE THEM!!!





"Daddy" surprised her and met us at school this morning so he could walk her "only to the FRONT DOOR" (because according to Lilley-Kate "the big kid parents don't walk to the classrooms"... um... WHEN did you become a "big kid"???)...

Every year since Lilley-Kate started school we "surprise" her at pick-up with flowers and a balloon... I was glad that our local florist had a couple of "back to school" balloons this year!!! (Could it be possible the florist was tired of my griping about their BTS selection of balloons... or LACK of selection???)

Have a WONDERFUL year in SECOND GRADE Lilley-Kate!!! :o)

Easy Peasy...

We kinda did a "redecorating" of Lilley-Kate's room this Summer... Changed the WALL COLOR... from my FAVORITE Martha Stewart BUTTERCREAM to a FUN ART DECO PINK... went from a Cherry "theme"... to CANDY/Cabana STRIPE... (it was suppose to be SHABBY CHIC... but when Lk saw the stripes on a visit to "our" WALLIES I relented and changed direction)... I bought a few extra body pillowcases to do some "extras" with... ONE of them was a MEMORY BOARD for her room... She LOVES to have pictures in her room... so I thought this would be a FUN project...

I must say... seeing all the BEAUTIFUL Memory boards out in "blogland" that had been made was a bit intimidating... but I read (and reread... and REREAD again) a couple of tutorials and decided to plunge right in... and can I just say... "WHAT THE HECK WAS I AFRAID OF???!!!"... Not only was it SUPER EASY (thanks to some really good tutorials)... but I was able to "modify" my design (ok... I didn't have enough ribbon to do the criss crossy thing... so I used BIAS TAPE)... I have to admit... I LOVE THE RESULTS!!! I will DEFINITELY be making some more of these!!!

Most importantly... Lilley-Kate was THRILLED with it!!! :o)

Just a little "sidenote"... if you want to "know how" to make something ... just do a SEARCH for it... there are LOTS of GREAT TUTORIALS out there in blogland/on the web... I'll DEFINITELY be trying other things now!!!

All In The Family...

One of the things that Michael "passed on" to the kids is a LOVE of GOLF... which even after 20+ years of marriage I still don't "get"... anyway...


It has become an evening "ritual" this Summer that they have chipping and putting practice in the back yard... Michael sets up a little kiddie pool (it use to be ABBIE'S pool) out in the yard and they practice chipping the balls into the pool... Michael and our "shy child" hit it more times than not... Lilley-Kate has hit it 4 times this Summer (and done the "Tiger arm pump" each time)...


Soon the nightly ritual will end... as school and activities take up the evening hours... but it sure has been nice to be a spectator of growing relationships in the back yard...

Let's DANCE!!!

Well... another recital under our belts... Lilley-Kate did a GREAT JOB! She stayed on her "mark" and kept a constant smile... ALL the kids did a wonderful job!




Her BALLET rountine "Someday My Prince Will Come" (Ashley Tisdale from HSM) was first... Lilley-Kate is second from the left in the front row)... right at the end of the routine she spotted my Mother in the front row... as soon as she came off stage she said to me "Mommy, I saw Grandma and she waved at me!"

Her TAP routine came second... "Ladies Choice" (Zac Efron in the movie HAIRSPRAY)... it was SUPER CUTE... It was a bit harder for Lilley-Kate to keep her eyes in the audience since she had spotted my Mother earlier... LOL

In between routines we kept the girls busy downstairs with costume changes, coloring, and snack... Lilley-Kate LOVED walking around and seein the other costumes and they had a monitor set up so we could watch the recital (and the chaperones could keep track of the routine line up) LIVE! (We ordered the DVD too... so we'll be able to watch it OVER and OVER!)

Our Dance Studio "splits the recital... the Younger Dancers "first"... then a 30 minute intermission and then the "older dancers"... the YDs are able to leave after the frist half (which is nice!) so we were out of the auditorium by 4:30pm

No dancing through the Summer (at least not in a studio setting)... although I DO wish they would offer "CAMPS" for the kids... but we'll be ready for registration in August!!!

GREAT JOB Lilley-Kate!!! YOU are our DANCING PRINCESS!!!