Simple is good.

Sometimes it's the silly little simple things that make us happy.  I bought a cup like this a few weeks ago for myself (heavy plastic, rubber 'sleeve', looks like a Starbucks cup) and use it every morning for my loooooong commute to work - LOL. (My commute is about 5 minutes!:))  Emma has become my morning assistant by working the Keurig and getting my coffee ready for me before we leave.

She has also been enjoying hot cocoa K-Cups and wanting to sip a little on her commute :)  She's been using a regular coffee cup in the car, and I knew she'd like one of these lovelies just like mine.  I think it might have been one of her favorite gifts last night... I love the simple things.

This is us from this morning's commute :)

Our birthday girl

Here she is with her completed "sundae treats":

The cup was filled quarter way with M&M's and Skittles, then topped with a pre-made cupcake, we added Jelly Belly Sour Balls for a "cherry" and a "PixiStix" for a straw - they were a total hit :)

Weird how I looked up at the clock today at exactly 4:11, kind of instinctually, and thought of her.  She's twelve.  She's amazing.  She's kind and thoughtful and compassionate.  She's witty and playful and fun.  She's smart and organized and methodical.  She loves to talk in a British accent with me (I once tricked she and Kennedy - okay several years ago - that I was born to British royalty and was finally "revealing" myself to them).  She is so well liked, has several very good friends, and more importantly... she's a wonderful friend.  I just love her. So So Much.

Thank you for making me a Mama, baby.

xox

Borrowed from Beth

watching: Top Chef Desserts (on DVR)

listening: Emma talk on the phone to Grammie

reading: People Magazine :)

eating: Chocolate drizzled macaroon bar from Fred Meyer bakery

drinking: Nothing... too many iced teas with dinner

spending: on Fall decorations for the house

loving: my new house, cooler weather, my Black Magic CC kit, my new wall hanging

not loving: work right now

missing: soccer this weekend

excited about: planning an outing to the nighttime corn maze with Emma's team

feeling in general: happy with my direction

Someone is having a birthday tomorrow...

And that certain someone wanted to make a special treat for her class.  She didn't want it to just be a cupcake, or just a donut, or just a cookie.

So that certain someone Googled "treats for class" and found a fun little project.  So I took that someone to the store to gather all of the ingredients, and she executed phase one of "treats for class":

The cups in the background are part of a certain someone's plan as well... stay tuned for tomorrow's reveal when it's all put together :)

The finished project...

Most everyone voted for fabric #1 (the lovely green/blue paisley pattern) - and honestly my first reaction was totally that one.  But it had no texture, and it was a bit on the shiny side. And then Jen validated my ultimate choice with: "No. 1 is my 1st choice, but something about the 3rd one is speaking to me also."


It spoke to me as well:

A big shout out to Carl who built my frames with perfection, did all the stapling and helping me stretch the fabric, and ultimately hanging it.  Now he thinks he wants to make one for his house :)

  

Hall & Oates... Oh yeah baby!

Puyallup Fair, Hall & Oates:  Lexi, Cari, Amy & me.  Great fun.  Great music - they were so easy on the ears, totally knew EVERY song they sang, awesome.

Bantering with Emma... and gratuitous photos

Really, I just wanted to post a few things that Emma has been saying lately that are cracking me up... so I don't ever forget - but a post needs pictures, no?  So there are a few just for fun.

Me:  rambling about something out of the blue...

Emma:  Well, THAT was really random.

_______________________________________

Me:  rambling about something...

Emma:  Mom.  Time out.  Time out.

_______________________________________

Where is she getting this stuff?  It's with a straight face and cracks me up every time!

Science project... 3 containers with food color in the water, white carnations with freshly cut stems, you know the results:

Is it bad that one of the containers is a Coors Light bottle, and the other is my favorite blue raspberry vodka??!?? :)  Come on!  The third one is spaghetti sauce!

And lovely Pier 1 decor.. although, I do need to edit the raffia...

Just call me batty...

This was the fun I had tonight at JoAnn's craft store with Kristy:

I love this mask.  I bought this mask.  I wore this mask... the entire time we shopped.  I just need to figure out how I can wear this mask in court :)

Pick a fabric

I'm looking at creating a rather large home decor piece, well, wall decor, and need a focal fabric to work with - which do you like best?  (yellow hue is from crappy fluorescent lighting inside JoAnn's)

I'll tell you which one I'm leaning toward after I get a few responses.  Jen, your vote may tip the scales for me :)

What a handsome boy!

Cooper had to go to the vet unexpectedly on Tuesday, they believe he has a little bug in his intestinal system.  He's on antibiotics for 7 days (oral with a teeny tiny little syringe) and although he doesn't mind the medicine, he's quite a little booger trying to shove that thing in his mouth!  When we got home from the $138 ER vet visit, I started looking at the itemized statement.  Specifically at the breakdown of his medicine:  Flavor enhancer - crispy bacon!  No wonder he loves that stuff!! :)

He also went to the groomer this week - and I just love our groomer, she says he's the best boy ever, and that he kisses her constantly while she's trimming him - and just look at my handsome boy on the way home:

I just luva luva luv him :)

Yay for Sundays!

I had a few hours to myself today, so I made a list and headed out:

Costco - TP/Paper towels, carne asada, flank steak, pulled pork, corn, yellow/orange/red peppers (6 for 6.99!!!) oh and rainboots!

Michael's - Foam 3D glittered Halloween houses for Emma and her friends to put together, Adirondack alcohol inks, blending solution and applicator (a little fun for me ;)

Target - placemats, bubble bath, kitchen towels

Bed Bath & Beyond (I hate this store normally) - but I needed K-Cups (hot cocoa for Em and iced tea for me), shower curtain and accoutrements, and a cool framed print for 66% off!

Check out my goodies :)  Looking forward to a great week!

9/11/01

Never forget.  Peace be with you.

This year she rules the school!

Emma started 6th grade today, it's her last year in elementary school, and she and her friends rule the school!  She is just like her Mama... she had her first-day-of-school outfit picked out and ready to go since the weekend... backpack has been packed, repacked, and repacked again since the same... her lunch was made last night...  I loved helping her with her hair this morning, and taking pictures of her in front of our new home.  She's going to have a great year!

"Hey Mom...

you know how you kinda dance around and stuff at soccer?  Don't stop cuz I kinda like it."

Emma said to me last night right before we fell asleep.

Comment approval has become necessary...

Seriously, my husband's high school girlfriend from 25 years ago (AND MY BROTHER IN LAW'S PSYCHO GIRLFRIEND) has taken to stalking my blog and leaving unsavory comments - OMG...

MARTHA & VALERIE  - GET A LIFE!!!


Now the rest of you sane people who want to leave a comment about a blog post, picture or scrapbooking project have to get approval before it shows... sorry :(

Sun in Seaside!

I seriously can't believe how gorgeous it is down here, all of the weathermen in Seattle should be fired! They said it would be stormy and high 50's and they could not have been more wrong! I know it sounds like I'm complaining, but I'm not :)

I drove down Friday with Emma and Kennedy, and Deanna and her girls joined us that night. Carl came down the next morning, and then cousin Duane joined us for a lovely dinner and beach bonfire. D and the girls left Sunday morning, and Tracy, Kenton and kellie arrived at 1:00. Carl took the kids golfing while we girls chatted and sat on the deck. We had a fabulous dinner of homemade enchiladas, guac and pico. YUM!

Today we hit the Nike outlet (ka-Ching!$!) and the town, beach bicycle rentals and ice cream. We are all taking a rest before we make spaghetti dinner.  It was an absolutely wonderful visit.  Various pics:

Pitter-Patter... my heart is happy.

We picked up Emma from camp yesterday and my heart immediately swelled with happiness - in more ways than one :)  I could not *wait* to see her and hug her and tell her I missed her (because I really did...), but her heart was swelling with happiness too.  She said she wished she could stay longer, that she couldn't wait to come back next year, and that she made a bajillion new friends!  Pitter patter, pitter patter.  The kids all had a camp t-shirt on, and everyone was signing each other's like a yearbook.  And Emma was pointing out this person, and that person, and this person's brother, and how she gave that one a piggyback ride, and how this young boy hugged her and said he'd miss her.  Pitter patter, pitter patter.  And so many kids had to hug Emma goodbye three times before we left, and it made my heart so happy that they loved her as much as I do, that they could see what a wonderful person she is and how she can light up a room.  Pitter patter, pitter patter.

And as we drove home, hearing all of the activities that she could remember, we stopped for fish and chips at Steamers at the base of the Narrows Bridge on a gorgeous sunny day in the Puget Sound.  And at the table Carl and I listened and watched her smile and our hearts went pitter patter, pitter patter.

The perils of my job...

See this blouse?  It's one of my favorites this summer.  The color and the waviness of the ruffles, perfect for me.

The fact that I fill it out so well?  Not so perfect.

See, I was working at the front counter today - helping all of the nice citizens pay their tickets - and there is a constant vacuum-type wind tunnel up there.  It blows up through the opening of the window (to keep us safe behind the bullet proof glass :O) and in the summer, it's a nice little breeze.  I usually enjoy it.  Today?  Not so much.

This young man came to pay with $20's and starts peeling them off to me, and they blow through and I'm grabbing at them like I was on a game show where they put you in a clear plexiglass box and blow money around wildly!  Sound fun?  Not today.

I was trying to do a good deed and re-ink the date stamp for my coworker's desk that I'm covering today.  Wouldn't that be a nice surprise to come back to on a busy Monday morning?  A fresh, gooey, juicy stamp ready to use?  Yeah.  Well, I  inked it up reaaaaaalllllll good and the pad was sitting right on my counter.  So when I grabbed wildly at all those 20's and bent over to catch one?  Smack dab right on the ruffles.  Damn those protruding ruffles :)

I drove my baby to camp yesterday.

And we both did really well.  I took some pictures of she and her friends, helped her set up her bunk, gave her more kisses than she wanted, and left while she joined a game of dodge ball.  You would not believe the view at this place!  Right on the Sound in a very rural part of our county, they are going to have an amazing time!

And today I already emailed her a CamperGram, and packed up a care package for delivery on Wednesday:

I miss her already and it's only been one day.  Here's looking forward to Saturday morning!!!

CHAMPIONS!

We scored 29 points out of 30 for our bracket, and shut out every team we played!  Not only did we win, but the girls played  V E R Y   W E L L ! ! !  Coach Adam was proud :)