happy hurling halloween!

happy halloween!
i do love me some trick or treating!

only in america

can the promise of some candy

draw families out in droves

to go door to door!

~

first, thanks for all the love

and encouragement in my sewing endeavor!

and while i know you are all anxiously awaiting

to see the final product...

you'll have to wait a bit longer.

the sewing machine is still resting on it's shelf

let me explain:

i found a pattern for the little red cape

looked easy enough

although in the back of my mind

i knew i'd screw it up

so on the way to the fabric shop

i took a detour to the resale shop

and while i did not find a cape,

i did find a raggedy ann style

getup

which olivia fell in love with

and at 8 bucks and the prospect of no sewing?

sold!

here she is after her storybook character day at school...

so while she was taking her spelling test

dressed like a doll

her brother was enjoying his harvest party

at preschool

although, his day was cut way short!

i got a call at lunchtime saying

he was getting sick

throwing up

i should have known

something was up this morning

when our never-miss-a-meal son

didn't touch his breakfast

daddy picked him up and took him home

he was free from the throes of hurling,

but only for a short while

the poor little pirate was in no shape

to beg for candy

so the big pirate and i

braved the gorgeous 70 degree evening

and collected enough candy for the both of them

plus some!

so inspired to sew...

i have a confession

i do not sew

not a button

not a hole

and surely not a stole

but i have always wanted to

here is the proof:

bought at a friends yard sale

4 years ago

used it once

attempted to sew a princess skirt

fell apart a week later!

as a kid

mom and nana sewed

cute dresses for

us girls

i don't aspire to be a designer

but can i just sew something?

something

and i could say

yeah, i sewed this

so here is my goal:

we have a week off school in november

i will sew something

you might see it here

daughter tells me tonight

she wants to be

little red riding hood

on story book character day at school

that's this week...

the pressure!

how hard can a cape be?

any suggestions for the sewing challenged?

saturday surprise

warning: no pics for this post

close your eyes and imagine...

oh wait, if you close your eyes, well read on,

make a picture in your mind!

~

so we thought we were due for a date night

we have been on ONE since June

sad; very, very sad.

we made time to have one last night

it was a surprise

i even made him wear a blindfold in the car

my directionally exceptional hubby

felt the setting sun on his face

guessed we were heading due west

and we were!

i made him take the blindfold off

when we reached the train

we would take into the bay area

once we got to the city

we took a cable car to the pier

where we found our destination:

~

The Crab House

~

we had a window seat over looking the bay

the window was open

in came the fresh bay breeze

we feasted on a sizzling platter of mussels, shrimp and crab

it was heaven!

we walked the pier

ate ice cream

marveled at the barking sea lions

jockeying for a position

in which to call it a night

bought some sourdough bread

good stuff

~

we made our way back to the train station

bought tickets at the kiosk

and waited for our change to drop

and drop it did!

i thought we were in vegas

coin after coin hit the metal tray

it was music to our ears...

then we remembered we were not in a casino

but at a ticket kiosk

we were now the proud winners of...

five dollars in nickels...

that is 100 nickels folks!

after we were done laughing at our fortune

we scooped them by handful

into my wallet

my purse was instantly 10 pounds heavier!

~

even though we didn't hit the jackpot

we were big winners of an awesome night out...

ALONE!

love you honey!

friday feature

(photo from a holiday train ride, 2006)

what a guy

we love him

he's a keeper

i'm lucky i have him!

waaaaay back in 2001

we met

but not the way most people meet

4 months before we met

i left someone

moved into an apartment by myself

loved being alone finally

lots of time to find me

4 months before we met

he left someone

moved to a new state by himself

my state

ohio

same apartment complex

streets apart

our circles would never have crossed...

if it wasn't for the phone company

with modern day technology

our phone lines became crossed

didn't know why a man

would sometimes pick up

before i got to the phone

strange messages on my voice mail

for someone

not me

phone company says find his number

then we can fix it

they didn't know who they were dealing with

i 'heard' him on the phone

making a purchase

his southern drawl

so cute

gave vital info

i wrote it down of course

did nothing with it that day

next morning

leaving for work

see a truck

plates from the south

must be him

i thought

saw him

hoped it was him!

i called that night

to explain our phone anomaly

he was cute...

thought we had a party line or something

not in the big city baby!

just crossed phone lines

we talked

for over an hour

like old friends

we hung up

two weeks later

he called

asked me to dinner

this is where

stranger danger

went out the window

he came to pick me up

we had dinner

and the rest is history!

loved him from day one!

way back wednesday

my babies...

2 years ago

she, 4

he, 2

where has the time gone?

photo meme

photo credits...

1. Lori Marie, 2. Flickr Loves Sushi. Mmm., 3. St. Joseph Cathedral, 4. Gizmo, 5. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamescaws/168804822/, 6. Happy Mexican Independence Day To Me, 7. Roatan Beach - Perfect Day !!! 30000 + views and 220 + faves - Thank you - Janusz, 8. Strawberry Shortcake, 9. We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is a real friend., 10. Tropical bench, 11. 365/365: 525,600 minutes, 12. Lori's Horse...

~~

~~

This was fun...not as hard as it first looks...

and what a cool mosaic it makes!

Here’s how you play:

type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr search.

using only the first page, choose an image.

copy and paste each of the URL’s into the mosaic maker over at FD’s image maker.

The questions:

1. What is your first name?

2. What is your favorite food?

3. What high school did you attend?

4. What is your favorite color?

5. Who is your celebrity crush?

6. Favorite drink?

7. Dream vacation?

8. Favorite dessert?

9. What do you want to be when you grow up?

10. What do you love most in life?

11. One word to describe you.

12. Your Flickr name.

if you play along

let me know

so i can see your meme!

like going to confession...only more fun!

playing along with mckmama...
~

to begin with

i most certainly did not

stay in my pajamas ALL day yesterday...

cause how gross is that?

~

i also did not carry around a certain

white trash bag and dispose of toys and toy parts

that i am sick of picking up, stepping on, or asking 'what is this?'

nope,

i would never do such a thing.

~

i did not take a 2 hour nap in the middle

of both weekend days,

really,

how lazy would that be?

a hairy situation

sorry, couldn't help myself with the title
i was tagged by my blog friend kathleen
i have been asked to reveal my worst
hair cut!
lord, there have been so many, where to begin?

let's see...
most recently, i got a trim
and apparently, she cut my hair blind folded or something
got home and one side was literally an inch longer than the other
hard to hide when it is framing your face!
i tucked it behind my ears for a week until she could get me in to fix it
she was speechless when she saw it
she should have been!

let's dig back deeper
5th or 6th grade
cyndi lauper was my idol
attended catholic school
so no way in hell i could dress like her!
next best thing? have her hair!
i got it cut short on one side and left it longer on the other
on purpose this time!
i am pretty sure no photos exist
and i am quite certain that my mom let me do it
knowing i'd soon return to rectify the situation
i hated it
it was only a matter of days and i got it cut
what was i thinking?

okay, and somewhere in between cyndi lauper and a few months ago...

is this less than stellar decision!

senior pics

1991

middle of the big hair craze

i had the double whammy

short big hair

and i love how the photog decided to accentuate it with the back light

lovely

and what is with the look on my face?

come on, don't be afraid...share you're worst hair moment!

wordless wednesday

thank goodness for singlet public facilites

here's the scene:

saturday

hubs takes little man to the restroom

a public restroom

little man: "daddy, what is this for?" (pointing at his boyhood)

hubs: "well, what are you doing right now?"

little man: "goin' potty"

hubs: "well, that is what it is for"

little man: "is it like a key?"

hubs: "what?"

little man: "a key to open doors"

hubs: "well little guy, i guess it could open doors one day"

little man: "or is it like a magnet, like that pulls things to it"

hubs: *speechless*

a boy wise beyond his years!

MEME...

a Meme

(pronounced to rhyme with “theme”)

is a self-propagating unit of thought that is spread from one host to another.

so i was tagged by my blogger friend Julie

here goes...

6 random or little know facts about me...

1. i am a night owl. makes the mornings painful, but i love staying up late

2. i met my hubs when our phone lines were crossed, a post in and of itself!

3. i had my tonsils removed as a child and one grew back as an adult! eww!

4. i sometimes put on my pj's right when i get home from work.

5. concerts i have seen: beach boys, hootie and the blowfish, eagles, van halen, rod stewart, hall and oates two times, tim mcgraw and faith hill, pasquale esposito, and a few more i cannot remember, must have been doosies!

6. i secretly wanted to be a truck driver growing up. i am pretty sure i have changed my mind on this one.

so now, i tag

1. Tiffany

2. Tonya

3. Angie

4. Jamie

5. Aubrey

6. Yertle

Tag, you're it!

yumminess...

i have had requests for the pumpkin whoopie pie recipe

enjoy!

the only thing i might tweak is the icing recipe...

was almost too sweet

and yes, this is the third post of the day!

swap swag

a few weeks ago i signed up for my first swap

hooked

loved it

fun

well today

my package came

it was FABULOUS:

compliments of aubrey

and to top it off
it came today,

the day i took off!

so i am enjoying it ALL...

after a preschool field trip this am!

(post of that to follow...)

So, thanks aubrey!

love it all!

especially the awesome purse!

now...off to veg in the recliner

and read my gossip mag

housework can wait!

whoa

last night

cleaned my purse out

although

it should be called my 'mom' bag

'cause 90% of the contents

not mine

couldn't tell you what all was in there

so, what lurks in your bag?

random ramblings

nothing unusual going on here

get up

go to work/school

come home

dinner

homework

bathe

bed

and on it goes

here is what has been happening in between:

olivia's teeth

2 are loose

one hanging on for dear life

dentist today

showed her how to really work it

tooth fairy may visit soon!

mason's cuddling

lord is this kid a cuddler

and i love every minute of it!

he is my 'cuddle-bug'

i'm his 'cuddle-mommy'

he has made a habit

getting in our bed in the night

i oblige him

we cuddle back to sleep

i asked why he comes in

he said

"mommy, we can't cuddle if i am in my bed and you are in yours!"

well said big guy!

mason learned

'eenie-meenie minie mo'

except he is missing a few words

cute as can be though

my dvr is getting full people

no time to watch anything i enjoy

too tired to stay up late

took the day off this coming thursday

mason's preschool field trip

to the pumpkin patch

can't wait!

halloween costumes

intended on wizard of oz

got to costume store

went with pirates!

yo ho ho!

both pirates

very cute

pics later!

that is about it

unless you want to hear about

the laundry

the dishes

the poop needing scooped

the floors needing swept

you get the picture!

makin' whoopie...

...pies that is!

pumpkin whoopie pies

a hit!