sat.sun.mon.tue.

4.day.weekend.
long awaited
after a week of conferences
i came home
slept in recliner for 2 plus hours!
felt good!
now, let the weekend begin...
we will surprise the kids
with a trip to the donut shop
we will go see a much anticipated movie
we will eat movie popcorn
we will play guess who 2 million times
we will make a sunday dinner
in the crockpot
we will read many books
we will visit the craft store
we will make something crafty
we will, well, might, even clean
we will ride bikes, weather permitting
we will build with our new legos
we might even make a dessert
we will menu plan and grocery shop
we would love to sleep in
but you know how that goes!
we will be busy
enjoying our 4 glorious days
ta ta for now
4 day weekend, take me away!

homemade holiday: craft #1

i have been scouring the web for fun craft projects for our homemade holiday this year!

i have come across some wonderful ideas and will post one every few days.


one that i am really excited about trying is
'marble magnets' which i found over at not martha

the instructions are very easy to follow and lots of pictures to guide you.


we are going to try this over the weekend, so i will let you know how they turn out.

aren't they the cutest? and you can get very creative with what you put behind the glass!

i have already torn out several pages from my favorite magazines in preparation

get crafty people!

wayback wednesday

olivia and mason

fall 2006

they could spend all day at this bridge

they love it

(click on photos to see up close cuteness)

feeling up for a challenge?

52 days...

until chirstmas

i don't know about you

but i do not enjoy

seeing christmas

stuff on the shelves beside

the fall stuff

for one,

i love fall

and don't wish it to leave sooner than it must

secondly,

the thought of christmas shopping stresses me out

don't get me wrong,

i love to shop, love it

but really, we are on a tight budget right now

and don't want to spend money we don't have

sooooooo....i am announcing

a promise and a challenge!

i PROMISE to make it a homemade christmas

i CHALLENGE you to do the same

over the next few weeks,

i am going to post some really great ideas

and cool links

for making great gifts this christmas

yes, i get that i will have to buy the stuff

to make some of these things

but i know i will spend way less

and i can't wait to do it with the kids

we have the whole week of thanksgiving off

we will start then...

and really, here is the biggest question:

how much more stuff do we all need?

hubs and i have downsized our kids stash of toys

and really, what they have is still more than they play with

and as for us, well, we have enough, as do most people i know!

so, i am declaring an end to excessiveness!

who wants to join me in lovingly making this a homemade christmas?

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!