Monday, November 29, 2010

A Look Back & A Look Ahead!

A Look Back:

Lots of family time over the weekend.
Let's start with a Christmas craft why don't we?
How about some candy cane ornaments?
Annnnnndddddd DONE.
Even "The Teenager" made one.
Be still my heart.
Glad you got dressed for the occasion, Preston.
The final result!
 I was downloading pics on my camera and found this picture that Carter took...
He took it with his right hand while making
Joseph and a shepherd make out with his left.
Nice.
Should I be worried?
Also, while he was coloring yesterday, he was singing, "boobies, boobies, boo-bies."
I'm scared.
 Sunday the boys wanted to make the mini gingerbread houses my mother gave them.
Once again, "The Teenager" partook.
He had to go to his room midway through the fun for a short timeout
due to MAJOR hyper activity.
It's gets crazy when 4 boys all want to do the same thing at the same time.
Patience please.
 Remember I mentioned they were mini gingerbread houses?
Well, they were so MINI that it was nearly impossible to get them to stay together.
We decided to improvise, and the boys decorated gingerbread cookies instead.
Awesome.
Thanks, Mimi!
A friendly game of Candyland took place between Trysten and Carter.
Well, friendly until Carter got upset over having to move back 8 spaces.
It required a discussion about the importance of good sportsmanship.
All was well with the world after that.
Elfie "showed up" on the clock in the foyer early Friday morning.
He stayed there until Sunday night.
Because he liked it there.
For real.
No one forgot.
We set the alarm, Casey.
It's all good now.
He changed his resting spot late Sunday night.
He kind of creeps me out.

A Look Ahead:

Thursday morning Ryan and I will board a plane bound for
NEW ORLEANS, BABY!!
Cannot wait.
So much fun to be had.
Food to eat, people to watch, drinks to drink,
shops to shop, ghosts to haunt and much, much more.
Can't wait to see NOLA all decked out for the holidays!
Ryan and I decided not to pack any of our Razorback T-shirts.
Might not be a good idea to don that gear in the French Quarter
considering the beating we gave LSU on Saturday.
Maybe we're just switching off winning every other year.
LSU one year and UA the next.
Seems fair, right?

Have a great week, my friends!!

Friday, November 26, 2010

Thanksgiving 2010

I am thankful for so many things this year.
Life is so good for our little family.
We have been blessed with so much...
health and happiness just to name a few.

We celebrated turkey day with my extended family...
missing Ed and Carol every minnute.
Can't wait to see them in just a few short weeks!
It just doesn't seem right to celebrate holidays
without all family members present.
During lunch on Thursday,
my parents informed us they will
be on a cruise next Thanksgiving....in my almost 37 years of life,
I have never NOT eaten turkey with my parents
the 3rd Thursday in November.
It will be very strange.

Back to this year.
Another reason I love my husband.
He made the turkey.
Notice his conscious decision as to where to place the pineapples.
Nice.
Boys love boobies.
This is our dog Shelby.
She spent Thanksgiving wacked out of her mind on doggie valium.
Poor girl.
It made for lots of good laughs though.
 I put together some treats for the little ones.
 What's thanksgiving without silly string?
 And a silly string fight.
That's how we Soladays party.
My precious niece took over the veggies.
I could have eaten her for lunch.
Seriously.
 The Thankful tree.
Don't judge my artwork.
Lots to be thankful for this year.
 Ryan scored major points here:
 Considering the kids were running amuck most of the day, I didn't get any pics of the crazies.
I did however manage to get a couple of my handsome man and I courtesy of my SIL. 
 
That's it!
Thanksgiving 2010 has come and gone.
Elfie made his appearance overnight,
signaling the beginning of the Christmas season in our house.
We worked on Christmas decorations all day
in between watching the Auburn and Alabama game.
Here's a little sneak peek:

Have a great weekend friends!!!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Weekend Recap!

Ryan and I had such a great weekend.
It was full on newlywed bliss.
We might have even made a few people gag.

We ate sushi at RA,
saw Due Date at the Gold Class Cinema...awesome place,
shared a bottle of wine at Cru at the Christmas tree
lighting at the Shops of Legacy,
bought a few new lovelies for our Christmas tree,
watched the Razorbacks win in double overtime,
laughed 'til our sides hurt,
enjoyed Ryan's new ride with the top down,
strolled the shops in downtown McKinney followed by
authentic bruschetta at the winery,
finished Christmas shopping for 2 out of 4 boys
and laughed some more.

A few pics were taken...not one turned out...again.
WTH?
I might have said, "Annnnnnnnnnnd DONE!" a few times throughout the weekend.
If you were able to watch Carter's video from
my previous post, then you know what I'm talking about.
Good times fo sho.
Ryan and I still have another kid free night tonight
and will spend it celebrating my dad's birthday with family!
So much coming up this week.
We're hosting Thanksgiving again this year,
so we have lots to prepare for...including a thankful tree I am making.
Our Christmas lights are going up Wednesday
and the tree on Friday...along with Elfie the Elf's annual arrival.
The holiday season is upon us!!

On a side note, it was Grandparents Lunch Day at Carter and Preston's school this past Friday,
and my sweet parents joined  in the fun with the boys.
They were so excited to show Mimi and Grandaddy around.
It just so happened that their school was hosting a Scholastic Book Fair the same week.
Carter and Preston both came home with a few new reads.
Thank you, Mimi and Grandaddy!
Do you think it's any coincidence that their
school coordinated the 2 events at the same time.
I think not.
Smart.

Happy Monday, friends!!

Friday, November 19, 2010

It's Friday!

I am so excited it's Friday!
Ryan and I are kid free until Tuesday.
Lots of good times on the agenda.

Here are a few random things from this week:

1. I took the lamps back.
I know, I know.
I tried them out for a day and changed my mind.
I drive myself crazy like that.

2. Yesterday, Ryan and I went to Carter and Preston's
school for an awards assembly.
Preston received recognition for the all A's honor roll,
and Carter for perfect attendance.
They don't start taking grades in our district until 2nd grade.
We didn't tell them we were coming.
I wish I would've taken a picture of the look on Carter's face when he saw us.
Priceless.
I did take lots of pics of the actual assembly.
Not a single freaking one turned out.
Loser Mom.
They were all blurry.
Nice.
3. Austin played his first basketball game at his new school last night.
He loved it.
Being in a smaller district now,
the kids have to travel further...a lot further...for their away games,
and apparently he thought that was pretty cool.
He had fun, so that's all that matters.

4. It was time to trade in Ryan's car.
We took care of business on Wednesday,
and were able to cash in on a great deal in return.
Remember my post forever and a year ago about Ryan's dream car?
Look what Daddy drove off the lot:
I told the boys that Ryan was coming home with a big surprise.
When the garage opened and Ryan pulled in...they were just a tad psyched.
Just a tad.
Or a whole lot.
Austin seems to think he gets to drive it when he turns 16.
We are going to have some fun times in this little beauty.
We picked Trysten up from school in it on Thursday.
He and Carter insisted we put the top down.
Love it.

5. So I was downloading pics from my camera
when I found this video Carter filmed.
Hysterical.
I love that kid.
For real.

Happy Friday, friends!!!
Have a great weekend!!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

More Pics!

We received the DVD with the rest of the family pics on Monday.
I couldn't happier with the way they turned out.
Chrissy did such an awesome job capturing our family through her lens.

These four boys make me so happy.
Carter's face in this picture...well...in most pictures...cracks me up.
Our boys
Sweet boy.
There was never a moment that one of the boys wasn't climbing on something.
Boys will be boys for sure.
 Our family.
What a crew.
 Look at that smile.
 How quickly they grow up.
 All of this because of this.
Who would've thought.
Happy Wednesday, friends!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

My Day in a Nutshell

I know you're dying to know what I did today.
I know. I know.
Try to control your excitement.
My SIL, Jennifer, and I did some shopping after
fabric hunting for a few projects I'm working on for her.
We had a blast.
Jennifer stuffed her baskets to the rim.
She actually had to carry some of her choices at Hobby Lobby because
she ran out of room in the metal rolling cart of goodness.
I was in search of Christmas wrapping paper.
I found it.
A lot of it.
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I have no idea why I felt the need to show you, but I did.
I just love all the colors and guess I am getting excited about Christmas.
Christmas cards and address labels have been ordered
and will be mailed out the first week of December.
Back to the paper.
I love the "No peeking!" paper.
It came from Target.
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Later, I made a stop in Sample House
and picked up this little sign.
Subway art is everywhere right now, and I love it.
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I am on a quest to lighten up the family room/kitchen.
The lamps on either side of our sofa are dark, the sofa is dark, the side tables are dark.
You get the picture.
I have been coveting these lamps from Potterybarn
but refused to pay their price tag when I knew I could find something
MUCH cheaper with the same feel.
The shapes of the iron bases are timeless/classic, and I love the burlap drum shades.
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Here's my solution via Home Goods:
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Picture the cabinets in the background painted a creamy white,
and the back splash replaced with some glazed subway tile...
or maybe some glass tile like we had in our old house.
Not exactly the same, but similar enough...and a whole LOT cheaper!
 I love the black trim on the burlap shade and the iron base.
The next phase of "Operation Light" is removing the dark wool rug,
and replacing it with a canvas bound seagrass rug:
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I think our zebra ottoman will look great on top of it.

That's it.
That was my day in a nutshell.
You like?

Monday, November 15, 2010

A Few Things

Just thought I'd share a few things.
Thanks for reading.

* Remember when I mentioned taking a haunted tour
when Ryan and I go to NOLA next month?
Well, our tour has officially been booked.
We are going on a haunted pub crawl.
Awesome.
If you're really intrigued and have nothing else to do,
you can checkout the details of our selection
HERE.
The website describes the haunted adventure in these words:

"A Phantasmic cocktail tour detailing all the kinds of spirits that influence New Orleans to overflow her old world charm deep into your very soul. On this scandalous tour we will walk through 2 haunted courtyards, 3 haunted bars, spirit filled restaurants and historic hotels -even a brothel all with shocking tales to tell! Even the ghosts are scandalous."


* "The Teenager" requested that we make a
gingerbread house again this year during the holiday season.
Uh......ya.
I tried to pretend like I was not
completely excited that he still wants to be a kid sometimes.

* Trysten asked us for a "werewolf jacket" for Christmas.
Whuuuuuuut?
Do you know what a werewolf jacket is?
I don't.
Should I google it?

* I'm about to go into full Christmas shopping mode.
I want to get it all done ASAP.
I would like to do most of it via the Internet
because I can barely stand huge crowds and standing
in line to pay when the stores turn the heat up to insane levels
to counteract the frigid temps outside during December.

* Have you seen the show Downsized?
It's my newest addition to our DVR.
It's about a blended family that used money
to ease the transition of combining 2 families together.
Crazy spending.
Irresponsible spending.
When the husband's contracting business goes south with economy,
the family loses their home along with their lavish lifestyle.
The family is forced to live VERY sparingly,
and the children, mostly teenagers, are exposed to the realities of their parent's financial conditions.
The couple refuses help from their families, verbalizing the mantra
"We got ourselves in this position...we'll get ourselves out."
It reminds me a lot of where Ryan and I were when we first married.
Both of us suffered the monetary effects of divorce which
meant living VERY modestly.
Our children had to give up some of the luxuries they previously had,
but our decision to live modestly, paying off debt,
saving for a home, not buying things we really wanted
when we had the money to do so,
made a lasting impression on the kids,
mostly "The Teenager" since he was the oldest,
but also on Ryan and I.
It got us where we are now.
We made a plan, stuck to it and made it happen.
Makes me happy.

I'm outta here.
I have Christmas cards to order.
That's all she wrote.
Have a great week, friends!!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Familypalooza

What a great family weekend.
Nothing major planned.
Good times for sure.

1. Trysten had his final basketball game of the season.
We're so proud of him.
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2. The boys...and I mean all the boys...logged countless
hours of outdoor playtime:
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3. There was also some educational fun.
I know...I'm mean like that.
Preston and Trysten did word ladders which are actually pretty fun.
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4. I called a friend at about 11:30 last night in a panic
after finding this in Austin's shorts pocket:
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Okay.
This might not seem like a big deal to you,
 but here is what went through my mind:
Who is Ericca?
What does she mean she equals fun?
Why is she giving this information to my son?
I am not ready for my son to be receiving notes from girls.
Girls are so different from boys.
Girls are waaaayyyyy more forward than when I was little.
What is "The Teenager" going to do with this information?
When I called said friend, I read the "note" to her,
and she asked her husband what he thought.
His answer further supported my worst fears.
Details to come later after a discussion from the "note's" recipient.

5. I did some more research this weekend
for our trip to NOLA next month.
I'm totally psyched about my discovery of
Blood Mary's Tours.
We are so taking a haunted tour.
Ryan is totally in on this.
Cannot wait.

6. We also confirmed dates for our New York trip.
The plan is to leave December 26th and return January 2nd.
Let the itinerary planning commence.
To me, that part is just as much fun as the trip itself.
This trip to NY will be much different from last year's,
in that there will be no children.
Oh, the possibilities are endless, my friends.

7. "The Teenager" just found out that he
made the basketball team at school!
Fifty five kids tried out, and only 22 made it.
We are very proud of him, and he's super excited.

That's our weekend!
Hope yours was just as good!

Friday, November 12, 2010

A Sneak Peak!

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A sneak peak from our photographer!
I heart everything about this crazy family.
Have a great weekend!!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Randomness...

1. This first bit of random information is NOT for the faint of heart.
Just warning you.
I have been scarred for life thanks to Sara.
She informed me of the fact that
doctors have reported removing from patients
cysts and tumors containing teeth and hair.
WTH.
I have not been the same since finding this out.
Gag.
Just be glad I didn't include a visual
because they are out there.

2. Speaking of teeth, after leaving the orthodontist Tuesday,
Austin...AKA "The Teenager"...asked me the following question:
"Mom, a friend told me that our teeth are made out of goat horns. Is that true?"
Really?
I responded with, "Austin, how could part of an animal be in our bodies?"
Really?

3. Preston has been correctly using words in daily conversation like
flabbergasted, ricochet and catastrophic.
Makes a mama proud.
I remember when he was 4, and Austin was bullying him
in the back seat of the car, he said:
"Mama, Austin is antagonizing me!"
Love it.

4. Yes, I did change my blog.
Again.
I was sick of the yellow color.
Sue me.

5. I am looking forward to a family weekend
without a bazillion sporting events.
Trysten has a basketball game on Saturday evening, but that is it.
This is a huge change from our weekends as of late.
Speaking of Trysten,
he is loving basketball and wants to play again next season.
This is also huge.
We are all very proud of him.
Most importantly, he's proud of himself.
Awesome.

6. Ryan and I are planning another trip for December.
New York!
Since we will be childless from December 26th until January 2nd,
we thought what better chance to go visit his parents in NY!
Maybe New Years in the city again?
Who knows!
Carol and I chatted it up via text last night,
and Carter asked if he could send a message too.
Sweet boy.
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7. Thank you to all the VETERANS for doing whatever it
took to make sure we live in FREEDOM.
You are appreciated beyond measure.

8. Today is my sweet sister's 40th birthday!
Happy birthday, Shelley!
I love you...I'm only 3 years behind you!

9. Last but certainly not least,
Carter was putting puzzles together last night and asked
me to "put them on the blog".
Here you go big guy!
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Happy Thursday, friends!!

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Monday, November 29, 2010

A Look Back & A Look Ahead!

A Look Back:

Lots of family time over the weekend.
Let's start with a Christmas craft why don't we?
How about some candy cane ornaments?
Annnnnndddddd DONE.
Even "The Teenager" made one.
Be still my heart.
Glad you got dressed for the occasion, Preston.
The final result!
 I was downloading pics on my camera and found this picture that Carter took...
He took it with his right hand while making
Joseph and a shepherd make out with his left.
Nice.
Should I be worried?
Also, while he was coloring yesterday, he was singing, "boobies, boobies, boo-bies."
I'm scared.
 Sunday the boys wanted to make the mini gingerbread houses my mother gave them.
Once again, "The Teenager" partook.
He had to go to his room midway through the fun for a short timeout
due to MAJOR hyper activity.
It's gets crazy when 4 boys all want to do the same thing at the same time.
Patience please.
 Remember I mentioned they were mini gingerbread houses?
Well, they were so MINI that it was nearly impossible to get them to stay together.
We decided to improvise, and the boys decorated gingerbread cookies instead.
Awesome.
Thanks, Mimi!
A friendly game of Candyland took place between Trysten and Carter.
Well, friendly until Carter got upset over having to move back 8 spaces.
It required a discussion about the importance of good sportsmanship.
All was well with the world after that.
Elfie "showed up" on the clock in the foyer early Friday morning.
He stayed there until Sunday night.
Because he liked it there.
For real.
No one forgot.
We set the alarm, Casey.
It's all good now.
He changed his resting spot late Sunday night.
He kind of creeps me out.

A Look Ahead:

Thursday morning Ryan and I will board a plane bound for
NEW ORLEANS, BABY!!
Cannot wait.
So much fun to be had.
Food to eat, people to watch, drinks to drink,
shops to shop, ghosts to haunt and much, much more.
Can't wait to see NOLA all decked out for the holidays!
Ryan and I decided not to pack any of our Razorback T-shirts.
Might not be a good idea to don that gear in the French Quarter
considering the beating we gave LSU on Saturday.
Maybe we're just switching off winning every other year.
LSU one year and UA the next.
Seems fair, right?

Have a great week, my friends!!

Friday, November 26, 2010

Thanksgiving 2010

I am thankful for so many things this year.
Life is so good for our little family.
We have been blessed with so much...
health and happiness just to name a few.

We celebrated turkey day with my extended family...
missing Ed and Carol every minnute.
Can't wait to see them in just a few short weeks!
It just doesn't seem right to celebrate holidays
without all family members present.
During lunch on Thursday,
my parents informed us they will
be on a cruise next Thanksgiving....in my almost 37 years of life,
I have never NOT eaten turkey with my parents
the 3rd Thursday in November.
It will be very strange.

Back to this year.
Another reason I love my husband.
He made the turkey.
Notice his conscious decision as to where to place the pineapples.
Nice.
Boys love boobies.
This is our dog Shelby.
She spent Thanksgiving wacked out of her mind on doggie valium.
Poor girl.
It made for lots of good laughs though.
 I put together some treats for the little ones.
 What's thanksgiving without silly string?
 And a silly string fight.
That's how we Soladays party.
My precious niece took over the veggies.
I could have eaten her for lunch.
Seriously.
 The Thankful tree.
Don't judge my artwork.
Lots to be thankful for this year.
 Ryan scored major points here:
 Considering the kids were running amuck most of the day, I didn't get any pics of the crazies.
I did however manage to get a couple of my handsome man and I courtesy of my SIL. 
 
That's it!
Thanksgiving 2010 has come and gone.
Elfie made his appearance overnight,
signaling the beginning of the Christmas season in our house.
We worked on Christmas decorations all day
in between watching the Auburn and Alabama game.
Here's a little sneak peek:

Have a great weekend friends!!!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Weekend Recap!

Ryan and I had such a great weekend.
It was full on newlywed bliss.
We might have even made a few people gag.

We ate sushi at RA,
saw Due Date at the Gold Class Cinema...awesome place,
shared a bottle of wine at Cru at the Christmas tree
lighting at the Shops of Legacy,
bought a few new lovelies for our Christmas tree,
watched the Razorbacks win in double overtime,
laughed 'til our sides hurt,
enjoyed Ryan's new ride with the top down,
strolled the shops in downtown McKinney followed by
authentic bruschetta at the winery,
finished Christmas shopping for 2 out of 4 boys
and laughed some more.

A few pics were taken...not one turned out...again.
WTH?
I might have said, "Annnnnnnnnnnd DONE!" a few times throughout the weekend.
If you were able to watch Carter's video from
my previous post, then you know what I'm talking about.
Good times fo sho.
Ryan and I still have another kid free night tonight
and will spend it celebrating my dad's birthday with family!
So much coming up this week.
We're hosting Thanksgiving again this year,
so we have lots to prepare for...including a thankful tree I am making.
Our Christmas lights are going up Wednesday
and the tree on Friday...along with Elfie the Elf's annual arrival.
The holiday season is upon us!!

On a side note, it was Grandparents Lunch Day at Carter and Preston's school this past Friday,
and my sweet parents joined  in the fun with the boys.
They were so excited to show Mimi and Grandaddy around.
It just so happened that their school was hosting a Scholastic Book Fair the same week.
Carter and Preston both came home with a few new reads.
Thank you, Mimi and Grandaddy!
Do you think it's any coincidence that their
school coordinated the 2 events at the same time.
I think not.
Smart.

Happy Monday, friends!!

Friday, November 19, 2010

It's Friday!

I am so excited it's Friday!
Ryan and I are kid free until Tuesday.
Lots of good times on the agenda.

Here are a few random things from this week:

1. I took the lamps back.
I know, I know.
I tried them out for a day and changed my mind.
I drive myself crazy like that.

2. Yesterday, Ryan and I went to Carter and Preston's
school for an awards assembly.
Preston received recognition for the all A's honor roll,
and Carter for perfect attendance.
They don't start taking grades in our district until 2nd grade.
We didn't tell them we were coming.
I wish I would've taken a picture of the look on Carter's face when he saw us.
Priceless.
I did take lots of pics of the actual assembly.
Not a single freaking one turned out.
Loser Mom.
They were all blurry.
Nice.
3. Austin played his first basketball game at his new school last night.
He loved it.
Being in a smaller district now,
the kids have to travel further...a lot further...for their away games,
and apparently he thought that was pretty cool.
He had fun, so that's all that matters.

4. It was time to trade in Ryan's car.
We took care of business on Wednesday,
and were able to cash in on a great deal in return.
Remember my post forever and a year ago about Ryan's dream car?
Look what Daddy drove off the lot:
I told the boys that Ryan was coming home with a big surprise.
When the garage opened and Ryan pulled in...they were just a tad psyched.
Just a tad.
Or a whole lot.
Austin seems to think he gets to drive it when he turns 16.
We are going to have some fun times in this little beauty.
We picked Trysten up from school in it on Thursday.
He and Carter insisted we put the top down.
Love it.

5. So I was downloading pics from my camera
when I found this video Carter filmed.
Hysterical.
I love that kid.
For real.

Happy Friday, friends!!!
Have a great weekend!!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

More Pics!

We received the DVD with the rest of the family pics on Monday.
I couldn't happier with the way they turned out.
Chrissy did such an awesome job capturing our family through her lens.

These four boys make me so happy.
Carter's face in this picture...well...in most pictures...cracks me up.
Our boys
Sweet boy.
There was never a moment that one of the boys wasn't climbing on something.
Boys will be boys for sure.
 Our family.
What a crew.
 Look at that smile.
 How quickly they grow up.
 All of this because of this.
Who would've thought.
Happy Wednesday, friends!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

My Day in a Nutshell

I know you're dying to know what I did today.
I know. I know.
Try to control your excitement.
My SIL, Jennifer, and I did some shopping after
fabric hunting for a few projects I'm working on for her.
We had a blast.
Jennifer stuffed her baskets to the rim.
She actually had to carry some of her choices at Hobby Lobby because
she ran out of room in the metal rolling cart of goodness.
I was in search of Christmas wrapping paper.
I found it.
A lot of it.
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I have no idea why I felt the need to show you, but I did.
I just love all the colors and guess I am getting excited about Christmas.
Christmas cards and address labels have been ordered
and will be mailed out the first week of December.
Back to the paper.
I love the "No peeking!" paper.
It came from Target.
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Later, I made a stop in Sample House
and picked up this little sign.
Subway art is everywhere right now, and I love it.
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I am on a quest to lighten up the family room/kitchen.
The lamps on either side of our sofa are dark, the sofa is dark, the side tables are dark.
You get the picture.
I have been coveting these lamps from Potterybarn
but refused to pay their price tag when I knew I could find something
MUCH cheaper with the same feel.
The shapes of the iron bases are timeless/classic, and I love the burlap drum shades.
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Here's my solution via Home Goods:
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Picture the cabinets in the background painted a creamy white,
and the back splash replaced with some glazed subway tile...
or maybe some glass tile like we had in our old house.
Not exactly the same, but similar enough...and a whole LOT cheaper!
 I love the black trim on the burlap shade and the iron base.
The next phase of "Operation Light" is removing the dark wool rug,
and replacing it with a canvas bound seagrass rug:
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I think our zebra ottoman will look great on top of it.

That's it.
That was my day in a nutshell.
You like?

Monday, November 15, 2010

A Few Things

Just thought I'd share a few things.
Thanks for reading.

* Remember when I mentioned taking a haunted tour
when Ryan and I go to NOLA next month?
Well, our tour has officially been booked.
We are going on a haunted pub crawl.
Awesome.
If you're really intrigued and have nothing else to do,
you can checkout the details of our selection
HERE.
The website describes the haunted adventure in these words:

"A Phantasmic cocktail tour detailing all the kinds of spirits that influence New Orleans to overflow her old world charm deep into your very soul. On this scandalous tour we will walk through 2 haunted courtyards, 3 haunted bars, spirit filled restaurants and historic hotels -even a brothel all with shocking tales to tell! Even the ghosts are scandalous."


* "The Teenager" requested that we make a
gingerbread house again this year during the holiday season.
Uh......ya.
I tried to pretend like I was not
completely excited that he still wants to be a kid sometimes.

* Trysten asked us for a "werewolf jacket" for Christmas.
Whuuuuuuut?
Do you know what a werewolf jacket is?
I don't.
Should I google it?

* I'm about to go into full Christmas shopping mode.
I want to get it all done ASAP.
I would like to do most of it via the Internet
because I can barely stand huge crowds and standing
in line to pay when the stores turn the heat up to insane levels
to counteract the frigid temps outside during December.

* Have you seen the show Downsized?
It's my newest addition to our DVR.
It's about a blended family that used money
to ease the transition of combining 2 families together.
Crazy spending.
Irresponsible spending.
When the husband's contracting business goes south with economy,
the family loses their home along with their lavish lifestyle.
The family is forced to live VERY sparingly,
and the children, mostly teenagers, are exposed to the realities of their parent's financial conditions.
The couple refuses help from their families, verbalizing the mantra
"We got ourselves in this position...we'll get ourselves out."
It reminds me a lot of where Ryan and I were when we first married.
Both of us suffered the monetary effects of divorce which
meant living VERY modestly.
Our children had to give up some of the luxuries they previously had,
but our decision to live modestly, paying off debt,
saving for a home, not buying things we really wanted
when we had the money to do so,
made a lasting impression on the kids,
mostly "The Teenager" since he was the oldest,
but also on Ryan and I.
It got us where we are now.
We made a plan, stuck to it and made it happen.
Makes me happy.

I'm outta here.
I have Christmas cards to order.
That's all she wrote.
Have a great week, friends!!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Familypalooza

What a great family weekend.
Nothing major planned.
Good times for sure.

1. Trysten had his final basketball game of the season.
We're so proud of him.
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2. The boys...and I mean all the boys...logged countless
hours of outdoor playtime:
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3. There was also some educational fun.
I know...I'm mean like that.
Preston and Trysten did word ladders which are actually pretty fun.
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4. I called a friend at about 11:30 last night in a panic
after finding this in Austin's shorts pocket:
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Okay.
This might not seem like a big deal to you,
 but here is what went through my mind:
Who is Ericca?
What does she mean she equals fun?
Why is she giving this information to my son?
I am not ready for my son to be receiving notes from girls.
Girls are so different from boys.
Girls are waaaayyyyy more forward than when I was little.
What is "The Teenager" going to do with this information?
When I called said friend, I read the "note" to her,
and she asked her husband what he thought.
His answer further supported my worst fears.
Details to come later after a discussion from the "note's" recipient.

5. I did some more research this weekend
for our trip to NOLA next month.
I'm totally psyched about my discovery of
Blood Mary's Tours.
We are so taking a haunted tour.
Ryan is totally in on this.
Cannot wait.

6. We also confirmed dates for our New York trip.
The plan is to leave December 26th and return January 2nd.
Let the itinerary planning commence.
To me, that part is just as much fun as the trip itself.
This trip to NY will be much different from last year's,
in that there will be no children.
Oh, the possibilities are endless, my friends.

7. "The Teenager" just found out that he
made the basketball team at school!
Fifty five kids tried out, and only 22 made it.
We are very proud of him, and he's super excited.

That's our weekend!
Hope yours was just as good!

Friday, November 12, 2010

A Sneak Peak!

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A sneak peak from our photographer!
I heart everything about this crazy family.
Have a great weekend!!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Randomness...

1. This first bit of random information is NOT for the faint of heart.
Just warning you.
I have been scarred for life thanks to Sara.
She informed me of the fact that
doctors have reported removing from patients
cysts and tumors containing teeth and hair.
WTH.
I have not been the same since finding this out.
Gag.
Just be glad I didn't include a visual
because they are out there.

2. Speaking of teeth, after leaving the orthodontist Tuesday,
Austin...AKA "The Teenager"...asked me the following question:
"Mom, a friend told me that our teeth are made out of goat horns. Is that true?"
Really?
I responded with, "Austin, how could part of an animal be in our bodies?"
Really?

3. Preston has been correctly using words in daily conversation like
flabbergasted, ricochet and catastrophic.
Makes a mama proud.
I remember when he was 4, and Austin was bullying him
in the back seat of the car, he said:
"Mama, Austin is antagonizing me!"
Love it.

4. Yes, I did change my blog.
Again.
I was sick of the yellow color.
Sue me.

5. I am looking forward to a family weekend
without a bazillion sporting events.
Trysten has a basketball game on Saturday evening, but that is it.
This is a huge change from our weekends as of late.
Speaking of Trysten,
he is loving basketball and wants to play again next season.
This is also huge.
We are all very proud of him.
Most importantly, he's proud of himself.
Awesome.

6. Ryan and I are planning another trip for December.
New York!
Since we will be childless from December 26th until January 2nd,
we thought what better chance to go visit his parents in NY!
Maybe New Years in the city again?
Who knows!
Carol and I chatted it up via text last night,
and Carter asked if he could send a message too.
Sweet boy.
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7. Thank you to all the VETERANS for doing whatever it
took to make sure we live in FREEDOM.
You are appreciated beyond measure.

8. Today is my sweet sister's 40th birthday!
Happy birthday, Shelley!
I love you...I'm only 3 years behind you!

9. Last but certainly not least,
Carter was putting puzzles together last night and asked
me to "put them on the blog".
Here you go big guy!
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Happy Thursday, friends!!