I don't like Michelle...

Darren tagged me so I'd have to update my blog... and being tagged is a lot like being dared to do something, which I do not posses the strength to ignore, soooo.....

favorite show- House MD, LOST, Rock of Love Charm School (pure, unadulterated trash!) and Celebrity Rehab
favorite ice cream- Coldstone Cake Batter and Archer Farms Georgia Butter Pecan
favorite candy- frozen Snickers
favorite cleaner- Windex, I guess.
weird fact #1- Even the least little bit of caffeine makes me crazy.
weird fact #2- I can't handle or cut raw meat, ewwwww!
weird fact #3- I don't like eggs, fish, or any seafood.
fast food or homemade- homemade when I have the time
favorite holiday-Halloween
mac or pc-PC, mac users are weird!

Tag One L and Nichol, you're it!

A quick blog post....

to let you know, I don't feel like blogging lately.

My MySpace page is pretty sweet though!

Hee hee!

I hope this link works, because I think its freakin' hilarious!

CUTE!

Happy Birthday Kath!

Have a fantabulous day Miss Katherine!

Yummy!

In an attempt to find a fun, yet easy, cake for Em's proposed Hawaiian theme birthday party... I spent a lot of time on Flickr today looking at cake ideas. There are some VERY talented ladies out there, making some gorgeous cakes. There are some odd cakes too... if you're feeling brave, and have no kids or sensitive viewers in the room, click here! Ha ha ha! There are matching cookies too, if you were wondering!

Though, the cool thing right now seems to be the cupcake. Found a ton of groups and blogs dedicated to this diminutive pastry! And rightly so, I suppose. I think the cupcake is a lot like the scrapbook version of an ATC. Instead of agonizing over a huge 12X12 page, you can quickly turn out a miniature masterpiece. Same with cakes, I don't have the patience (or the counter space) to decorate a whole sheet cake, but one cupcake at a time seems doable.

I found this recipe during my search today and decided to give it a try. OH MY HECK! (thats a little shout out for my LDS friends!) I don't consider myself much of a baker but these turned out AMAZING! Mmmmmm mmmm mmm!

Impetuous: im-pet-u-ous - of, pertaining to, or characterized by sudden or rash action, emotion, etc.; impulsive: an impetuous decision; an impetuous person. (see also Amy O'Neil)

Yep, thats me. I don't even try to deny it anymore. So, for MONTHS now I've been watching every penny spent. Trying to be thrifty and frugal (2 words that most certainly DON'T describe me!) I even convinced Caitlin to wear one of Em's old costumes for Halloween this year. But, saw these at the mall yesterday and caved. Emilee and Caitlin are now the proud owners of matching Mark Ecko Red sneakers! OY! They are so stinkin' cute! They had them in Liv's size too, but decided she should actually be walking first!

Are they practical? Hell no! But I'm OK wearing my Old Navy flip flops and Target T-shirts if it means my girls can be seen sporting these kicks!

And last, but not least... My friend Cristal's poor little guy is in the hospital for a few days. They're pretty sure he has the nasty rotavirus and needs to stay until it clears up so he doesn't become too dehydrated. Say a little praver for our sweet little Ryan!

peace.

A good man

Paul Newman passed away yesterday. He was an amazing actor, a loving and dedicated husband for over 50 years, and a true humanitarian. I think I'll rent Cool Hand Luke and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof this weekend. I sure will miss him.

For Darren!

Happy Birthday Darren!
XXXOOO

Life is crazy!

I may be moving for the 2nd time in less than 6 months. HUGE PITA! I don't want to and am not looking forward to it AT ALL but it's inevitable. I was hoping I could stay out here in Maricopa (aka Mexico), but realistically, it's not working out. SO... I'm looking in the Gilbert area. On the plus side, I'll be closer to the store and Target! I've been spending all my time gathering boxes, packing, and making arrangements so I haven't had much time to blog.

I've got some cool pics and a fun story to share, but that will have to wait for another time! For now, here's a cute picture of Liv playing in the splash pad at the zoo.

Thanks for the memories!

I stole this from One L's blog! It looked fun!

1. As a comment on this post, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

One L already posted a memory... here it is

"Since you shared a memory on my blog I will do the same for you...one of the many that stand out is when I first saw you whip up a page and I thought what is this incredibly talented woman doing in this little crappy (scrapper's garden) scrap book store when she could obviously work anywhere." (man, I had her fooled, huh?)

OH, and keep it G-rated, this is a family show! Not that anyone has any stories about me that aren't purely innocent. ;-)



OK, I finally caved. I'm usually reluctant to jump on any bandwagon.... I like to pretend I'm too original for that. But, after hearing endless chatter about this series, I decided to give it a try. Darren loaned me her copy, she's on like the 3rd or 4th book (how many are there anyway?) I'm hooked. I'm about half way through it and this is one of those novels that make you want to lock yourself in your bedroom and neglect your children for the afternoon!


REMINDER:
Next week is the Autism Awareness Fundraiser at Devine Memories. We have lots of fun classes and activities planned... all of which benefit autism research through autismspeaks.org.

First Day of First Grade!

Em started First Grade today. Its a new school so it was crazy and hectic, but Em wasn't even fazed by it. She just kissed Caitlin, Olivia, and me good bye and walked right in. No tears from anyone.

I saw cool vinyl laptop decals on Etsy and asked Michelle if she could make them with her handy-dandy vinyl cutting machine. Sure 'nuf! Isn't it cute? Thank you "Darren"- I love you! I told her she needs to sell them on the Just Devine site too!

My 3 girls.... they are this sweet all the time. HA!

Big Announcement!

Starting in September, I will be a BagDADDY sales rep! These things are so cool! They are custom handbags that you design and personalize at home shows. You pick the style, you pick the fabric, you pick the design, you pick the handles.... you get the idea! I knew I could never be a sales rep for a product I didn't love myself, and this product just blew me away. These are gorgeous and original bags! And I promise, as much as I love to throw a party, my home shows will be a ton of fun! Drop me a line if you want to schedule one!

Makin' stuff!

Decided to make a frame for Cristal's adorable new little guy, Ryan and had so much fun that I made one for Jake's nephew Brody too. I haven't really done anything creative in ages, so this was fun!

Children

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you.
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
Which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you,
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might that His arrows might go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

-Kahlil Gibran

A whole month?

Wow... I can't believe it's been a whole month since I blogged. I'm surprised I didn't get a death threat from One L! It's been a bit of a crazy month at that....

Don't fall over! For those of you who know Jake , and have been following our relationship... this comes as no surprise! Jake and I met on match.com back in January, went on our first date on February 13th, and we've pretty much been inseperable since then. He proposed last week and I said YES! It's going to be a long engagement though, for numerous reasons so you've got plenty of time to plan my bachelorette party! ;-) Seriously though.... I've found my soulmate and I am so in love! I couldn't be happier or luckier!

My friend Cristal had her baby boy, Ryan Jeffery Fisk, a week and a half ago. He had to spend the first couple days in the NICU but he's perfectly healthy and home now! Congrats Cris!

Other than that, we've not been doing much of anything. I'm ready for school to start and so is Em. She's bored which equals her driving me crazy! Caitlin is the epitomy of "the terrible two's!" OY! And Olivia is the happiest baby on the planet!

peace out...

Cloudy day...

We actually had a cloudy sky in Arizona today.... that means its almost monsoon season. It was nice to have a break from the blazing sun. Not much else going on around boring ol' Maricopa this week. We've been spending a lot of time at the community pools lately.

Last weekend, Em had her 1st Father-Daughter dance on Saturday night, followed immediately by her 1st T-ball game. She LOVES T-ball and is actually pretty good at it, considering that before the 1st practice, she asked how much she would have to "kick the ball around!"

Just Wednesday...

First, a shameless plug for my upcoming class at Devine Memories.

"I don't know about you, but it seems that everyone I know is pregnant! Something in the water maybe???? If you know of a new mom-to-be or a mom that wants to get caught up on baby's first year, "Oh Baby" is the perfect class. Amy will walk you through creating an entire calendar based album to keep track of all those milestones of baby's first year.
Saturday, June 28th, 10am-1pm, class fee $30"

Not much else is going on right now... girls are doing well, its getting HOT outside, and I'm happier than I've been in a LONG time.

Mom's of 3...

There aren't many of us... guess most people are too sane.... this was too funny not to post!

THE BIRTH ORDER OF CHILDREN

Your Clothes:
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your doctor confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes. ____________________________________________

Preparing for the Birth:
1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last time, breathing didn't do a thing.
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month. _________________________________________

The Layette:
1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little dresser.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they? _________________________________________

Worries:
1st baby: At the first sign of distress-a whimper, a frown-you pick up the baby.
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to wind the baby swing!____________________________________________________

Pacifier:
1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.
2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.
3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in. _________________________________________

Diaper Changing:
1st baby: You change your baby's diaper every hour, whether they need it or not.
2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if needed.
3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees
___________________________________________

Activities:
1st baby: You take your infant to Gymboree, The Little Gym, and baby story hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Gymboree.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner. ______________________________________________________

Going Out:
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood. ________________________________________

At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.

_________________________________________

Swallowing Coins:
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays.
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!

peace.

Just a quick post...

Wanted to share a couple things that made me smile today!

Michelle's oldest son made this cool little stop motion video with her digital camera! How fun is that?

And this new blog I stumbled on yesterday, aptly named Apronista, is just the most fun thing ever! I love the "life, love, and the pursuit of ric-rac" line! I can't sew to save my life, but this makes me want to learn!

Had a garage sale today and unloaded a bunch of "junk." Now maybe I can fit my van in the garage!

peace out!

Creativity in Bloom!

Creativity In Bloom-Holiday Edition
Grab your friends and come join us at Devine Memories for a fun filled day of creativity, laughter, and friends.
Friday September 5th (6-9pm)-Saturday September 6th (10am-10pm)
Get a jump start on the holidays with classes taught by:
Katherine Brooks
Jamie Harper
Michelle Devine
Amy O'Neil
And Sandy Elcock
4 classes and one mini class with wonderful Winter Holiday themes!
Class fee is $185 for all 5 classes-includes:
Catered Lunch
A meet and greet with special artist vendor tables
Goodies galore
Free goodie bags and prizes
Special discounts through out the store and more.
Registration runs June 2nd-August 20th
Seating is limited
Payment plan available.
Call the store today and reserve your space 480-813-2093
email any questions to dmadmin@devinememories.net

(Yes, I'm teaching with Katherine Brooks, Jamie Harper, The Devine Miss M, and Sandy... jeez, no pressure!)

I'm not dead....

... just busy! Why are the last few weeks of school so hectic? Its been crazy. But now its officially summer break so things should settle down a little bit.

Random thought and image....THIS makes me happy....

Em had her Kindergarten "ceremony" (they don't call it graduation) this week. Mrs Voyles has been her teacher for two years, Pre-K and Kindergarten, and we just LOVE her. It was very hard saying goodbye to her. She's been an amazing influence on Emilee and if I had my way, she'd just keep moving up through the grades right along with Em. A BIG thank you to all the wonderful teachers who love their job and their kids!

I've started obsessing over lampwork beads lately, thanks to my friend Trisha and her beautiful beadwork. She just had 4 pieces published in Bead Trends and will be their featured artist in a future issue! Congrats Trisha! So I fell in love with her pink lampwork bracelet that she already sold, and decided I wanted her to make me one. I went on Ebay (where else?) and found these very cool and affordable handmade lampwork beads. Trisha will be stringing them for me and making something gorgeous very soon!

Little Olivia is 7 months old now, and Crazy Caitlin is 2.5 and is redefining the terrible twos!

Stuff I Like Right Now...

Can you tell which is Caitlin (AKA Bug) and which is Olivia (AKA Livvie Lu)?

I know sometimes (OK, most of the time!) I'm WAY behind on the cool stuff, so if you already know about this stuff, just move on and don't point out what a loser I am!

Pandora is a site where you can pretty much created your own commercial free radio station. Its really very cool!

StarWarsAccordingToA3YearOld... Funny little video on YouTube.

BlackLotusTattooers This is where I'll be on Monday! Yes, I know its permanent, blah, blah, blah...

Found this at Cafe Press and HAD to order it! I don't care who you are, thats funny right there!

Peace out!

Do it or else!

One L threatened to put a hit out on me if I didn't at least try to keep up with the blog... so I'm going to try.

Lots going on this month... took over the Devine Memories design team (so fun!), looking for houses to rent (PITA), looking for a full time job (yuck!), turning 36 in 2 weeks (try not to choke!), getting a new tattoo on the 17th (my 2nd one, 1st one was 11 years ago!), and trying to take care of these 3 crazy girls without losing my mind! (fat chance!)

I was doing the match.com thing. Lets just say I'd recommend it! ; )

peace out!

What are the chances of me keeping up with this???

I thought I might try to blog again, now that SO much has changed in my life. Lets see how long it lasts! I'll update everything later!