lists

i
am
a
lister.

i make lists.

i have them scattered everywhere.
not sure that they help much.
but i do love the feeling of being able to cross things off :)

here is my 'main' list. my 'to-do' list.
this particular picture is my list from last week.
(i will be re-writing it today or tomorrow for this week)
as you can see, not much got crossed off.

some items are crossed off and done, so they dont go back on the new list.
some get re-written. several times over again. (like that first one on the list)
some things get added to the list.

then there is the inside of the cookbook/recipe cupboard door.
everyday meal idea list.
kid food idea list.
party food idea list.
school schedule (that is kind of a list)
my christmas wish list ;)
and a friendly reminder, from my awesome daughter... that i am ok :)this list is our favorite TV shows.
the ones we don't want to accidently miss.and the lists by my computer.
a list of blogging ideas.
a list of things i need to buy for LBE.

i make daily lists for the kids i watch.
when we eat, when they nap, when i change their diapers.

i'm positive there are more lists i could list.

so... are you a lister?
tell me im not crazy.
or at least tell me nicely, that i am :)

today's mommy lesson

ever have one of those days that just drains you?
mentally. emotionally. physically.
that's what today was for me.

this morning cohen was having a very rough time sharing his hockey magazine.
wanting to comfort him, and make him feel better... without much thought, out of my mouth came these words:

"it's hard to share the things you love."

it was one of those moments, where i stopped and rethought what i had just said.
because i knew those words weren't just for him, but for me.
a pure truth. something i needed to hear.
not just about sharing a hockey magazine.
but my time, my feelings, my struggles, my joys, myself.

even though life is hard.
even though sometimes i wonder what in the world i am doing.
there are moments like these... moments spurred from my kids, that make eveything seem ok.
life is hard. and that's ok.

on a less serious note:
this is the conversation i heard tonight between lilly and her daddy while i was working in my office, and they were making daddy's 'famous' homemade pizza for dinner.

lilly: this is daddy's pizza! he made this recipe all by himself! he put cheese in the crust!
lilly: daddy! you should put this on your blog!
dave: i don't have a blog.
lilly: do you have a website?

and again, i was reminded that life is ok.
better than ok.

the birth of a turkey {cookie}

so i might have a teeny obsession with the homemade sugar cookies and frosting.

for the open house, i wanted some kind of 'fallish' themed cookies. no 'fallish' themed cookie cutters were in the house, and i could not find anything suitable at any of the local craft stores. no turkeys. no acorns. no leaves. no nothing. and no time to buy something great online.

so what do i do?
work with what ive got.
a nice round cookie cutter has endless possibilities.


i draw up a sketch.
(to which dave laughs and says... 'are you sure you don't want a turkey cookie cutter?')
plan out the colors.
make up the round sugar cookies.
make up the frosting.
color the frosting.

and construct a turkey.
step by step.

and that little red thing under the beak is a gobbler. dont let anyone tell you anything different.

happy turkey season!

Open House 09

thanks to a successful Open House, i have TONS of embroidery orders to work on.

(which means there may be several blog posts this week. because i get to blog while my machine is stitching away!!)

a BIG thank you to all my vendors who set up for the show. i appreciate you taking the time and traveling my way for this event!

it was so fun to watch our home become a little shopping plaza :)

and even more BIG thank yous to all of you who came out to browse, eat and shop at our Open House!! it was so nice to get to see and visit with all of you :)

some shows are still open for a few more days...

Premier Designs Jewelry (buy 2, get the 3rd 50% off)

Uppercase Living

Tastefully Simple

Creative Memories

Let me know if you are interested, and I will pass on any information!
Orders will be here in time for Christmas :)

sale at little bean...

Check out the sale at Little Bean...

TODAY ONLY!

Sunday, November 15th

a few random things.

1. I am hosting a 6 vendor Open House, including Little Bean, in my home this weekend! See here for a few more details. If you haven't gotten an invite from me already, it's only because ...
A. I don't have your email.
B. You live in a far-away state
C. You are a stranger :)
(If you are local and you want more info, email me and I'll get you the flyer!!)

2. I did make a dip last Wednesday, I just forgot. And we did make one yesterday, though it was a lunch time dip. I'll share those later.

3. I have no whitty comment for this picture... besides the fact that this boy cracks me up.

4. Love in a laundry basket.
5. self portraits with lilly
6. Here is a fun coupon.

7. I am not ignoring questions you ask... (Rorie asked about Cornhole and Hot Dog Casserole, and Denise asked about Teacher's gifts this year) ... I'll get to those soon!! That'll make for another fun random post :)

Vegetable (or whatever else you want to dip) Dip

So I've already been a bit lax on the whole... "Wednesday night is dip night!" proclamation. (Though Lilly doesn't let me forget it.) This dip... a delicious veggie dip, is another found at Diptacular 2009. I did make it on a Wednesday, but it was for the weekend. And the next Wednesday was skipped... because no Glee and tons of leftover dips from the weekend meant I wasn't in a dip making mood. We will see what happens tomorrow ;)

Don't let the veggies fool you into thinking this is healthy. It sure is tasty though... reminds me of a honey mustardy dip.

Best Vegetable (or whatever else you want to dip) Dip

8 oz. (250 grams) cream cheese
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup salad oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup minced onion flakes
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
1 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika

Beat first three ingredients well and until sugar is thoroughly blended into cream cheese and syrup. Add oil and mix well. Add everything else and beat until combined. Chill in fridge until cooled through. This recipe will yield about three cups and it freezes really well.

My Life People ~Meet Lilly!~

And now to the 3rd segment of My Life People!
You may know this little lady... Lilly :)

And here are her answers to my questions!

1. How do you know me?
Um. Because you’re my mommy.

2. What song are you loving right now?
Um. You put your best of both worlds. And you rock out the show. You put your best of both worlds and you rock out the show. I just sang the song. It’s really just best of both world. Just spell best of both world.

3. Tell me 3 things you do almost every day.
Watch tv. Hehe. Color. And lay on the ground. Hehehe.

4. What super star would you like to go out to lunch with?
Hannah Montana.

5. You get a shopping spree at Toys R Us, what do you put in your cart??
Um. Barbies. And um high school musical barbies and hanna montana. And Barbie books. and um strollers. With rock star glasses. That’s all. thank you staaaars.

My notes on Lilly:
It is safe to say that this is my most favorite girl in the entire world. I am constantly amazed by her. She is funny. She is caring. She is sweet and sassy. She is creative. She is curious. She tells you what she thinks. She laughs. She cries. She is one of my biggest cheerleaders. She is a constant source of entertainment. I have learned so much because of her. I cannot remember life without her. I am so proud of the little lady that she is becoming. Because of her, I want to be a better person. The best person I know how to be. I love you miss Lillian :)

trick-or- treat continued

i figure i better post the rest of the trick-or-treat pictures before christmas is here :)

here is little miss Hannah Montana. ("because i have blonde hair. not brown like miley cyrus.")

This is the 1st year that I wasn't so good in convincing Lilly what to be. But I was able to get her some real clothes that look like rock star clothes... instead of a 'Hannah Montana in a bag' costume.

At least I convinced the little man to be a gnome.

And an adorable gnome he was. (though he stated a few times he wanted to be a 'hockey gnome'. we're holding off on the hockey costume as long as possible, because i think once that starts, that is all that will ever be.)

here are a bunch of kids in the new neighborhood. one of the neighbors in the cal-de-sac behind us hosted a 'walking taco' dinner. so much fun. we are still very new here... but we do feel like we are starting to blend in.
our backyard neighbor brought out their little pet. in a sombrero. doesn't he look like he should be in some sort of commercial?? hilarious. (im guessing it's a he... maybe it's a she?)a family pic :)and some more cute gnome pics... with our backyard neighbor's buckeye gnome :)though all this stuff above was much fun... the best part was driving to our 'old' cal-de-sac and visiting with our 'old' neighbors. who are now some of our greatest friends. though we really like our new house, neighbors, and neighborhood... i really really miss our old place. we hadnt been back since we moved over 2 months ago, and we decided spur of the moment to take the kids trick-or-treating on the 'old' court. i am so glad that we did. when we got there, i gave lilly permission to run out of the van and go give hugs! i started down the line of about 6 hugs, and didn't even start crying till the 2nd or 3rd hug in :) 6 years with the same people will take a place in your heart. i miss them so much, but am so glad they are not just our 'old' neighbors, but our forever friends.

little bean love

i wanted to share a story that i recently received from a little bean customer, who had ordered a special bib for her baby girl.

"Faith wore her bib for the pictures we had taken with her big brother, Dillon, and Dad, Jason. These photos were taken at the same time as the team photos so all of the players were standing by, watching me act a little goofy to make Faith smile. :) Fast forward a few weeks... every year, my husband and I have the senior football players over to our house for "Senior Meal." When the boys came in to the kitchen, they all had on " I (heart) Coach Cross" bibs! LOL Of course, they used marker and so they didn't look near as good as the embroidered bib from you. " :)


this is the reason i love my little business.
the people.
and their stories.
and how my little products bring big smiles :)

(see some new LBE designs... here or here.)

trick-or-treat

stay tuned...
for more pictures.

my kind of day.

today was my kind of day.

dave made pancakes and eggs for breakfast.

i jogged a mile.

made a gift.
and worked on cleaning up the office.


made cincinnati chili and christine's sweet chili for lunch.
and garlic cheese bread.
mmmm.

dave and his buddy brought home a HUGE truckload of mulch.
the big guys did the heavy labor.
i weeded.
the kids followed the big guys around.
here is the before mulch picture.
including our newly painted door.
($1.50 mis-tinted paint. yay!)

and the after mulch picture :)then we trounced around town looking for curtains and a rod for the eat in area.
im so indecisive :(

then dinner.
leftover buffet :)

then... pumpkin carving.

just drained the pumpkin seeds for drying and roasting.

we have a busy week coming up.
the next pictures may be halloween costumes!

ok... off to sort and put a billion scrapbook pages into albums!

have a wonderful week :)

dip night

i declare wednesday night... DIP NIGHT!

the perfect compainion to GLEE.

(thursday night is leftover dip night. a perfect companion to Grey's.)

a while back, i ran across this.

i spent a few weekends clicking through those 2 hundreds of dip links, and copied and pasted my favorites into my own refined dip catalog. 13 pages worth.

ive made a few. loved a few. modified a few.

now im sharing.

tonight's dip (which is actually last night's being reheated)...

Hot Turkey Reuben Dip

1 8oz block cream cheese, softened

chopped up turkey lunch meat

1 package shredded swiss cheese

1 can sauerkraut

3 heaping TBS thousand island dressing

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, and then spread into an 8x8 pan. Heat in the oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips, or whatever you prefer for your dipping!

I am not a fan of sauerkraut (we make our Reuben sandwiches with coleslaw...) but this is reallllly tasty :)

Tonight I'll being enjoying this dip with my new found beverage... caffeine free Mountain Dew!!! By accident, I picked it up at the store... but little did i know it wasn't really an accident but a great discovery of being able to have Mountain Dew without going wild!!

ok... almost TV time.
happy dipping.

My Life People ~Meet Jen!~

Welcome to the second segment of My Life People!

Today... meet Jennifer McWhirt!

(my what a lovely name...)

Here are Jen's answers to the 5 questions I asked ;)

1. How do you know me?
Scrapbooking... we met online when I got my very first design team spot and Jen was already one of the members.

2. If you had to guess right now what do you think your children are going to grow up and become for their professions? and why?
Ian (age 7) = I would say he would grow up to become a either a vet or the next George Lucas. Either way I am good! He has taken up this love of all things cute and furry lately and since I told him we couldn't own them all he thinks being a vet would be cool cause he could play with them all day long. And the next George Lucas because he loves to draw comics of stormtroopers and Indiana Jones and things like that!! I think he has the imagination for it and it would be really a cool job.

Evan (age 4 1/2) = I would say engineer. He can build anything out of legos and loves to do so. And I am not talking about following the directions but seeing a picture and building something and then coming to show me what it is. I love that.

With their daddy being in the army though, it will be interesting to see if either of them join the military.

3. What sort of theme party would you host?
I would love to have all Ian and Evan's little friends over for a Halloween party and go all Martha Stewart on the back deck. You know cause on Halloween night here in Texas it will still be in the 70s or 80s!!

4. What is your idea of a perfect date night?
Kids with my parents or Darren's parents (so I don't have to pay for a sitter) while we go to a movie and maybe even dinner! This doesn't happen very often being as my parents live 18 hours away and my inlaws 12 hours away. Date night normally consist of taking the kids out to see a movie and dinner. Oh well, it isn't perfect but it is all still good and how many gals get a date with 3 handsome guys at once!!

5. Tell us 3 songs most played on your playlist?
Let it Rock by Keith Rudolf, Jump by the Flo-Rida, and Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas. They are good songs to run to.

Check out Jen's blog ... http://rmeyfe.blogspot.com/

My notes on Jen:
While I have yet to meet Jen in real life... I feel like I've known her forever! I am so in love with her scrapping style... every time I see one of her layouts, I wish mine were just like hers :) (Browse around on her blog for a bit, and you'll see what I mean!) I am also totally envious of Jen's new kitchen ;) And the fact that she recently participated in her very first race!!! wtg Jen:)

ok... gotta get get :)
(i need to add that to MY playlist!)

friday night

it's friday night.
we are loads of fun.

the kids are in bed.
i'm working on some orders.
dave is painting trim.

it's cold outside.
i'm trying to get in the halloween mood.
decorationg the house a bit.
and making cookies.

something strange happened to this one.

these are my 'new' little ones.

the one in the middle was the cookie culprit.

speaking of little ones...

remember these cuties?

not so little anymore.

they are losing teeth.

and going to kindergarten.

so hard to believe.

and lastly, and so unrelated to anything above... just had to share this fun apron i made for wearing to craft shows. it's made from an 'old' pillowcase. (i say old because we still use those sheets, but they are old enough that i didn't mind using it, and letting them go without matching pillowcases)

the pose makes me laugh. guess my 5 year old photographer knows how to make me smile :)

have a great weekend everyone!!

My Life People (Me- Part 2)

Part 2 of My Life People... questions to me :)

1. If you could go any where, Where would you go?
The beach or maybe a cruise. Yes, a cruise and the beach. A cruise for the unlimited food, and the beach, well, for the beach! (Now, that does not give anyone permission to surprise me with these things just because I said I wanted to go. That’s a hypothetical answer people.)

2. What is the one TV show that you just HAVE to watch every week?
Ohhhh…. I have several that I watch, but this year…. GLEE is the one show that I HAVE to watch every week :) LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!

3. Do you think you will have any more babies?
This is a question that I ask myself pretty much on a daily basis (and can discuss this matter non-stop, so this may be an extremely long answer). There are literally days when I wish I could have 10, and days when I wonder what in the world I was thinking having 2.

I’ve often joked (but maybe I really should do this…) that I need to put a tally sheet by my bed, and each night make a mark on the YES side or the NO side, and see which one wins. Being a parent is the most challenging job in the world, but also the greatest thing in the world. It's not easy, but it is wonderful.

I am so happy with the 2 we have been blessed with, but in my heart I don’t quite feel like I am done. We are getting to the point where things are a bit ‘easier’ (in some ways… harder in others) and going back to the newborn stage of life would be rough… but then I think “If we are 2/3 done… then that is a good thing.” We are still young, so even if we had another we’d still be fairly young by time everyone was out and on their own, which is nice. And I'm not overly concered with the age gap(s) like we were the 2nd time around.

Then there are finances… blech. It takes a lot to raise a child. And you all know how I am with money. I have issues. But then I think… “Well, we do have one of each, so we’d have clothes for the next one.” Then I worry about all the extras… co-pays, soccer, school photos, pumpkin patch fees, birthday parties, friends’ birthday parties, all of that stuff. Times 3. But we live frugally anyways… I will still shop at garage sales, still welcome hand me downs, still shop the sales with coupons… whether we are a family of 4 or 5. And if having 3 means they only get to do 2 extra curriculars instead of 3, well, then that’s the way it goes. In our family you don’t always get what you want anyways. We won’t get to go to Disney world or the beach every year no matter how many kids we have, we wont be driving the newest cars, or wearing the newest clothes no matter what. And not even because we can't, but because we choose not to. So I really can’t let money be the sole reason for not having another… though it is a good thing to consider.

My biggest thing… I don’t want to be 50, or even 40 for that matter, and wish that I would have had another. Deciding not to have a 3rd, and truly wanting a 3rd, is a regret that I do no want to live with, so it is a very big decision for us. But being a Mom is my life, the best thing that I've ever been priviledged to do, and I want to be happy :)

So to answer the question :)… we aren’t sure yet. It isn’t a for sure no… (as in, Dave has not begged for any elective surgeries). But it is not a definite yes either. Sometimes I wish (I know, be careful what you wish for…) that I wasn’t such a planner, such a thinker outer, and that I’d just let things happen and be ok with it. Darn birth control and responsibility.

lilly and the toddlers :)

a little video to start your week off :)

lilly's moves make me giggle so hard.

she got some rythm somehere ;)

did you notice the little shadow? the little ones are too darned cute.

have a wonderful week!

My Life People ~Meet Heather!~

Welcome to the first official segment of My Life People... starring Heather Breuninger!

I asked Heather 5 questions... and here are her answers ;)

1.How do you know me?

family :)

2.You get to eat out tonight. Where do you go and what do you order?

lone star. filet, medium rare, lettuce wedge with blue cheese and cheese fries, both ranch and texas ranch. YUM!

3. Who would you invite to do an in home concert?

david grey. L O V E love him!

4. If you could go any where, Where would you go?

any white sandy beach where the water is so clear you can see through it for miles

5. Tell me 5 of your positive addictions.

(im not sure they are all positive.. but they arent terrible either) scrapbooking, farkle (game on facebook), chipotle, taking pictures and getting in shape (I just started almost 2 months ago with a trainer and im addicted now.. )

Check out the site to Heather's store!!

http://www.allvera.com/

My notes on Heather:

Technically... Heather is my cousin-in-law? My aunt's husband's niece. Whatever that is :) Family sounds good to me ;) Heather has the.best.eyes. Gorgeous. And a wonderful smile. I have never seen her without a smile and a cheerful attitude. She has a beautiful daughter who has that same smile :) Heather just opened her own store (see link above) and I admire her so much for that!!

ok... i'm off to see if i know who david grey is :)

have a wonderful weekend!!

My Life People (Me- Part 1)

Part 1 of My Life People...

1. If you could meet one person in history, who would it be and why?
Ohhh. This is tough, as I am not a big history buff. I always had a fascination with Helen Keller when I was in elementary school. It would be interesting to meet her and get her view on life.

2. If you could have any job, what would you really like to do?
I w0uld love to craft, and cook, bake, take pictures, and document my life at my leisure and get paid enough to live comfortably :) That job would also allow me to volunteer at my kids’ schools, go to the bank, doctor's appointments or grocery shop any time!

Or I could put my stalking skills to good use and be a Private Investigator…

or I could be the person who finds look-a-likes from the audiences at sports events to put on the big screen :)

3. Do you have junk under your bed? (as in... what's under your bed?)
Nothing under the bed since we moved to the new house!!

4. If you had to guess right now what do you think your children are going to grow up and become for their professions? and why?
Well Cohen is obvious… something in the world of hockey. If not a player… a manager, or a coach, a trainer, a sportscaster, or a rink supervisor. Anything that requires his life to be centered around hockey. Why? Well… because he is 2 ½ and a tad obsessed with the sport.

Lilly on the other hand is a bit tricky. She is very into music and dramatic play… so she may do the ‘super star’ thing. While I could also see her going into nursing or teaching as she is such a helpful and caring little girl. She also loves crafting and creating, so I could also see her going into some kind of design work.

...on a side note (and because no one dared to ask this question)

5. If you and your husband birthed a half gallon of ice cream, what flavor would it be?

Thank you Meijer :) for combining our 2 individual loves...

Watch for more My Life People segments soon... starring you!

Happy Bday LBE!

Happy Birthday to Little Bean!