excitement

...at MP today!

{check out the blog to see why}

...a fancy talented group of ladies are the March guest DT members :)


thanks for all the names on my last post... i need to compile a list and highlight.


also... just got an email from Jen at islandgirlscrapwear (link to the right) that all her shirts are on sale for $5.00!! she has some very fun shirts... i have the peace, love, scrap shirt... its adorable, but hanging in my closet. maybe i should try it on... i bet she'd like a picture of that!! lol....


TGIF and happy weekend everyone :)

baby names

lay them on me please...

we 'think' we are set on a boy name...
a girl name? not so much. ive been through just about every baby book and baby name website, and am getting to the frustrated 'i need to cry' point.

so here is what i am asking for, if you are up for it... list your parents, and grandparents first and middle,and last/maiden names (if youd like.. we like the whole surname idea too.) we LOVE the 'old' names... but are looking for all our options.

here is the list of names from our families... mine are in alphabetical order, just because :) (they look more separate that way... and im not showing family favoritism... lol.) there are a few, but not too many we like out of here... lol.

Anderson
Arlo
Caroline
Carolyn
Dean
Deborah
Eifert
Elaine
Finley
Francis
Grise
Jay
Janet
Kaye
Lee
Leslie
Mae
Maxine
Richard
Robert
Rosetta
Ruth
William

Can't wait to see the names you share!!

no title really.

we took a weekend getaway to spend some time with just the '3' of us before the baby comes. lilly had a blast :) swimming, playing, watching movies, and eating out. mommy and daddy had fun too :)





trying to get some tax stuff around for MP. need to get that done. soon! speaking of MP, if you havent seen already... there is a drawing for a FREE set of MP stamps on the MP blog through the end of the month. all you have to do is leave a comment there. (and spread the word!)

im listening to american idol right now...
taping Friday Night Lights upstairs.
still have last week's OC to watch on tape.

if i werent so cheap, id do the TiVO/DVR thing...
but, you know me.
why spend money when the good old fashioned VCR works :)

we will have lots of tape recorded things to watch this weekend.
sounds like a nice date.

pain.

if you can help it at all...

do not be pregnant with braces.

it's really not fun.

that's my public service announcement of the day.

snowy valentine's day

here is the last of the 5 layouts that i did the other weekend...





lilly and daddy are enjoying the snow right now.
we got about 7 inches of snow mixed with about 5 hours of 'icy' mix.
dave's trying to shovel out the snow drift in front of our driveway so cars dont get stuck.

its nice living on a cal-de-sac, but not when they dont plow the road.
and not when they do plow it, they leave a huge wall in front of your driveway.

me?


just getting frustrated.
about what?
little things.
little things that dont really matter, but still... frustrate me.


-like our NICE digital camera giving us issues.
-our digital camcorder just losing the screen picture. (after already sending it in for 'repair' for about $150)
-the dishwaher leaking... again.
-the basement wall cracking and needing a few thousand dollars worth of repair.
-needing to get 4 bands put back in between my teech, cause they all fell out (the bands not my teeth). those bands hurt more than the braces.
-and what is up with the HUGE spaces on this new blogger. really, wasn't the old blogger just fine? (well, i might have just fixed it...)

ah... but really, those things arent important. just frustrating.


valentine's day, was nice :)
another day off of school, which means another mommy, lilly, fin day :)

made a yummy yummy cake.
made some yummy weight watchers chinese recipes.
gave a fun gift, which i will get to share later :)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

sunday sunday.

not feeling so hot this weekend.
but trying to be not so grumpy anyways.
im sure dave would not agree :)

got 2 good naps in, which i LOVE.

lilly's been the little crafter for the past several days.

wanting to go downstairs and 'scrapbup' with mommy.
not that id be able to concentrate on scrapping with an almost 3 year old, but its nice to think about.
right now, she is cutting with her new 'big girl' scissors. and doing pretty good!
here's the little lady in action the other morning, using my square punch :)

the best story out of that was when she held up a little blue triangle that she mananged to cut out and says...

"Look mama! I made panties!"

here are 2 more LOs that i did the other weekend...
still have 1 more to scan. ill get to that eventually.







so... thats all for now.
hope eveyone has a great week!

hopefully ill be back by valentines day to share pics of some fun things i have planned.

wednesday night.

just waiting for our shows to come on.

LOST is on tonight :) yeah!

3 days in a row of no school... which means lilly and i have been on our own this week.

ive been enjoying some nice nap time :)

we actually got some real snow!

so nice to have snow with the cold weather :)

made 2 batches on mini cheesecake dessets today.

screwed the 1st batch up, so i had to make another.

the recipe called for 2 3oz. blocks of cream cheese.

not 2 8 oz. blocks.

um hello. is there such thing as a 3 oz. block of cream cheese?

and the latest of the belly pics.

now its easier for me to 'see' why my hips hurt :)

i scrapped!

I am so excited!
I scrapped yesterday :)
5 whole pages.

It was so nice to have some 'me' time.
It was nice to have a friend over in the evening :)
Some creative time.
Some adult interaction time.

I need to do that more often :)

Finally got to use my new MP Amphion stamps!!
...and a fun piece of paper that i got in NYC back in May!





This one is of miss Lilly's 1st time out on the ice :)




Hope eveyone has had a nice weekend, and you are staying warm.
The weather is a tad chilly around here.

Have a great week!!

the RAKs go to....

Thanks to all who commented for my first RAK offering!

Here are the results....

A. Ali

B. Denise

D. Kelli

E. Judy


CONGRATS ladies!
I hope to get them out soon :)
Watch your mailboxes...

I also hope to do this little RAK/drawing every now and again... and for those of you with blogs, I encourage you to spread the RAK love and host a little RAK/drawing yourself. We all have stuff that we don't 'need', but we don't want to 'throw' away either... why not find a new loving home for that stuff?

For those of you without blogs... I encourage you to send a card to a friend or family member... just out of the blue. It makes everyone smile. And smiling is good :)

no confetti love?

what?

no one wants the confetti?

i guess ill be forced to mix it all up and pour it into the RAKs that i mail out :)

(don't doubt me)

the RAK/drawing (see previous post) will continue a few more days... im not feeling well, and im tired, and im trying to work on Feb 1st MP site and blog so i wont be getting to this blog for a few more days. but make sure you check the mp site and blog when february is here...

for your pleasure... lol... a family self portrait at the blue jackets game last weekend! we are nice, arent we nice?




dont forget to check the post below :)

RAK post!

Here is the little thing i've been wanting to put up for a while... i have a few things to RAK :)

I hope to do these RAK posts every now and again, as my RAK pile grows. Most of you know... I'm all about mail, and getting things for cheap, or even better for FREE... and giving feels just as good!!

RAK = Random Act of Kindness

This may actually turn into more of a RAK/drawing... depending on who is interested in what.

If you are interested in one (or more) of the items pictured below... leave a comment with the letter(s) of the item(s) you are interested in (and your name of course). If you are the only person interested in one particular item... it's yours! If more than one person is intersted in a particular item, well then... all those names will be thrown in a drawing! I'd like to give one RAK to 8 different individuals, but don't be shy in listing which items you'd like, because I have no clue what people are going to want, and maybe no one will want anything and then one person could get the whole loot!

So, here are the goodies!
Below the picture, there is a short description of the items up for RAKing.
Just some things I already have, or have extra of, or haven't used (or used some of...the confetti).

Lilly is not up for dibs :)



A. Martha Stewart 2007 holiday Handmade Gifts magazine
B. Suzy Zoo new baby stickers
C. Creating Keepsakes DVD (Creative Tips, Techniques & Soluti0ns)
D. Tomato Bruschetta recipe layout made by me (5.5x8.5)
E. card kit (makes 5 very fun cards!)
F. Halloween confetti
G. Christmas and Easter confetti
H. Winnie the Pooh and graduation cap confetti


I will leave this post open through Wednesday the 31st and work on sorting out the RAKs that evening! I'll try to get the list of the winners up that night, or soon after. So, be sure to check back to see if you'll be recieving a RAK from me :) (Especially if I don't already have your address, you'll need to check back so I know how to get your RAK to you!)

Have a great week everyone!

a layout!

you'll never guess... i actually scrapped a page!
it was a week or so in the works, but its done and added to the chirstmas album!

now if only i can get my scrapping mojo back...

stole a tag

i dont think ive been officially tagged... but ive read this on enough other blogs to do one myself. plus, i have a few blog minutes, and nothing more interesting to write with all this energy i am sporting.

Four Things about me, things you may or may not have known about me in no particular order.

Four jobs I have had in my young life:

1. mommy
2. teacher
3. hallmark sales associate
4. Dairy Queen girl

Four movies I watch over and over again:

1. Boiler Room
2. Spider-Man
3. Matilda
4. Chicago

Four places I have lived:
1. Columbus, OH
2. Findlay, OH
3. Bowling Green, OH
4. Tampa Bay, FL

Four TV television shows I watch

1. Prison Break
2. The Office
3. Grey's Anatomy
4. The OC

Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Lakeside, OH
2. Walt Disney World
3. New York City
4. oh.... i'm just loads of fun

Four Websites I visit daily:

1. Bloglines
2. Mandarin Pixie
3. Bluehost
4. a few scrapbook sites

Four Places I would rather be right now

1. getting a massage
2. getting a pedicure
3. sleeping comfortably
4. on my couch (which i will be very soon!)

Four foods that I can--and do--live without

1. olives
2. sardines
3.
4.


...if you feel the urge (and havent already done this) go ahead and consider yourself tagged!

just some pictures...

Just a few pictures to share...

It finally snowed... had to take advantage while we could :)

Miss cheese :)

Happy day to everyone!

chocolate is good.

Lilly is feeling better.
I am now sick.
Sudafed isn't doing a thing for me... so I'm going to have to wade it out.

In the meantime.... here are some happy chocolate things for when you are sick :)
or pregnant.
or anytime really.



Ferraro Rocher Chocolates

(love love love these. i ask for them at christmas time, and usually get a few! oh... and i see on their homepage that they offer them in valentine and easter packages too... of course they do.)

Nutella

(always wanted to try this. it was on sale the other week, so i bought some. YUMM! loving it on mini wheat bagels for breakfast. could become an evil addiction if not used properly... like dave sticking his finger in it and saying.... "ohh, this tastes like chocolate and peanut butter." those are hazelnuts dear... thank you very much, and get your finger out of there! and upon looking for the link... realized this is made by the same company as the above candies... no wonder they tasted the same inside! and what?!? they make tic-tacs too!! i need some stock in this company.)

Mauna Loa Dark Chocolate Cocoa Dusted Macademias

(ive been eyeing these at meijer and target all through the holiday season, but wasnt up for spending $9.00 on them. went to meijer the other day, and there sits a lowly canister all by itself with the reject clearance holiday cookies. take them to the register... $2.49. YES! very delicious... another addictable item. always loved macademias... but covered in chocolate? delicious.)

Dietsch's Chocolate Covered Pretzles

(these are from my hometown... my dad gets me a 1 pound box at christmastime. once i open them, they are gone within 2 days. i am waiting to open my box until after my next OB appointment... just in case i've already gained 10 pounds since my last appointment. which has in fact, happened before. but truly... if you ever have a chance to try these... please do, you'll smile, real big.)



hope that leaves you with a little drool!
let me know if im missing any other sorts of chocolate treats :)



oh, just thought (after writing my title)... maybe this explains my complexion at the moment :)
and here i was trying to figure out my hormones.
blah.

no good TV tonight

nothing circled on the TV schedule... so i am going to blog :)

...about a bunch of random things, but maybe someone will find something interesting ;)

*speaking of TV... The OC is being cancelled. I am very sad about this, as I love a little night-time drama. But, i'll get over it i am sure. I'll just have to get the entire show on DVD :)

*love Old Navy! They have 50% off their clearance stuff right now :) Got Dave some shirts for $2, 2 pairs of jeans (one for $5, one for $10), Valentine's gifts, PJs for next Christmas (cheap cheap cheap!), some new baby gifts, and Lilly's Christmas dress for next year ($4!!). Very much like a garage sale with NEW clothes :)

*Lilly is a sicky little girl right now, but we managed to have a fun weekend. We officially moved her into her new big girl bed (and bedroom). Daddy painted the walls, and we hung up a few pictures to make it seem like it was actually a new room. Here she is the 1st time sleeping in her HUGE bed for her nap... with her boppy that I used with her for nearly a year. I'm in the market for a new one for Fin :)





*took Lilly to see Happy Feet. Very cute movie. Loved all the music. Lilly was dancing through half the movie and Fin was sqirming around quite a bit too :)


I was spelling out to Dave...
"Do you want to go to H-A-P-P-Y- F-E-E-T ?"
To which Lilly replies... "mama. don't say pee-pee"


see... she does listen after all :)


*here is the latest Fin belly picture :)


*and the last thing for tonight... another funny lilly comment that dave just told me about tonight. another comment that proves she is in fact, my daughter.

Lilly grabbed a mint off the counter, held it up to dave and says...

"I'm gonna put this back. It's not on sale."

hehehhehe. love that little lady :)

a little smile...

... got a little surprise from a dear friend, which made me smile :)

look here

thanks val!

Happy Birthday to MP!

Mandarin Pixie celebrates it's one year Birthday tomorrow!

WOW!!

very very exciting :) really... thank you all for being a part of this crazy crazy dream of mine!

To celebrate, I'm offering $1.00 shipping for the day!!

ENJOY!!

....and thank you to all who signed in on the last post. it's a good feeling to know that people are actually reading ;) i hope to post a little something for eveyone in the next week!!

pictures (and sign in if you are reading)!

finally switched my blog over to 'beta' or whatever blogger has been asking me to do for the past 3 months. not sure that i like the new way, but im sure ill get used to it. i actually prefer working with it in the 'html' mode... that is a little frightening.

anywho... a bunch of fun pics to share.

we have a new little one to add to our 'extended' family...
Lucas (formerly, and forever known to Lilly, as "Sporticus") was born the end of 2006! We got to meet him over the weekend... so cute!!

Here he is with his big sister :)



And again with another big fan :)
Kisses and cuddles galore from Lilly... can't wait to see how she is with her little sibling!


Made Oreo Truffles last night for Daddy's 'tailgate' party at work today.
Lilly's favorite part is of course the clean up :)

And here are my little buckeyes... getting ready for the BIG game tonight.

Starts at 8:30 pm.... I'll be lucky to make it to 10! The rest of the town however, will be a wild wild party.

GO BUCKS!

(please win, cause i'm so tired of people whooping about the 2002 win! hehehhe...)

and hey... if you are here and still reading, time to sign in!!

comments to my blog are few and far between... and i'm really starting to wonder if this blog thing is really worth it!

I have something fun i want to 'run' on here... but not if no one reads here!!

Either way... Have a great week everyone :)

Baby Fin

Here are the pics of the newest little addition to our family :)



It's so amazing what you can see with an ultrasound.
These pics are basically the same... but a bit different.
Look at the little pointy nose!!

Our OB says the baby is a 'little on the big side'... hehhe.
The technician said 'this one is hard to catch' as she was looking around.
But besides that... everything looks good with the baby :)

Such a good feeling to have.
We are so blessed.

We look forward to meeting Fin in the Spring :)