create the life you love

Pink Swap!

Once again this year, I participated in Hopey's Pink Swap. 

Always so much fun gifting others (especially with pink)!

My lovely gifts from Trisha ..

 

Thank you SO much, sweet swap partner!!

Love it all!

 

Book Cub

A wonderful evening with my book club friends. Debbie was a fabulous hostess!

She served Ina Garten's Beef Bourgenoin, with potatoes, a wonderful salad and home made carrot cake.

I love her sweet pup, Chichi .. she even had cute pink bows for Valentines :)

Our book was 'A Land Remembered' .. I highly recommend this book.

We all really loved this story.

 

 

It's the Five Little Things I can't Leave the House Without!

I was tagged to share five little things I can't leave the house without ..

1) My Sunglasses

I am currently wearing these Lilly aviators

2) My Iphone

with a white zin Lilly case

 
3) Earrings and a watch

I never go without either

{ both of these watches were anniversary gifts - love them both! }

 

4) Tissues

My eyes water ALL the time, especially my right eye. 

Such a nuisance and I always have tissues in my purse and my car

5) Lip Stick & Lip Gloss

I carry 6-8 with me at all times

 

 

Feel free to play along!

'Tis the Season!

BUSY!!

 

Just no time at all to blog.

Lots going on ..

Christmas parties

soccer playoffs

semester exam

college boy coming home

and, did I mention my little business?

SO BUSY!

(much thanks to all my faithful customers and the new ones too)

Finally got the trees up and decorated,

although I am missing some of my decorations and of course they would have to be some of my favorites 

No shopping done (except for a bit on line)

Stressed ... but all is good!

MERRY ~ MERRY!

GNO

October girl's night out.

We had a fabulous evening lake side at Houston's. 

Beautiful sunset, lovely breeze, good wine, great friends, and lots of laughter!

 

 

 
 

Just the Girls

Busy week with the girls, two night in a row.

 

Book Club

Never mind me and my 'pose' .. my friend told me that this is the best, most flattering way to stand in for pictures, so I do it in every picture now  .. I was showing the others ;)

BTW .. our book this month was, 'Same Kind of Different as Me'. I had read this back a few years ago and loved it so. An amazing, inspiring story. I highly recommend it!

 

Girls Night Out .. celebrating a friend's birthday

 

Follow Friday

  
 

 

Here's how to play:
1. Find new blogs to follow and be sure to follow the hostesses Daphne and Bethany) of the blog hop.
2. Be sure to follow someone who follows you and let them know that you found them through Follow Friday. You all know how much we love comments! :)
3. Tell your other blogger friends about Follow Friday and encourage them to join!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

GNO

 A fun girl's night out at Luma ...

My sweet friend, Katie (the beautiful blond in the middle) plans our GNO and we have so much fun. She is so young (and just as beautiful inside as out), but likes to hang with us older women!
 

60 Miles for the Cure!

 

So ... I did it. Signed up for the Susan B. Komen 3-Day for the Cure Walk. I will be joining both my niece and sister on this amazing journey.

I honestly am not too worried about the walk (20 miles each day), but the camping out for 2 nights is another story! ;) A am not a camper (!!) and can not even remember a time that I slept in a sleeping bag and tent. Most likely when I was a little girl in my back yard, probably didn't like it much way back then either. I am going to buck it up though for the cure!

I also am a bit overwhelmed with the amount I must raise in order to participate - a minimum of $2,300. I have lots of work ahead of me!

Thank you to those of you who were so kind to donate to my niece (prior to my signing up), Ginny, Sherry, Maggie, Katie ... much appreciated.

Like myself, most likely there is someone in your own family or a close friend who has died, currently fighting or is a survivor of breast cancer. Donate on behalf of that family member or friend who has never stopped fighting for the cure.

Donate to Fight for the Cure!

 

Spring Break at the Beach

Back from our week at the beach, which was sooo much fun! The weather was simply glorious (all but the first 2 days) ... beautiful blue skies and perfect temps. A bit cool in the early mornings and evenings, which I love.

Griff and friends (taken from our balcony). 

He had at least 10 friends there to hang with and had a blast ..

Kyle, Reid, Griff ...

Sunset ...

 

sunrise ...

 

Griff and Katie ... just friends! She is his good friend's older sister. Griff has a bit of a crush on her ;) ...

 

  

Mac!

My birthday gift. I finally went all the way and am now a mac girl. Although I have been 'practicing' on Griff's mac book for a few months now, I signed up for the one to one personal training at the Apple store. Today was my first lesson :)

Again, my sincere thanks for all the thoughts and prayers.

My sweet friend, Tanya sent me this beautiful song and I thought I'd share ...

T-Shirt Quilts

 

A friend of mine here in Winter Park is a fabulous quilter. I am planning on having her make me a Lilly Pulitzer quilt and am currently buying/collecting Lilly fabric.

She also makes wonderful t-shirt quilts, which are great for your high school or college age children. A collection of all there old school and sports tees.

Contact Kim for information. ... KimDeJong1551@gmail.com

  

Computer Woes

Ugh ... darn face book. This is the second time now that I have gotten a virus from FB. I am waiting for my computer tech to help me out tomorrow morning. Right now I can get on line, but I can not access any of my files - at all. That means I can't work and I have work to do! I am also scared to death that I have lost everything ... ugh.

ETA: As for the first virus, it was a hacker though FB. My paypal account was broken into and they were making purchases and also authorizing withdrawls from my bank account into the paypal account. A nightmare! Paypal did cover it all, but I had to deal with the bank and change our account number, etc.

This current virus: BEWARE OF THIS! I have heard this happens often. A FB friend sends you a message with a you tube video attached, you click on the video to view and it is some random clip (many times porno) and a virus!

I am thinking of quiting FB, so tired of this all ... that or switching to a mac (which I have been planning on doing). Is it true, no viruses with macs?

 

 

Pretty tulips to 'brighten' this post ;)  

 

Help for Haiti

My heart just aches for the mass devastation and all those suffering in Haiti. I spent an hour perusing the newspaper articles this morning and it just heartbreaking.

As my little way of helping, I am currently donating all of my etsy proceeds to the American Red Cross for Haiti. Many other etsy sellers are doing so also. You can visit Angela's blog for a list of those participating. Be sure to read sweet Paige's post too. Paige is an incredibly kind, caring, and loving woman with such strong faith in the Lord. She is such an inspiration to me and I admire her so.

 

Also another easy way to help Haiti relief:

From the Red Cross: "Text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate. 100% of your $10 donation passes thru to @RedCross for Haiti relief. Your cell carrier keeps nothing."

The 'Chic' Award

 

My sweet friend, Jill at Peeptoe Pumps and Pearls awarded me with the Chic Award! Thank you, Jill for this fabulous award. I am honored! I was fortunate to 'meet' Jill through a pink, preppy swap a year or so ago - we were swap partners! Jill is so very chic. I just love her style and she is such a beautiful, giving woman. Through Jill, I became acquainted with the New Day Foster Homein China and became a sponsor to Khloe. I then 'meet' Khloe's new mama,Tanya. Oh, how I love the blogging world and the wonderful friends I have meet.

Okay, here's the hard part. I always have such a difficult passing these awards on. So consider yourselves all Chic Award winners!

And, I'm off to a 'not so chic' event. A pro lacrosse team, the Titians moved to from NY (I believe) to Orlando. We have season tickets and tonight is the first game. Oh joy, more sports in my life! ;)

Happy 2010!

Victor Schrager

“One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: to rise above the little things.” ―John Burroughs

Kate Landers Events ~ Classic Parties for Children

I am pleased to annouce to all my readers this darling new online shop, Kate Landers Events. Just look at all they have to offer. Oh, how I wish I still had a child young enough to have a party with all the wonderful, customized party goods Kate Landers has to offer.

Classic Fabric Party Hats 

 

Fabulous Festoon Trimmed Party Hats

 

Exquisite Felt Party Hats

 

Custom Birthday Ribbons

 

Classic Melamine Tumblers and Plates

 

Designer Fabric Tableware

 

Personalized Favor Pouches

 

Lots of fabulous gifts too ...

Classic Couture Tutus

 

Monogrammed Felt Hair Clips

 

Monogrammed Grosgrain Button Hair Bows

Smocked Monogrammed Frock

 

Many more wonderful items to chose from at Kate Landers Events.

And, I am honored to have a select group of my note pads as a part of Kate's fabulous shop!! Thank you Kate for this opportunity!

Classic Personalized Note Pads

 

Too Early??

I normally do not start listening to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving, but I picked up Andrea Bocelli's new Christmas CD at Costco a few days ago and just could not wait to listen to it. I love Andrea Bocelli and his new CD does not disappoint. Beautiful.

Fall Foodie Swap

I participated in a 'Fall Foodie Swap', hosted by A Dozen Eggs (check out her fabulous cookies!). Today was the deadline to mail out our packages.

My gifts, all wrapped and ready to go ...

Book Recommendations ... For Little Girls

{ a favorite book of mine }

My god daughter's 5th birthday is next week. I like to buy her special books for her birthdays, holidays, or just because. I have already bought her the 'Pinkalious' books and one or two of the 'Fancy Nancy' books ... as well as a variety of Christmas, Easter, Valentines, Halloween books.

Also, I bought her this doll and a few outfits for her upcoming birthday. It's all I can do to keep myself from taking her out of the box and playing with her ;)

I would love any book suggestions from you all!

Happy Labor Day ... and a Give Away

Hope you all are having a nice holiday weekend. Nothing much happening here, besides college football (Gators on Saturday, 'Noles tonight .. I don't really watch either) and of course, golf (that would be my husband). Yesterday evening, we attended a nice bbq hosted by Griff's lacrosse coach and wife. More sports - sort of! ;)

So .. in honor of Labor Day and the end of summer, I am offering a little give away. A set of 6 personalized handmade Halloween tags. Add a special touch to your Halloween gift giving, treat bags, and homemade goodies!
Feel free to post this on your blog if you'd like to share.

Just leave a comment here and I will draw a winner a week from today on Monday, September 14.

  

I am also offering 10% off your total order in my etsy shop through Tuesday

Chic Kitty Bed

 

Is this not the cutest kitty bed? And .. it was completely hand made. Just darling! Love the photo gallery. I have been a follower of this blog, A Brooklyn Limestone in Progress and the very talented owner for some time.

 

Speaking of kitties, we lost our sweet Lilly :(. My only 'girl' is gone. Somehow she got outside and never came home. She was an inside cat, but did go out in the yard occasionally. We looked and looked for her, hung signs all over and called to see if anyone reported her (she had a chip), but no luck. SO sad, but hopefully she is being taken care of by another family and is happy. She may even be happier than living here - those 2 'brothers' (the Westies) weren't exactly her best buds.

Pink Saturday

Another Pink Saturdayand this week I am 'sort of' sharing something pink. I am the lucky owner of a new car and while the car is not pink, I am wearing a pink (and orange) Lilly dress. My husband took these pictures with my iphone (thus the bad quality photos) in the showroom when I was having a 'lesson' on all it's features, which took over an hour. Lots to learn. This my first 'non-mom' car in 22 years. With just one child (who will be driving himself in just 3 years!) at home now, I was ready to down size. I've gone through a Volvo wagon, two different Suburbans and 2 different smaller SUVs ... and although I have only had it for a day, I love this car! 

{ excuse my hiked-up dress! }

 

Please visit Beverly's blog for more (lots more!) of Pink Saturday!

cute ... shoes!

Isn't this handmade card just darling?! From my blogging/scrapbooking friend Christina, who is sooo very talented.

I wish I had a 'real' pair of shoes like these!

'As the Years Went By'

A school assignment by Griff. Of course, he would die if he knew I was posting it here, but he typed it up on my computer and I couldn't resist. I have a few poems saved from last year too.

 

As the years went by

I have grown up

Outside and in

Outside I have gotten bigger, faster, stronger

Inside I have gotten nicer, happier, sweeter

 

As the years went by

I have grown up

Never giving up

and always facing the challenge

rather than fearing it

 

As the years went by

I have grown up

slowly becoming a better athlete

every time I step out on the field

either lacrosse or football, I am determined

 

As the years went by

I look upon my past

I see how lucky I am

to have what I have

 

I have grown up

iPhone ap

My blogging friend, Tonia informed me about this typepad ap (free) and I actually found it and downloaded myself (griff usually helps with these technical things). Sitting in line at school waiting for football practice to end, so I thought I'd try it out. Photo taken with iPhone.

summer favorites

A few favorites of mine this summer ...

essie 'waltz' nail polish

I use it on both my toes and fingers and bring my own to the nail salon for my manicures & pedicures. Other favorites include: marshmallow (very close to waltz) and ballet slippers.

 

jergens natural glow revitalizing daily moisturizer

I have been using this all spring and summer and it has become my favorite self tanner. Moisturizes well and has a very natural looking color. Very little 'smell' that most self tanners have - if any at all.

 

Dr. Scholl's exfoliating stone file

I use this in the shower every day and it makes a huge difference with my heels

 

 

aquaphor healing ointment

I use this at night on my lips, cuticles and sometimes my elbows & heels. Great for burns too. I currently have a nice one on the inside of my forearm from the iron. Ugh - I do this all the time, in the same place.

 

laura mercier eye basics

 

Many days I use this alone, with out any eye shadow. It adds just the right amount of color.

 

 

kerastase hair products

I know I have mentioned these a few times, but I can not say enough good things about them! I have a completely new head of hair after using these products for 3 months now. They are a bit pricey, but I found this site, luxury parlor where the prices are lower and free shipping for orders over $99. My friend and I place our orders together to receive free shipping :)

 

dentek brush picks

And, I must mention these brush picks! With these braces, I use them constantly. Not in public ;)

7th Grader

Back to school today for Griff. This year to middle school which is 7th & 8th grades only - same school that he has been attending, but their own little campus. His school goes through 12th grade.

He actually was quite excited about starting school - not that he would admit it OR that you can tell by the above photo.

But ... the following photos show a different side of him. That is, when his mom is not the one behind the camera. What is it with boys, moms and cameras? All 3 of mine - the same!

These pictures were posted on the school website today ...

 

 

And, Griff will be so happy to know that I plan on taking another photo tomorrow morning in his 'casual' uniform. They do not have to dress up like this everyday - shirt, tie, long pants and dress shoes on Wednesdays only. His dress shirt is already missing - he started football today also and came home without it!

back to school

Summer is drawing to an end (wish the heat & humidity would end with it). Griff starts back to school on Wednesday. This year he moves over to middle school - same school, but the 7th & 8th grades have their own campus, which the kids love. We attended orientation a few days ago - above is Griff 's new locker and books. Lucky him, lots of cute girls just happen to have lockers next to him :) and can you see the 3 Chinese books? Griff has been taking Spanish for the past few years, which was mandatory, but this year he switched to Mandarin Chinese!

 

I love how he still needs crayons, color pencils and markers ... along with a scientific, pre-calculus calculator

Uniforms - dress up day every Wednesday, shirt, tie, long pants and dress shoes

New shoes - size 9.5 (which he will most likely outgrow in a matter of months!)

b r a c e s

How cute are these 'preppy' braces?! No... this is not my mouth. I stick with clear bands, but if I was about 35 years younger, I would go for it! The photo belongs to photovirgina on flickr.

I did have an orthodontist appointment today and I am half way through. It's been 4 months and I should have my braces off by Thanksgiving :)

Daily Thought

Robyn Lehr

"Money isn't everything but it sure keeps you in touch with your children." —J. Paul Getty

This is SO very true for me with 2 boys in college!! A phone call usually means they need money!

School's Out

 

{ LHPS }

Griff's last day of school today and last day of 'lower school' at LHPS. We are starting  summer off right away with a trip to Boston. We leave bright and early tomorrow morning (a 6:25am flight!) for a long weekend and the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships. I believe this is our 5-6 year attending these games. Last year they were also held in Boston, actually the Gillette Stadium in Foxbough, but we are staying in Boston and 'commuting' by train to the stadium. I honestly prefer Boston and shopping, but being a good (boy/sports) mom, I will be at the games too ;)

Hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Pandora Internet Radio

Do you all know about this? Most likely you do - I am always late to join the party, but I am loving pandora radio :)

New Hairstylist

 

   

Yesterday, I went to a new hair stylist for a consultation. I know a few women and one good friend that have started going to this stylist and the difference in their hair and overall appearance is amazing ... and they look much younger.  So, I though I would see what she could do for me.  I am all about looking younger ;). I had no idea my hair was in such bad condition, but was told that yes, indeed it was - told in detail for about 10 minutes all the bad things about my hair (over processed, damaged, dry, broken, wrong color for my complexion, wrong cut for my face shape, and my eyebrows have major issues too!). I have very fine, thin hair, which unfortunately has become even thinner as I have grown older. I also lost a bit when I went through my weight loss. I was 'prescribed' hair products by Kerastase that with regular use will help repair and add volume to my hair. The products alone cost more than I normally spend for my highlights, cut & styling with my former gal! I scheduled an appointment for next week (the soonest I could get in) and am scheduled to be there in the salon for over 4 hours! I am expecting to come out looking fabulous (!!) ... well see ;) 

Oh ... and today, I have my bottom braces put on. Now, with both upper & lower braces, I am a total brace-face ;)

Thanks for all the kind words about Griff. I can't believe my 'baby' is going into middle school! We are very fortunate that he will be continuing on at his same school, that we love. Hopefully, he will be there through high school.

How about a little baking powder with those nachos?!

Connor is home for a few days before he heads back to school for summer session. He was not even here for 24 hours before he almost set the kkitchen on fire. He made 'nachos' (just tortilla chips and shredded cheese) and put them under the broiler ... then went out to the garage and up into the attic to look for something! Um, these 'nachos' take less than a minute to melt the cheese - not 5-10 minutes (Connor claims to broil his steaks to perfection at his college home). Well, there is a big difference in the timing of nachos & steaks when it comes to broiling ;). I happened to be just getting out of the shower when he was yelling that there was a fire. He had no clue as to what to do. Holy moly, the entire inside of the oven was in flames, smoke everywhere and the fire alarm going off. The box of baking powder that I dossed the oven with put out the fire ... Connor claims that I never taught him now to make nachos OR how to put out a oven fire. Whatever ;)

***

And, a reminder of my give away tomorrow!

For Those of You Asking & Wondering ....

Yes, Mark C is very good looking in person. All smile, with very white teeth! He had just returned from a beach vacation, so he was even darker than usual with his tan, which in turn made his teeth even whiter ;)

If you watched the show on Friday, you saw O interview the 'Baconnaise' guys. I had never heard of this product, but it has become a big success. We were all given a jar of Baconnaise to take home and a Bacon flavored chap stick (!!). I even met one of the inventor's parents at the show and enjoyed talking to them, such nice people.

Tonight I made burgers for Dan & Griff so they could try out the Baconnaise. It was a huge hit, both loved it (as I am sure, Connor & Barret will too). As for me, I don't even like regular mayo, so no Baconnaise for me - it's not on my program either, although it is a vegetarian product and they do make a light version. Still, I'm a mustard girl!

I would like to try the Bacon Salt. Some of therecipes sound really delicious - especially the salmon and asparagus.

Also, for those asking what I bought while cruising the Magnificent Mile, I'll try to post this tomorrow ;)

Home Again

Back home from my trip to Chicago. I had a fabulous time in my favorite city (I grew up in the Chicago area and visit often). The weather was perfect. In the 80's on Friday (they had snow less than a week before!). All the tulips were budding on Friday and by the next day, many were in bloom - so beautiful.

So ... did anyone see me on the O Live show on Friday?? I was sitting in the front row, wearing a pink (fuchsia) JCrew jacket. I kid you not. My friend and I were pulled, along with 2 other girls and asked to sit in the front row throughout the show until the last segment and then we were whisked up to other seats during a commercial break and O and the others on the show sat in our seats to watch the 'surprise' guest. I have not seen a replay of the show yet, but  have been told that the back of my head was in a lot of shots - hope it was looking good ;) - and I believe once when the cameras panned the audience quickly, I was shown front on for a very brief moment. Needless to say, I was scared stiff during the entire time in the front row - so afraid to make even the slightest move, so I sat like a perfect lady (I hope!). Such an exciting and amazing experience. For those of you that asked how we got tickets, it was through a friend of a friend that has connections (sorry, but I can't say more than that).

And ... can you believe I didn't take a single picture? Of course, no cameras were allowed at the studio and we were just too busy running around the Magnificent Mile (shopping!)the rest of our trip.

International Festival

The big 6th grade international festival at Griff's school was this past Friday. Griff was assigned Germany as his country, and he did a great job with it. The students worked about a month on the project, which included a report, poster and pod cast. For the festival, they each had to represent their country dressed in a costume and bring in a dish to share. I tried to buy authentic lederhosen on ebay, but as I mentioned earlier, they all were going for over $100 and the local costume shop wanted $65 to rent a German outfit. Both were more than I want to spend, so I 'created' my own look. Griff actually loved wearing this getup:).

I call it the 'preppy' German boy look

 

 

  

 

{ The German dish I made - German Apple Pancakes }

 

 

{ Griff and two of his teachers }

 

 

 

 

{ Cute German Couple }

This and That

 

 

{ Backyard Cardinal }

I was able to get up close to this fella. He stayed in the same place for the longest time until Griff came out yelling 'caw, caw' and scared it away :(

Thank you all for you thoughts and prayers. I am going to try another treatment before I turn to surgery (anterior cervical discectomy). The doctor prescribed a pain medication that should give me some relief and I will be starting physical therapy two times a week for 4-6 weeks. Not so sure if the PT will help since I do pilates 2-3 times week and it is basically about strengthening the core, back and neck muscles. The PT of course will concentrate on the neck muscles since my herniated disc in in this area (C5-6). I have to say that between pilates, cardio workouts and weight training, I am quite strong already! But ... I am willing to give it a try, and possiblyhave another serious of epidural steroid injections when I am able to (there is a 6 month interval time before you can have the injections again). I'll be honest here, although I have had many surgeries throughout my life, the thought of this cervical surgery frightens me tremendously. I pray that I can avoid having it!

For those of you that have inquired about Griff's German costume, I am going to try to make something up myself. This won't be easy since I can not sew! Those darn ebay listings all sold for over $100 with lots of bids on many different lederhosen. Crazy! Who the heck is wearing these fashion statements?! And it's not even October Fest! I also called a local costume store and they charge $55 to rent a costume. Jeez - he only needs to wear it for an hour at the most! So, my friend Lisa gave me a few ideas (thanks lisa!) and I found a pair of suspenders and am going to attempt to sew them on to a pair of shorts. He can wear a pair of knee highs and be done with it ;). BTW, my friend's son's report is on France and all he is wearing is a beret with his school uniform, so I guess my 'put together' lederhosen isn't all that bad.

 

More Adventures of Mr. Stanley

Our time is about up with hosting this fine gentleman, it is time for him to return home to Stella. We have a few more outings plan for this weekend and then I am mailing him off on Monday. We all will be sad to see him go, he was such wonderful guest ... never complaining, always up for whatever! Thank you, Stella for sharing this fine man with our family!

For those of you that don't know what the heck I am talking about (and no I haven't lost my mind): Flat Stanley is a school project that many elementary schools do. Stella (in 1st grade) made her Mr. Stanley and then sent him off to friends and family who live in other cities or states to 'visit'. The host family takes Stanley along with them on there outings and try to show him around town! When he returns'home' to Stella she will take the pictures and letters and make a little scrapbook containing all of Stanley's travels. Then she will share it with her class, who also have a traveling Stanley. I think this is how it goes, but Tonia, please correct me if I am wrong!

A few of Mr. Stanley's adventures with us included: shopping with me, to the gym, going to church, out to dinner on Park Ave and dinner at the country club (he really wanted to play golf but he didn't have his clubs with him), a high school lacrosse game at Griff's school ... and lots of fun with the 'westie boys' here at home, seen here.

Griff is on spring break and at the beach for a few days with a friend. I am sure Mr. Stanley would have loved a trip to the beach, but I was a little (very!!) apprehensive about sending him with Griff .. who knows if Flat Stanley would ever make it home and now sad would that be :( 

Lederhosen

How do you all think Griff will look in this fashionable and oh so manly outfit?! (without the hairy legs) LOL. He has a project on Germany for school and part of his grade is based on his presentation, including dressing the part. I had no idea where the heck to find traditional garb for a German man, so I went to ebay and am hoping to win these fine looking lederhosen (in the size of my choice!). Griff is going to have a complete fit over wearing these and I am laughing at the thought as I type. He also has to bring in German food to share with the class. Not sure what German specialties I am going to whip up - suggestions are welcomed!

Another view ;) ...

ETA: and can someone tell me why so many others are in need of these?? The bid is up to $60 with an hour to go - crazy!

Well, I didn't win - it went or $70! Manymore similar lederhosen listed and many have bids. Who would have thought they would be so popular.

How about this complete out fit, buy now at $32.99?? It's a men's size small, so it may even fit Griff. I like the snazzy hat ;) I bet Griff can even get future use of this outfit down the road, perhaps a college frat party (notice the beer mug). Lord knows (and I certainly know with 2 college boys), they'll make up any kind of theme just to throw a party  ;)

Braces

Not one of my boys this time ... but me. Hard to believe at my age (I did have them when I was younger), but I have had some shifting of my front teeth in the past few years and was really unhappy with how my smile appeared ... so today was my big day, braces on my upper teeth. Next month they will place the lower braces and I will be a 'brace face' for 6-8 months. I had to laugh at the tee shirt I was given. I remember the same shirt with my two older boys and my husband also (he had braces about two years ago). Now, to round out the family - Griff is next. He is not ready yet though. He still has quite a few baby teeth, so 6 months to a year away for him.

You all don't make fun or laugh at me now, I'll get enough of that from my own family ;)

A Visitor!

 

We are hosting Mr. Stanley! My blogging friend Tonia's daughter, Stella was kind enough to send him to our home for a visit. So far things are going well. Stanley has been shopping with me - JCrew, Anthropologie and Bloomingdales - what a good sport he was spending an afternoon with me (we never did make it into the men's shop, sorry Stanley!). He even posed for a few photos in JCrew and Bloomies. He went to the gym with me this morning. Although Stanley is quite thin, everyone could use a little exercise, right? I really don't think pilates is his 'thing' though ;).

We had a bit of a difficult time introducing him to the pets. Lilly was sweet a bit 'uppity' to him and chose to ingore him :(. Murph was very welcoming (after all he was once a homeless boy and is very sensitive to those in same situations. I don't know if Mr. Stanley has a place of his own to call home? He sure does get to travel a lot though!). Baxter wanted nothing to do with him, he is tired of me bringing new 'brothers' home (he was just fine being an 'only dog' before big Murph came along), and he hid under the ottoman - looks like he is taking a bite out of poor Stanley's head. Rest assured Tonia & Stella, Mr. Stanley is just fine. We are taking very good care of him and I think he is enjoying his stay here in WP. Lots planned for the weekend ;).

Griff

A few weeks ago, Griff was in his 6th grade drama class school play. He got 'stuck' in drama class as his elective this past semester - not at all his choice (this semester he is taking 'CIA' class as an elective and is very excited about this). The drama class put on the play 'Alice in Wonderland' and Griff had 3 parts; the chestier cat, a card (I forget which one??), and the assistant stage manager. He really just wanted to be a stage manager and not have to be on stage acting, but all the students had a part acting. The play was performed in the school's new black box theater and was quite entertaining ;)

   

   

Also two weeks ago, Griff received the "Fruit of the Spirit" award in 6th Grade. Each week, a student receives the award for a certain characteristic they have shown. Griff received the award for self control and leadership.

 

Happy Spring!

Hope you all have a wonderful 'spring' day and weekend

Monday, Monday

It's been a nasty, cold, rainy day here - rain all day long and still continuing tonight. I spent the better part of the day in my closet, cleaning it out. I took every single item out and put way less  back in. With my weight loss, only my newly purchased clothes fit properly, so it was time to purge. I counted the empty hangers and they came to a total of 130! That is 130 less  items of clothing I have to wear. And, I am not a 'hoarder', I go through my closet at least every 6 months and remove the things I no longer wear (with the exception of my Lilly - I just can't seem to rid myself of her).  I like a neat and orderly closet (with items color categorized!). So ... I guess I need to fill up all these hangers ;).  Tomorrow, I will be finishing up and getting what clothes I have left in order.

Speaking of hangers, does anyone use those new type that take up less space, slimline hangers? Yes, they just happen to come in pink. I have been using these white plastic hangers that I buy at Target since I always needed so many. I  let Dan use all the good wooden hangers - you should see his closet and just how neat he is ;). Not sure if I should buy more of the wooden or try those new slimline? I also have to add, I can not stand wire hangers (just call me 'Mommy Dearest'!). I never, never have any wire hangers in my closet.

Superbowl Sunday

   

And I am not watching. No way. I am sorry,  but I don't like football - especially sitting in front of a tv watching it. ( I rarely watch any tv).  I didn't even know that the game was being held here in Florida until a few days ago. Just shows how much I listen to all the sports talk around here. I think I've learned to tune it out after all these years. Dan and Griff are having their own little party, just the two of them.  I am going down to watch the half time show though - love Bruce Springsteen.

 

 

 

 

 

This and That

:: I had my first epidural injection this morning and although I wish I could say that I am finally pain free, it is not so :(. I was told that my pain may even be worse for a day or 2 and this seems to be true - ugh. The procedure was a bit painful also, but fairly quick. Depending on my pain, I may return next week for a second injection. I can only have 3 injections total in a six month period, so it's best to have another only when the pain returns. Of course, this is if I get some pain relief (I am hoping and praying for this to happen and happen soon).

:: I've changed my blog a bit. New header, with a new name, and not pass word protected. When I started blogging 4-5  years ago, my blog was called 'mcc - me and my boys' since it was mainly about my boys. Now that the two oldest are away at college, I really don't have much to say about them since Lord knows they don't share much! And as for Griff, he is almost a teenager  (yikes, how did that happen) and his life consists mainly of sports and ... well sports is about it. And while I love seeing my boys play and excel in sports, it's the same thing over again, 3rd time around!  So ... I am having fun posting  more about  a lot of my favorites and things I enjoy; decorating (I added a list on my sidebar of some decorating/design blogs I like), shopping  finds, books, 'pink' things, and even a few craft projects. (Just don't call me 'crafty', for some reason, I loath that word!).

:: And, I just had to share this lemon  (not a grapefruit) that Dan brought home. A client of his gave it to him, from his tree in his yard.  It was huge, about 6 inches!  We used some on our fish last night and Griff made a glass of lemonade, with about a full cup of sugar added. He kept adding and adding to get it 'just right' ...

 

   

A Pain in the Neck

... which is understating my little problem. I don't think I have even mentioned it here on my blog,  but I have had terrible pain in my neck, right shoulder (and now down through my arm) for over 2 months. It started in November and has continually become worse. For the most part, I have been able to keep the pain in check with tylenol, etc. but it really wears on me and I am taking way too much tylenol/Advil. Chronic pain is no fun :(. I finally was able to get in to an orthopedic doctor 2 weeks ago (he specializes in the neck and shoulder), and was prescribed pain meds and muscle relaxers (both of which I can not take during the day - they wipe me out - so I take them at night and crash!). I had an MRI this past Monday and a follow up visit for my results on Friday.

Sure enough (I was almost positive this is what was wrong although I have no idea how this happened, could just be age or maybe all my weight lifting) ... I have a herniated disc in my upper spine, neck area (c4-c5) which is causing the cervical nerve to be pinched and inflamed which causes lots of pain. My next step is to have a series of epidural steroid injections in my upper spine for pain management. They are trying to work me in next week for my first injection. I hope and pray these injections take care of the pain, if not surgery is an option :(.

So ... I just carry on and thank God that it is me rather than my husband. I have a very strong threshold for pain and have endured it before with surgeries, etc. ... but Dan on the other hand just about checks himself into the hospital when he gets a cold! Seriously, the man is such a baby when it comes to being sick (aren't most men?) - talk about a 'pain in the neck' ! ;)

Fabulous Florida Weather

It's no secret that I loath the heat and humidity of Florida  - oh, how I am loving this beautiful, cool weather we are currently having.

 

Today

55°F/36°F
Partly Cloudy

Sat

63°F/41°F
Mostly Sunny

Sun

69°F/50°F
Mostly Sunny

 

I also love wearing 'winter' clothes and yesterday, I even was able to wear boots with leggings :).

Please ignore my messy closet in the background - it is on my 'to do' list. I have been cleaning out and purging - many things for sale on ebay! ...