Perfect Chaos

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T10:23:00.002-05:00

(Image from Bakerella - a fantastic baking website that everyone should check out for yummy inspiration.)

Have a safe and happy 4th of July everyone!

Play Day at Eden Prairie Center

2009-07-03T08:44:00.004-05:00

A girlfriend that is also a Mommy told me about the great toddler park at the Eden Prairie Center. It is so much larger than the one that I would normally take Parker too. Also, since Eden Prairie is a suburb, there are a lot of kids playing at this indoor playground. Parker LOVES it!

This was our second time going, and both times Parker spent his entire hour going up and down the slides. He never tired of it. Every time he would slide down, you could see this look of concentration on his little face. Then when he got to the bottom, he was so happy and pleased with himself.

I just can not believe he was able to climb up the slides with socks on!

Of course, Parker is a lady's man. I missed the cutest shot with the little baby girl actually grabbing Parker and hugging him. He hugged her back before he went on his way back to the slide. What a heart breaker!

Parker attracted girls of all ages. Who could blame them? He has such gorgeous blue eyes!

Of course, Parker threw a temper tantrum when it was time to go. He did not like that too much. We have approached "that stage".

My First Floral Class

2009-07-03T08:24:00.003-05:00

I have always wanted to learn how to make beautiful floral arrangements. I dream about making one of those gorgeous centerpieces that you find in an entryway, that has all sorts of stuff flowing out of the vase and artichokes sticking out. I don't consider that I don't even own an entryway table (yet), but the dream still lives. I had been looking for a class for some time, but had only found classes with the mega craft stores like Michael's - and then the classes were for silk flowers. It just was not quite what I was looking for. Lord knows that would not be good enough for Dorothy Draper or Kelly Werstler (just a few of my design icons).

Finally, one of my favorite little florist shops here in Minneapolis, Brown and Greene, hosted a simple floral arranging class. It just covered the basics - how to make a hand held bouquet with roses. This arrangement is usually used for bridal bouquets. It typically looks like a little round mound and is actually a quite versatile arrangement once you have the concept. We learned how to make the arrangement with simple roses. I know that the pictures do not really do it justice, but I think I did a pretty good job for my first time. It was more difficult than you would think holding all of the stems in place and twisting them around before tying off the bunch. I am excited to see how I can take this concept to the next level.

Video Wednesday - Stellarstarr*, Sweet Troubled Soul

2009-07-01T15:47:00.002-05:00

I absolutely love Stellastarr*. I watch this video and I can not help but think of how many thousands of shots had to be taken to capture the movements of the puppets. It requires patience I certainly do not have.

Cute Kate Spade Dresses and Such!

2009-06-23T12:36:00.003-05:00

Did you know that Kate Spade sells clothing and jewelry as well? I suppose the line is becoming more popular because I have noticed a significant increase in items this season than I have in the past. And of course, I absolutely LOVE it! The clothing is so completely Kate. Vintage. Colorful. Cheeky. Notice the cute little pom-pom trim at the hemline on the zebra dress? And that pink and orange dress makes me want to throw on some Frank Sinatra and make a martini!

Even her blouses are adorable. This top looks like it came right out of the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's. I would wear this top to death. I love it with matchstick jeans as well as with a pencil skirt and bright, lipstick red heels.

My absolute favorite piece is the cute zebra keyfob. I actually have been looking for a keyfob because Phillip keeps taking my keys instead of his and it drives me CRAZY. This one is so funny. I love the fact that the view of the zebra is from behind!

Kitchen Cabinet Project

2009-06-23T08:11:00.007-05:00

We had an opportunity to have the Home Depot kitchen contractors come in and rework our kitchen cabinets. Phillip and I were not planning on having the kitchen worked on in a while, expecting it to cost a ton of money. We assumed that we would need to replace these ugly, pathetic cabinets. The contractor came over and gave us great news though. He told us that, with the exception of the doors, the cabinets were in great shape because they were solid wood. He informed us that we could keep all of the bases and replace the doors for much less than what Phillip and I were expecting to pay. I wanted white cabinets to lighten the kitchen (a coat of paint on the walls will help that too. Ugh! The Miami Vice green on the walls is horrible!).

Our ugly cabinets before:

I had them bring the cabinets all the way to the ceiling to match an old built-in that is in the kitchen as well. Doing that really accentuated the height in the kitchen. The workman informed me that he had never made doors for cabinets that tall that weren't for a pantry (some of our doors were over 4 feet tall!). In the pictures below, you can see how they added the additional framing around our existing cabinet bases.

They faced all of the cabinets with a white veneer that is easy to clean. The work man then had to cut out all of cabinets shelves in the veneer.

I must say, just changing the cabinets made a huge impact on the kitchen! They are so easy to clean too. I love it! Next, Phillip and I need to decide (agree) on the counter top. We ran into a bit of a speed bump on that one. I wanted Carrara Marble (which he says will stain too easily...maybe we wouldn't have too worry about it if he wasn't so messy when he mixed his Kool-Aid.) and he wants Granite (which I don't like the color selections that I have seen so far). I think I might have to give in on this battle.

Obviously, I am not planning on keeping the horrible color palette the woman picked before we moved in (what was she thinking?). However, I am considering going for an unconventional color in the kitchen...a super light, barely able to tell, lavender. Originally I was thinking light grey, but then I worried that it would make the kitchen darker. It all ready doesn't have good natural light, so I thought lavender might help brighten it up. Besides, I have a red chandelier that I want to hang in the kitchen. I think lavender would compliment it nicely. We will see.

Cabinets completed:

Before I can paint, we have a lot of prep work we need to do on the walls. The previous owner did a really shotty job at drywall and such. It all needs to be fixed. We also have to replace all of the baseboards and the back doors. It will take some time. We probably won't get to the project again until winter, when we are locked up in the house again for another 8 months! I will keep you posted.

Parker's First Steps!

2009-06-23T07:25:00.003-05:00

Finally, after about a million times asked, Parker is finally beginning to walk! I am so excited for him, but at the same time, completely dreading all of the extra chasing I will have to do. Something tells me that he is going to be super fast, just like in crawling. This kid has places to go!

His method - to tentatively let go of the side of the couch. "OK, I have my balance."

"Wow! I can stand up straight."

"Are you getting this, Mommy and Daddy? Things look a little different from this angle."

"I am so excited! Yahoo! " Parker says as he flaps his arms like a bird when he gets excited.

Phillip and I must have sat there for at least 30 minutes or more, just cheering and clapping. I am sure the neighbors thought something strange was going on. Of course, Parker ate up all of the fan-fare.

It was strange watching him take his first steps...about 6 or so in a row. It reminded me of a little monkey. He looked so awkward, bless his little heart.

The Good Old Days!

2009-06-19T10:04:00.000-05:00

(Me, Kristyn, and Jessica)

What a riot! A girlfriend from high school just sent me these photos. The one above is the summer of 1989, right after we graduated. We went to San Diego for some celebrating. The hair and the outfits crack me up. Could our shorts BE any longer (and not in the good way)?

(Brandie, Jennifer, and Jessica)

This picture was taken in 1994. We were having lunch at the Ceasar's Forum in Las Vegas (where we all live(d) ). I remember this day well because I had just gotten my hair cut off and I was heart-broken. I hated this hair cut! It was supposed to look like a cute pixie cut and ended up looking like Pat Benatar. I blame my beloved Kelly for this mess. He had been bugging me for years to get my hair cut off, telling me I could carry the look. Kelly knows that if he bugs me enough and strikes on me when the mood is right, he could basically convince me to jump off a cliff if he wanted. Don't deny it Kelly. You know it is true!

God, I look so young. We all did. Well, Jennifer essentially looks the same. I swear that girl doesn't age one bit. She should be a spokesperson for Noxema or something. I have always been jealous of her skin and squeaky clean face.

Interview with Jonathan Adler for Father's Day

2009-06-19T09:30:00.004-05:00

(Incredibly talented Jonathan Adler)

I think one of the more creative people alive today is Jonathan Adler. I absolutely adore him. Not only is he a talented potter, but he is an excellent interior designer. I realize that some might feel his taste is a bit too wacky and bright, but that is why I love him so much. He does not take home decor so seriously and he allows himself to have fun with it. You might also recognize him as the lead judge in Top Design.

I stumbled across a very interesting interview on NPR.com with Jonathan Adler and his husband Simon Doonan (famous window dresser and author). They were discussing their father's and how they influenced the famous pairs creativity. I found it very interesting, especially Simon's bit. You should check it out.

Click here for Jonathan and Simon's interview.

New Family Room is Completed!

2009-06-18T08:47:00.017-05:00

Phillip has finally completed the dining room to family room remodel project. He took down all of the box wood panels on the wall, painted the dark wood beams on the ceiling and baseboards. He insulated the wall with all of the windows, cleaned the wood (it was a real mess), repaired the windows, painted the radiator, sanded the walls and touched up damaged areas. We hung up the wall paper and put a decorative molding around it. I think that about covers it. It went from this:

To this:

It definitely is a lot brighter. We no longer feel that the space is some great big dark hole that is waiting to swallow us up. I still have some decorating to be done. I still have not found a chandelier that I like and can afford. I need some end tables and accessories (though I don't know where I will put the accessories since Parker can reach EVERYTHING). I am also working on making some drapes for the window behind the couch.

Some die-hards might want to pee their pants when the find out that I wanted the wood plate rails (above) taken down. Yes people, I do understand that respecting the house's age is important. But I also think it is important to decorate a house that reflects your family's personality. Create a room that you will actually enjoy and live in. If not, you might as well flush money down the toilet.

Phillip really wanted his big TV downstairs. Unfortunately, we only had one option as to where to place it. All of the walls had big windows or built-ins that would not accommodate his giant TV. This wall was the only full wall I had. I hated having to give it to the TV (I envisioned a huge painting on it), but fair is FAIR is guess (I say as I have my bottom lip pouting). I certainly did not want a big, black square screaming "Look at me, look at me!" on my only wall. This wall paper certainly helps take away some of the attention to the TV. Plus the print on the paper (Designer's Guild) is so french glam and modern at the same time. I love it! I am trying to decide if I want to put up some artwork on the wall as well - some vintage portraits or something. I also am trying to decide if I want to place a big animal head on the upper corner (of course not a real head. Don't you know me at all? I have a big bull head that is black plastic that was once a head to a bull you can ride on for practice. It is the coolest thing and by far my best garage sale find EVER!! Phillip thought it was silly to buy it, but I tell you that bull has started more conversations than anything else.)

Just a few little tid-bits. I love my Philippe Starck lamp (the man is brilliant, I swear!). I found this mantel clock at a great junk store here in town. You can not tell in the picture, but it looks like a jello mold with rocks in it. So quirky I had to have it.

The built-in bar before:

And after:
Believe me, I wanted to paint this whole wall white. But I let Phillip win this battle (for now). This built-in, though beautiful and rich looking, is so heavy and dark. It takes up just about the whole wall. Your eye is immediately drawn to it because it is so dominating. I think of it as visual pollution. As a result, we did not do much to it. I might place a paper in the upper cabinets that have glass doors to add a bit more lightness to it. I have not decided yet. Regardless, for as much as we like to entertain, it is nice to have the cabinet in the family room.

Notice the lion's paws on the side table? I love this little table.
The cutest dog, EVER! I love you Pete.

My Birthday, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and Anniversary present all rolled into one! I love this chair!! Missoni make the best fabric. It has every color I could ever want.

My cabinet and pottery pieces. Don't you just love the big, ugly baby lock on the cabinet? I hate that I have to do that. More visual pollution (Heavy sigh.)

So that is the room in a nut shell. I still have little decorating things I need to do. When I get around to it (and the money for it), I will share it with you.

More photos will come soon of the kitchen cabinets that we just finished as well as the front yard project we are working on.

I swear it is never ending.

Hey Geese, Get the Flock Out!

2009-06-18T08:23:00.002-05:00

(image taken from the New York Post)

Not my headline, but one from an article on the New York Post. I understand that these geese pose a threat to many lives since they get caught in the plane engines. But I just can not believe that there is not another option to resolve this issue (yikes, what a way to go). It breaks my heart to think about 30,000 geese being exterminated. Poor geese. It seems to me that this migration route was in place before our airplanes took the space. Why do they have to suffer? I find it hard to believe that our planes can't find another route. Really???

Video Wednesday - Radiohead, Just

2009-06-17T23:30:00.000-05:00

I forgot all about this video when I saw it the other day watching Subterranean. Watching it then had the same impact that it did the first time I saw it years ago...Wow! Such a unique and strong concept! Leave it to Radiohead to make you think.

To sum up this video...I guess you can say curiosity killed the cat.

Cute Little Downloadable Postcards - FREE!

2009-06-16T13:45:00.003-05:00

Aren't these the cutest little postcards ever? I had to share them with you. You can go to Kindred and download them yourself - for free! Thanks so much Holly and Ez for sharing these cards...and thanks to Ink & Wit for making them.

Parker's First Swim Class

2009-06-16T08:40:00.007-05:00

(Parker on the way to his first swim class ever! He has no idea what is in store.)

I figured it was about time for Parker to learn how to swim. He always enjoyed bath time, so I crossed my fingers and signed him up. His classes are at the Foss Swim School, which I have been told by SEVERAL people that Foss is the place to go for swimming lessons, especially Parker's age. Even though we have had only one class so far, I completely agree.

We arrived a bit early for the class. I knew that it would be a bit chaotic and noisy. I wanted him to get accustomed to the pool and action that was surrounding him before "diving in". We sat at the pool side for about 15 minutes. He was nervously looking on, watching the other baby class before his. He didn't seem frightened, just unsure.

Parker had no problems getting into the water. He was ready to play. As soon as he met his other classmates (2 other little girls), he started splashing at them and smiling - turning on his charm! One of the first exercises the teacher had us do was practice doing the back float so that the kids would get get used to water touching their ears. Parker didn't mind too much, but he would not put his legs down and relax. He wanted to see what everyone else was doing.

Phillip left work for a while so that he could see Parker's first class. Every time Parker finished a new task, he would look over at Phillip, very proud of himself.

I then had to float Parker on his tummy, trying to get the basic idea of swimming. He really liked that, but we need to work on the concept of kicking and paddling.

One of the last exercises was called "zooming". I gently push his face in the water and shoot him out to the teacher while Parker is underwater. I thought for sure that this would get Parker upset. He absolutely loved it! We did it so much that his poor little eyes were red by the end of class. He did not want to stop.

In class, we also worked on learning how to get in and out of the pool. This was the only exercise Parker did not want to have anything to do with. Anything that involved getting out of the pool, he did not care to learn. He would not wait for the exercise to be finished before he tried to slip back into the water. He let his objections be known. I guess I have the next Olympic swimmer on my hands! Maybe I can get him a Wheaties contract...

With all of the work in the water (class was only 30 minutes), he was starving. He loaded up on carbs with spaghetti and then took a 5 hour nap! Later that night, he slept for another 12 hours!! Swim class is totally worth it!! I wonder how he will do today...class starts in a couple of hours.

New Moon Trailer

2009-06-15T14:14:00.002-05:00

Like many other females out in the world, I am a big Twilight fan. The second movie, New Moon, is released this coming November. The first trailer for the movie has finally been released!! I don't care that Jacob FINALLY got a haircut and worked out, I still say GO TEAM EDWARD!!!

You know that I will be at the movie's opening night at Midnight, right along with all of the other teenage girls. Maybe I will bedazzle a t-shirt with Edward's name on it. What do you think??

Our Vacation to Antigua - Part 4

2009-06-10T11:29:00.008-05:00

I just love these pictures. On the last day, Phillip and I finally found a place that had good beach snorkeling. It took about an hour to drive there, but it was very scenic. Once we got to the beach, we had to hike over these rocky cliffs to get over to a small little cove that we had all to ourselves! The snorkeling was very different from what Phillip and I had ever seen before. Most of the coral was colorless. It felt like we were swimming over a bone yard - very eerie.

Driving in Antigua was more than a bit of a challenge. Every time Phillip and I got into the car, we would argue. Driving was just so stressful. It didn't matter who was driving. The roads were very narrow (you can't tell from this picture) and curvy. There were potholes - no, I mean CRATERS - everywhere. The locals drove like it was the Indie 500 (not an exaggeration) running me off of the road (no, I was not driving like a Grandma). To add to all of the stress, animals would jumped out in front of my car. And it didn't help that Phillip was a backseat driver (I hate that). The whole driving thing was very tense.

(Brandie in front of a gorgeous church in Dickenson's Bay.)

As we were driving, we came across this gorgeous church in Dickenson's Bay. It is really just a modest church - not like the grand ones seen in Europe and such - but the colors were unlike anything I have ever seen, in person or in picture books. And the red roof against the blue sky!!! I didn't want to stop looking. I tried to peek inside, but there were people praying. I didn't want to be disrespectful...darn my Mama for raising me with manners!!

Phillip and I were happy to get back home. We missed Parker. But it was nice to get away and relax. We are all ready trying to decide where to go for our next trip. Any suggestions?

Our Vacation to Antigua, Caribbean - Part 3

2009-06-09T07:39:00.012-05:00

Can you believe that the above two pictures are taken right outside our front door?!? Just beautiful!! I loved being able to see the ocean first thing.

This cute little phone booth was also right outside our door. I just couldn't resist taking some pictures. You don't really see these cute booths anywhere, at least not in the U.S.

Below are a few pictures of the hotel's landscape. It was so lush. Lots of greenery everywhere!

(The hotel's local restaurant, The Coconut Grove. Great rum punch!!)

The above Royal Palm is apparently a direct descendant from a true "ROYAL" palm. Apparently the palm is a seedling from a palm that belonged to one of the Queens...I think it was Elizabeth, but I can't remember for sure. The owner took the seedling and planted this palm here.

This is the hotel's owner and me in front of one of the really cool trees on the property. I loved this man. He is so elegant. Listening to him talk, he spoke like Keith Richards, with a thick accent and a slur...just the right mix of "proper British air" with a twist of Andy Warhol 70's glam. Loved it!!

(Phillip and I in front of the really cool tree.)

This is the beach right outside the hotel property. Imagine walking on this every day. Bliss!

All over the property were these little lizards. I thought they were too cute. Of course I had to take a picture.

I have one more post of vacation pictures coming soon, as well as some of the kitchen project we are now working on.

Our Vacation to Antigua, Caribbean - Part 2

2009-06-09T07:33:00.001-05:00

(sailing on Captain Nash's boat)

Right after Phillip and I arrived in Antigua, we walked the beach to get the lay of the land. As you can imagine, all sorts of people try and sell you everything from t-shirts to horse back rides. One of the guys that approached us was Captain Nash (just love that name). He had his own little sailboat and for a very reasonable fee would take Phillip and I sailing and snorkeling anywhere we wanted for the whole day. What a deal!

At lunch time, we pulled into Jolly Harbor. It was very charming and had a bunch of gorgeous sailing boats docked.

I am not sure what exactly this building is, but it is quite grand and beautiful. It looks like some sort of government building to me. It is one of the first things you see when docking into Jolly. Look closely. You can barely see Phillip at the bottom of the picture. It is a huge building.

Throughout the day, Phillip helped Captain Nash sail the boat. He totally got a kick out of that. I swear, he must have asked me to take about 100 pictures of him sailing the boat. Jeez.

I just absolutely fell in love with sailing. We did it all day and I never once got bored with it. I told Phillip that when he retired, if he was ready to sell the house and just sail a boat, I would be open to it. I wonder what the dogs and cat would think of that...

While we were sailing, Nash showed us Armani's vacation home. Yes, Armani the fashion designer. I saw some pictures of the interiors in one of my design magazines. I remember thinking it looked like a very relaxing place...now I know why.

While we were visiting, the American Red Cross had a ship docked for the week to help out the island. Apparently, the ship has everything that could possibly be needed for medical emergencies and evaluations. If the Red Cross docs can't help people out on land, then a helicopter will fly patients to the ship. I heard the local docs weren't too happy about that since it was taking away their business. I had never really thought about it before, so I found it a bit interesting.

(Sailing with Captain Nash )

Captain Nash was a great way to start our trip. At one point, he took us out to snorkel at a shipwreck! Phillip and I love to snorkel and going to a shipwreck was new to both of us. It was creepy and cool at the same time. There wasn't a lot of fish but some very strange vegetation that I had not seen before. It all had such an eerie feeling. I kept thinking about all of the creepy ocean movies I had seen. It took a while to get over the feeling of expecting some ocean snake-like monster to jump out at me.

It was a great day! I all ready miss the ocean.

Working on it...

2009-06-08T07:20:00.002-05:00

I am trying to get my next set of vacation pictures ready for you. I think there will be three parts. I will do my best to get them up this morning, but I can't make any promises. Today is the first day the contractors will be here to resurface and change our kitchen cabinets. Exciting and stressful! I am not sure how I am going to go three whole days with a toddler and no access to my kitchen! I worked all day on Sunday trying to get the kitchen ready...where do we put all of that stuff?!?

Our Vacation to Antigua, Caribbean - Part 1

2009-06-02T22:04:00.007-05:00

Lay of the Land

We finally had our first vacation since becoming parents! Phillip and I went to Antigua, in the Caribbean for one whole glorious week. The weather was perfect, not too hot or too cold. The beaches (as you can see in the photos) were gorgeous. But most important, we got to sleep in without being woke up by a screaming toddler! Pure heaven!

(Phillip going for a walk on our beach)

Above is a picture of the beach right outside our hotel door. Just past the thatched cabana is the HUGE Sandals resort. We were so glad we did not stay at Sandals. Too much going on over there. Our little paradise allowed me plenty of time to veg out and read three whole books without interruption! Bliss! Of course, there was plenty of rum that was consumed while on the island...hey - we were on vacation!

(one of the many beautiful white beaches)

We arrived on Saturday afternoon. On Monday, we took an all day sailing trip around the island. Captain Nash was a fantastic tour guide, pointing out all of the beaches and telling us about the island. The beaches were really white. Unfortunately, upon closer inspection, you will find a lot of trash scattered (especially in front of Sandals - shame on them!). I was disappointed to see that. One would think that with how much the island relies on tourism, they would do a better job at keeping their beaches clean.

(Turtle Rock)

While sailing with Captain Nash, he showed us Turtle Rock (above). For obvious reasons, the islanders named the rock after the Hawk Billed Turtle. I kind of think it looks like a frog with a top hat. (Hello my baby, Hello my darling...)

I absolutely fell in love with sailing! I could spend all day on the boat just watching the ocean. I really do miss seeing the ocean on a regular basis. Sorry Minnesotans, no matter what you say, those huge lakes just don't compare.

Above is an example of what most of the homes looked like on the island. Lot's of bright, cheery colors. Also a lot of wear and tear. There were also a lot of vacation homes that were quite big, but none that were interesting enough to take a picture.

All over the island, one would see these broken down sugar mills (above). Apparently, way back when, each estate had there own mill (which was the island's industry). Now times have changed and the mills are broken down and overgrown. The ones that are closer to the beaches have been made into little bars and such.

It was spring time, so naturally there were a lot of baby animals. I wouldn't be me if I didn't try and get every imaginable picture of the little critters. Phillip waited in the car while I risked my life on the crazy streets on the island (people drive crazier here than the New York taxi cabs), trying to get at least one good picture of the babies in this goat herd (it reminds me of a time when I was young...my family lived in Washington at the time. We were on one of our MANY road trips. My mother had just gotten a fancy camera as a gift and was all about taking pictures. She saw some quail crossing the road and made my dad stop the car. She chased these quail so she could get a picture. I remember thinking that it took forever. I am sure Phillip was thinking the same thing when I was chasing these silly goats).

Anyone that knows me knows that I have a love for pigs...probably why I love pug dogs so much - it's the curly tail and snorting! Anyway, after practically having a heart attack when this little piglet group jumped out in front of my car (I would have died if I hit these little guys. Knock on wood - I still haven't hit any little critters!), I had to try and get their pictures. I didn't want to get too close because I wasn't sure how "domestic" these guys were. I have heard stories about wild pigs and I did not want to take any chances! You can't tell from the pictures, but these guys were absolutely the cutest things ever. It helped me feel better about not eating bacon for the past year (because I certainly had been missing it!).

More pictures of the trip to come again soon. I am working on the next set now. Promise!

Back Off Nags!

2009-06-02T21:38:00.001-05:00

OK fine!! I have heard from many people that I need to get my act together and get to posting. Ugh!! So much to tell you, but never enough energy. What was I smoking when I thought up this whole blog idea any way? I am working on a post right now from our vacation. If it is not up late tonight, it will be by tomorrow. (But I wouldn't bet my pug on it).

Macy's 2009 Flower Show

2009-04-09T21:55:00.004-05:00

Earlier this week, I took Parker to the Macy's Annual Flower Show. This is an event that Macy's hosts every year at the beginning of Spring. I attended the event every year when I lived in San Francisco and it was always quite magical - flowers falling from the ceiling, creating beautiful sculptures...the show in Minneapolis was very pretty, but not quite as fanciful and over the top as the San Francisco show. However, the first garden was very pretty with the flamingo topiary and pretty pink tulips and ferns.

The flower show was held on the eighth floor of the downtown department store. As soon as we stepped out of the elevator, the amazing scent of all of the flowers hit us. I had never smelled anything quite like it. It smelled so good.

I think it would be so fun to merchandise a show like this. Some of the details that were included in the gardens were so charming...like the little cat sleeping in his garden. It reminded me of the cats I had growing up, always laying in the sun.

Parker Met Papa Smurf

2009-04-09T21:24:00.003-05:00

This past Tuesday, I took Parker to the Annual Macy's Flower Show in downtown Minneapolis. As part of the festivities, Macy's had a family day with Papa Smurf as the "guest star". Parker was not sure what he thought about him.

The Never Ending Quest for the Perfect Light

2009-04-09T08:04:00.002-05:00

(Venini Glass Chandelier)

I found a light on 1st Dibs that is almost 100% of what I am looking for. It is large enough to hold it's own compared to my other large light fixture in the adjoining room (18" h x 24" w). It is ornate, but not too feminine. I am sure it is out of our budget. Lights like this usually are...that is the problem I am running into. The larger the light, the more it costs (naturally). But it never hurts to ask, so I am waiting to hear back from the shop and see if maybe I am lucky and the dealer is pricing this light below what his competitors are pricing. I am not holding my breath.

(Brass Sputnik Chandelier)

I found this light on 1st Dibs as well. Again, I have no idea what the price is yet. If the first light is too much, I might inquire about this one. It is completely different from what I really want, but I think this sort of light could achieve the aesthetic that I am looking for. I have to think about it for a while.

I just can't believe how many lights I have looked at. I have looked EVERYWHERE - Craigslist (all boring), eBay (reproduction chandeliers...a route I can go when I am ready to give up my quest) - I still haven't made it to local antique shops, which I have been told are great around this area. It is hard to shop in those sort of shops with a stroller. Sooner or later, I will get to that if I need to. If you have any suggestions, please share.

My Early Birthday Present!

2009-04-07T20:55:00.002-05:00

(Astrid chair in Passiflora Missoni print)

Oh my God! I am sooooooooo excited! I have been drooling over this chair for about a year or two now, ever since I saw it. I had made up my mind that this chair would be perfect for our home. It has every color I could possibly ever want to have in our decor. I have been watching it like a hawk for at least a year, waiting for it to go on sale. Well kids, the heavens have opened up and the light shown down on me because it finally happened. The chair is on sale, more than 50% off! I begged Phillip to let this be a ridiculously expensive birthday gift and he agreed!! I have all ready ordered it and it will be in my home soon!! I can't wait!

Not Enough Time

2009-04-06T14:35:00.002-05:00

As I mentioned earlier, I (and everyone else I am sure), just can't keep up with how quickly time flies.

By the way, I miss Michael, the REAL front man of INXS...who am I kidding...he was INXS. What was up with that pathetic reality TV show the band did last year? Trying to replace Michael with that wannabe? Please! Michael is irreplaceable. If you ever had the pleasure to see him perform live, then you know what I mean. I have seen A LOT of concerts and he is one of the top 2 most charismatic people I have EVER SEEN perform on stage (the other is Bono of U2).

Wild Party, Baby!

2009-04-06T14:21:00.003-05:00

This past Saturday night a friend of ours, whom also relocated from Boise to Minneapolis for a job, hosted a party to "Say Goodbye to Winter". Of course while we were partying it up, it was raining and pouring slush from the sky, but hey, it is a state of mind...right? Anyways, she sent this cute picture of Parker and I from that evening. You can't see it in the picture, but he is also wearing a skinny mod black tie underneath his sweater vest. The boy has style, that is for sure.

Sucked Into a Big Black Hole...and I Can't Get Out

2009-04-06T12:34:00.004-05:00

(Image from Riolento.com)

Wow! It has been longer than I thought since my last post. I am sure you all thought that I have vanished into some deep, dark black hole in the blogosphere. Honestly, I had no idea it had almost been two months since my last post. I kept intending to write a quick blurb, but time has just been so slippery lately. I just can not believe how quickly the hours tick by...especially since I don't "go to work" anymore. Let me tell you, days have NEVER flown by as fast as they have lately.

Why so busy you might wonder? Well, lots has happened:

First- I FINALLY finished my window shade that I was making in my class. I am so proud of myself! It ACTUALLY looks like a nice London shade!! I will post a picture for you all to admire. :) That took up a lot of time since there was so much hand work that I needed to do.

Second- Phillip and I FINALLY made arrangements for our vacation. We are leaving in the beginning of May to go to Antigua in the Caribbean! A whole week of high thread count sheets, no baby, sleeping in, and the beach! Complete and total bliss and relaxation. (Heavy sigh) Phillip's parents are flying into Minnesota to watch over Parker while we are away. It is such a blessing that they are willing to do that (though I am quite certain that they can't wait to spend a whole week with Parker), but at the same time, I am working my butt off trying to get the house put together, baby proofed and organized so it will, hopefully, be easier on them. Yikes!! Lot's of work. By the time I am done with all of that, I will most definitely need a vacation.

Third - I joined a book group. Not that I actually have time to complete a book (unless it reads like a teen book like the Twilight series does). I have been wanting to do that for some time, but just could not quite get it together. I remember that I used to read ALL THE TIME (before I discovered New Wave music), and I missed it. I hope that this group will give me a chance to read some of the wonderful books that are out there currently, reread the classics, as well as force me to read books that I would never consider reading before. We just finished reading Manhunt - The 12 Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer (well, the group finished it...I have about 100 or so pages to go still). I never would have picked this book, but I must say, it is quite interesting. I will fill you all in on that once I actually finish the book.

Fourth- Phillip is working his butt off trying to get the family room project completed in the next week or two so that I have enough time to pull the house together and baby proof it before we leave for vacation. So all of his extra time is going to the project, which takes away the extra time I would usually do stuff like blogging.

Fifth - Phillip and I just decided to have someone redo our kitchen cabinets. They seriously need to be redone. We thought that we would have to throw out all of the existing cabinets and get all new (which is $$$$$), but after talking to a home contractor at Home Depot, we have found out otherwise. So now Phillip and I are trying to pull all of that together; picking a back splash and counter top...etc. I will update you on that project as well once it starts gaining momentum.

Sixth (as if the previous five were not enough)- I signed up for another "How To" class. This time I am going to learn how to make drapes. That class will start in the middle of the month. I have all ready ordered my fabric and will update you all on that project soon as well.

On top of all that I mentioned, Parker is starting to take his first steps! So far he can't make it past three steps in a row, but we are working on it. I have also been trying to do different projects with him on a daily basis. That has probably been one of the things that takes most of my time lately. I blame that all on a new baby book I got that comes up with different daily activities for the toddler for every day of the year.

Whew! I am all ready pooped and I haven't even made it to the gym yet (another thing Parker and I do at least three times a week)!! But I will start posting again (she says while holding her breath).

Video Wednesday - Meiko

2009-02-18T17:45:00.001-06:00

I thought this was a pretty cute little video. I loved the bear, but after a while it started creeping me out.

Parker's Big Boy Car Seat

2009-02-17T16:21:00.002-06:00

Now that Parker finally turned one, we were able to buy him a bigger car seat. It was a good thing too! He was way too tall for his other car seat, but with the laws what they are, he had to stay in it until he was one. As usual, I had Phillip choose the seat...he seems to enjoy researching consumer reports and stuff like that. Supposedly the one he picked is "top rated" and should grow with Parker for a while. I just look at the seat and think it is huge. When Parker is in the seat while driving around, it looks like he has his own personal Lazy Boy in the truck...it cracks me up.

Great Fabric from Cicada Studio

2009-02-17T10:17:00.008-06:00

I am loving the new graphic designed fabric from Cicada Studio's Etsy shop. So graphic and fun! I only wish there was a black and white fabric, especially in the zig zag. It is just the right amount of modern print that I want to add to my black and white medallion print wallpaper for the family room.

Cicado Studio's Earthly Delights series also has some nice prints in it. I like the light blue and green in the two above. I think the above two fabrics would be adorable as a little apron or something.

He's Just Not That Into You

2009-02-16T09:23:00.003-06:00

Since we could not find a sitter for this weekend, Valentine's Day was pretty uneventful. I ran a few errands and Phillip worked on his room project for a while. It is probably for the best since Parker has been going through a whiny phase right now. On Sunday, I met a bunch of the girls for lunch and then the movie, He's Just Not That Into You.

Now, I have not read the book yet - only skimmed a few chapters. I have to read it in bits and pieces because every time I do read it, I get mad at some guy I dated (or married) and get mad at myself for making such cliche mistakes. I could not figure out how the book could translate into a movie. But I must say, the movie was surprisingly cute. Though, I do not recommend that you go on a date night to this movie...it could raise a few issues. Go with a bunch of girl friends and you will all have a good laugh. I promise you, every single one of us have had at least one of the scenes in the movie, or some version of it, happen to us. Go see for yourself. It just might make a light bulb turn on in your brain..."Why didn't I see this before?!? It is so obvious!"

Perfect Little French Chairs

2009-02-16T09:08:00.003-06:00

(images from Fabulousmess's Shop on Etsy.com)

I am loving these chairs on Etsy right now. So vintage, so French, so different. They probably are not the most comfortable chairs to sit on, but does that really matter? I can easily see them in our house! The problem is, I all ready have way too many chairs (4 chairs that need to be recovered), so the last thing I really need to spend our money on is more chairs I don't know what to do with. Still, these chairs are so sculptural...I love them. Check out the other items at Fabulousmess' shop on Etsy - lots of vintage items and reupholstered items.

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-13T22:19:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day to you all! I hope you all spend the day with the people that are most precious to you. I will be spending the day with my little family. Hopefully the weather will continue to be decent (for February in Minnesota) and we can take a nice stroll outside. And of course, eat lots of chocolate hearts!

Poor Little Guy

2009-02-13T13:54:00.004-06:00

(Image found at www.zwani.com/graphics/antivalentines_day/)

I could not help but laugh when I saw this...of course I don't agree with it. Unfortunately, all of my big Valentine's plans were screwed up when I "lost" a week recently. Even the toddler V-day party is canceled. I feel so bad about it, but I try to remember that Parker will not remember - yet.

Searching for...

2009-02-12T14:26:00.004-06:00

Well, I am trying to find a light for the family room that Phillip is currently working on. Right now, there is a cheap chandelier that came with the house. I absolutely hate it, it is so generic looking. Besides, now it has to be replaced thanks to some overly enthusiastic boys on Parker's birthday (Thanks boys! Now Phillip has to agree that we need a new light.). Since the light in my living room is very modern, I want the light in the adjoining room to be completely opposite, but I can't seem to find one that I like. Of course, while I have been searching high and low for this light, I have found lighting for every other room in the house. I have particularly fell in love with the light below.

It is SO different from any other light I have seen. It would be great in my entry way. I found this light at 1st Dibs, a great antique site that has some great items. Unfortunately, this light has a very HIGH price tag. So I can only lust after this light.

If any of you have any lighting suggestions for my family room, please share. You know how to contact me.

Video Wednesday

2009-02-11T20:59:00.004-06:00

(Murder on the Dance Floor - Sophie Ellis Bextor)

Kelly introduced me to Sophie Ellis Bextor a few years back with this song, Murder on the Dance Floor. I luv, Love, LOVE this song. It is just so catchy! And the video cracks me up. Kelly always said that the video reminded him of me because I am so COMPETITIVE, especially on the dance floor. And come on, the part where they do the hustle cracks me up! By the way, love her shoes!! And the bracelets she is wearing. Sophie is always so stylish.

(If You Can't Do It When Your Young - Sophie Ellis Bextor)

I love Sophie's hair in this video. Now that my hair is finally getting back to normal (it was falling out like crazy after my pregnancy. My hair was really thin. I even had a bald spot!!), I hope that I can grow it out to style it like Sophie has here. I have always loved this style. Feminine, retro and classy. Angela, if you are reading this...please make a mental note the next time I see you at the salon. Thanks!! :)

My Window Shade Project

2009-02-10T15:51:00.005-06:00

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I had a momentary lapse of insanity and signed up for a How To Make Your Own Window Shade class. I was originally planning on making shades for the room that Phillip is currently working on. But once I tried to come up with a design concept and fabric choice I started to panic. I could not come up with a plan that I was happy with and I felt all sorts of pressure to hurry up and make a decision in time for my next class (class is every Wednesday night for 6 more weeks). I finally decided to make a shade for the library nook in our home. Keep in mind that Phillip probably won't even be able to work on this room until next winter, but I have all ready decided to wallpaper the small nook in one of the papers I was considering for the family room we are currently working on. With that decision made, a fabric choice and design came pretty easy. Now hopefully I will be able to make it look like a custom piece and not some cheap thing...we will see.
This wallpaper is designed by Nina Campbell. I love her designs, so traditional and very English...perfect for a library nook! With the black background on the paper as well as all of the dark wood molding from the fireplace and bookshelves, the space will be quite dark and cozy - completely opposite of the rest of the open main floor with the light blue walls and black and white wallpaper. The paper will be one of the first things guests will see upon entering the house, which will eventually set the tone for our home (once our house is done...someday...).

The shade fabric is from the new Amy Butler line. I am a huge fan of Amy's and have mentioned her a few times all ready on the blog. The fabric is actually light grey and white (not so creamy like on the above picture). I think this fabric will lighten up the darkness of the rest of the room - especially since the window is about 56"wide x 75"long! Directly under the window will probably be a mirrored vanity desk, which will also reflect a lot of light.

Goodness, I all ready have most of this room designed and furnished, and I haven't even begun the room Phillip is working on or finished the living room yet. It is so hard to focus on one room at a time...I am such a Gemini!

Finally Decided on Wallpaper...

2009-02-10T15:08:00.003-06:00

Well, it took a while for me to decide, and truthfully and am still wavering, but I have come to a final decision on the wallpaper I want to use for the family room. I went with one of my first choices, the Designers Guild wall paper. Hopefully the print will be big and bold enough that is will help take some of the "eye sore" out of Phillip's HUGE TV that will go on this wall. I think the black and white will look nice with the light blue on the walls. The paper definitely has both a traditional and a modern feel to it...perfect for my decorating aesthetic.

Progress Report on Phillip's Latest Project...

2009-02-10T14:07:00.006-06:00

As most of you know, Phillip has been working on the dining room of our house, which we will use as our family room once it is completed. He has come a long way since my first post. He has all ready dry walled most of the walls, patched holes, sanded plaster, primed and even replaced baseboards and began the first coat of paint! He has also changed out some outlets from a two outlet station to a four outlet station. Way to go Phillip!

(To see the before shots, click here.)

Ceiling before Phillip did anything to it.

Ceiling primed and one coat of paint. This ceiling was in pretty decent shape, so he only had to do a little work to the plaster.

Walls have had new drywall. Some insulation is also added.

New baseboard cut and primed. Also a new 4 head electrical outlet.

The walls still need the painting finished. The windows need to get the decorative trim replaced and cut. Phillip also says there are a few electrical things that need to be completed. It looks like I am finally able to order my wall paper!

Sad Goodbyes...

2009-02-09T13:40:00.002-06:00

Hello Everyone!

First I want to thank you all that have contacted me to express their sincerity of the passing of my Grandmother Hazel. Many of my friends have heard the stories of my grandmother and her sometimes crazy and eccentric ways. I love her for all of those memories and will truly miss her. I was blessed with the chance to have one last conversation on the phone with her the night before she had passed. I thank God for that chance.

Another goodbye that makes me sad, though doesn't EVEN COMPARE, is the farewell to Domino magazine. This is old news by now, most of you probably found out about this news while I took last week off. It is true though, Domino will run one more issue before they forever close their doors. I am shocked that this happened since I know how so many people love this magazine. It is the only American magazine that is focused on realistic budgets and great decorating ideas, not like Elle Decor or Metropolitan Home, which have VERY HIGH DECOR BUDGETS. I have been a huge fan of Domino from the very first issue, and I haven not missed one single issue. I would get so excited when my Domino showed up in the mail every month. It was always a "good mail day". Sadly, with this weakened economy, Domino just could not get the advertisers they needed. Hopefully, with this door closing, another one will open soon.

Sorry For Missing This Week...

2009-02-06T09:27:00.004-06:00

I will be back to normal next week. I took this week off to spend time with Parker and to reflect. My grandmother, Hazel, passed away last Saturday, so I have been a bit sad some days. Hope you all have a great weekend.

I Must Have Been Smoking Crack When...

2009-01-29T09:39:00.003-06:00

I decided to sign up for a Window Shades Class. That's right. I, who have just barely learned to sew a straight line, signed up for a "How to Make Your Own Window shades Class". The class is designed to help you learn how to create Roman, Balloon, London, and other various types of shades. We can bring our projects to class with us and the instructor will help us create them. Depending on how much time we can devote to the project on our own, we should be able to complete 2 or 3 shades (I have 4 for the room I am focusing on. The same room that Phillip is working on right now). Actually, the project will not require a sewing machine - everything is hand work. YIKES! I can barely sew on a button...and it certainly does not look good when I finish. This is going to be interesting to say the least...

I guess I better hurry up and decide on my fabric story. Which means I also have to hurry up and make a final decision on the wallpaper. I have to have all of this decided and the fabric purchased for the shades by next Wednesday evening's class. What have I gotten myself into??

Trina Turk Spring Line

2009-01-28T14:58:00.002-06:00

(All images from Trina Turk.com)

I am so completely crushing on Trina's Spring '09 line! I don't know if it is because she has all of those fabulous bright colors or I just love the way the photos are styled...whatever the reason, I am drooling! But alas, how can I even think about spring when it is ZERO DEGREES here. Sigh.

Notice the adorable tights in the above picture? I love the idea of the tights paired with this dress...and the cute little shoes. I might be able to get away with this look at the toddler park...

Phillip and I are talking about a vacation...I could always use a cute little sun dress.
I love the pencil skirt styled in such a resort sort of way! And the green ROCKS! And there are those tights again!
Zebra trench coat, vintage looking sunglasses and an adorable hat?! All of my favorite things!

Video Wednesday - Whatever Happened to Natalie Merchant?

2009-01-28T14:52:00.002-06:00

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

Show all

This song was never one of my favorite 10,000 Maniacs songs. But somehow hearing it again, now that I am a mother, this song really bothers me. It makes me teary eyed to think of the children out in this world that don't have it as good as Parker.

Dakota Fanning in the Next Twilight Movie?

2009-01-27T14:00:00.004-06:00

(image taken from Yahoo! News)

Hmm...I am pretty happy that our little Dakota is considering the role as Jane in the next Twilight movie, New Moon. I am a huge fan of Dakota's. I think she is an amazing actress - and she is not even quite 15! But the role that they are considering her for, Jane, is such a small part in the book. It makes me wonder what direction Mr. Weitz is taking the movie. Since Dakota would undeniably be the BIGGEST and most RESPECTED actress in the entire cast (I love you Rob, but other than the one Harry Potter movie, you have not done much to be noticed other than be incredibly good-looking and have AWESOME hair!), I would like to think that Mr. Weitz will make her role in the second movie bigger than what it actually is in the book. Personally, I couldn't be happier about that! (SPOILER ALERT! If you have not read New Moon yet and want to, don't read the rest!) The second book is probably my least favorite of the entire series. I feel there is WAY TOO much Jacob in there and not enough Edward. We don't even get to read about Edward until the second half of the book, for the most part. Yuck! Jacob is way too juvenile for me to dedicate 200 pages. Clearly, I am "Team Edward". Dakota's character, Jane, is in the second half of the book with Edward in Italy. I am inclined to believe that the movie would focus more on that part...which means less Jacob. Yeah!

I am definitely interested to see what Chris Weitz is going to do with the next movie...and it will certainly help that he will have a much bigger budget for special effects. I don't think I could sit through another 2 hours of bad vampire make-up and poor special effects...come on! I could practically see the wire on the jumping and running scenes in the forest! Cut the cord all ready!!

Are They Any Good?

2009-01-27T13:17:00.003-06:00

Are any of you familiar with the Banana Republic non-iron men's shirt? I have not heard anything about them, but if they REALLY don't need to be ironed, I want to buy a bunch for Phillip. I hate ironing more than anything else (I would rather clean the toilet - yuck!). Let me know if you have any information on them - comment or email me. Are they any good?

Rug Sale at West Elm

2009-01-27T12:47:00.008-06:00

Rugs are so expensive, so I thought I would make sure you knew about the rug sale going on at West Elm - in case you needed a rug. The sale is 20% off all rugs. They have a few styles, mostly modern and ethnic in styling. But with a bit of imagination, at least one rug in the selection will probably work with your decor. The ones I selected below are some of my favorites from West Elm's selection.
The Alhambra Rug has a great modern Moroccan look to it! This is the type of rug I want to use for our master bedroom (when and if we ever get to that project! Sigh!) This style can be used in so many different types of decor - modern country, south west, modern, eco-chic, ethnic...
I am a firm believer that EVERY home has a spot that could use a zebra print rug. This style will go with EVERYTHING! I would snatch this one up if it was available in black and white as well as the brown and white you see above. I plan on using a zebra rug when we work on the guest room that will be decorated in pinks. The room will be ultra feminine, so the zebra rug will help tone the girlishness down a bit.

The Andalusia rug's design will also work with many different styles. I particularly think the red color is very nice and can think of a few friend's homes that the rug would look nice in. This rug also comes in the classic color palette brown and white.

If there wasn't so much snow outside my front door right now, I would consider this indoor/outdoor braided rug for our front porch. Phillip will be finished with the front porch project by the end of summer. With any luck, we will also have the front yard landscaped! But there is too much snow to think about this right now...

I am seriously considering this zig-zag rug for the upstairs hallway. I wanted something that had a zig-zag or chevron print. It has been difficult to find one that is small enough for the space I have. I also need one that is a flat weave since I have so many doors that open out into the hallway. The doors won't open over most rugs with a thicker pile. This rug would be perfect for me if it wasn't trimmed in red. I think it will still work though, seeing how red is my favorite color and I can't seem to help myself by adding pops of red in every room somehow. I really don't think I will find something better for the price. I will think about it over-night...

If you think you need a rug, check out the sale!

A Reason to Learn How to Knit

2009-01-24T10:27:00.002-06:00

(Image from the Style Files)

Can you imagine driving down the road and all of a sudden coming across this tree that someone knitted? I would probably crash my car from shock! But I love it!! It is so cheeky! Of course I wish I could do this to my tree...but first I need to know how to knit...and a tree in our front yard wouldn't hurt either (which we don't have). I wonder what our neighbors would think?

Sweet Treats for Valentine's Day

2009-01-22T09:22:00.006-06:00

Now that I am finished with Parker's birthday, Valentine's Day is on my mind. I received a great email from Fancy Flours, a great baking supply online store, that had all sorts of eye-candy Valentine inspiration. Their sweet treats are so gorgeous! I would love to get something beautiful like this as a gift...even more, I would love to be able to make something this gorgeous - as long as it tasted as good as it looks!

A sweet little spin on the typical Christmas gingerbread house. I never thought of a Valentine's house...oh the things you can do with sweet little hearts!

(All photos from Fancy Flours.com)

I wish it would snow pink snow...wouldn't that be a sight?

Video Wednesday - Travis versus Britney

2009-01-21T15:21:00.004-06:00

I recently posted a video from one of my favorite bands, Travis. I had the pleasure of seeing them in concert a while back, and they certainly did not disappoint. They were so fun to see live - they weren't so serious. Besides a lot of dialogue, at the end of the show, they played a lot of covers that made the show quite fun. They did not sing this song...but I am not surprised that they played this. I must say, I love this version just as much as the original. Totally puts a different spin on the song, don't you think?

And now for the original - Britney Spears.

Click Here - (Hit Me Baby, One More Time)

Happy First Birthday Parker!

2009-01-20T19:58:00.007-06:00

I was busy most of last week planning Parker's First Birthday. Can you believe that he is all ready 1 years old?!? We did a Mickey Mouse theme for his party. Every morning, when we are getting ready to go to the gym, he watches Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He always stops whatever he is doing to watch Mickey Mouse. I think he loves Mickey's high pitched voice and songs.

My Mouseceteer - can you believe he kept his ears on for most of the party?

The kids playing games. Eventually, the ball broke the chandelier in the room. Luckily, it is a light that I was planning on replacing as soon as Phillip is finished with the remodel project.

The gang watching Parker and me open his gifts.

Since Parker wasn't too interested in opening the gifts- too much going on- the other kids wanted to help.

Tiana, Joe, Jess and baby Chloe. Everyone had mouse ears! What great sports our friends are!

Bradly and Parker say "Cheese".

Jess and Joe wearing their mouse ears.

We had a local bakery make Parker's first birthday cake - chocolate of course! I wanted a Mickey Mouse head, thinking that would be easy...but no one could make it. Something about copyright or some silly thing. I personally don't understand that since I could go to Michael's Craft Stores right now and purchase a Mickey Mouse cake pan this very second...if only I could decorate cakes. Well, I guess that is on my list of things I need to learn now.

Katie, Parker and I - singing Happy Birthday to Parker. You should have seen the look on his face. he didn't know what to think of all the hoop-la.

The big ice-cream project that Phillip was out of town for the past two weeks made their debut at Parker's party. They were yummy.

Instead of a Mickey Mouse head, this is what I got. It isn't exactly what I had in mind...but I am very particular about the details of my events. The cake tasted very good regardless. I suppose I will give the bakery another chance next year, but I will have to be more involved in the design of the cake. I am sure they will hate me...
If there was ever a doubt that he wasn't my son before...there certainly can't be a doubt now. Mmmm, chocolate cake! Parker absolutely loved the cake. He couldn't get enough.

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!! Mommy loves you more than you can ever imagine!

I Am Seriously Crushing on these floral tights!

2009-01-20T15:13:00.005-06:00

(Images taken from Cherry Blossom Girl)

A while back, I read a post from Cherry Blossom Girl (a fantastic styled blog concerning all things vintage and french) regarding floral tights and instantly fell in love with the images. I have always loved this look. It is one you find in magazines often, but I have found it incredibly hard to find floral tights for grown women in the U.S. I think that leg wear is an excellent way for a woman to express her femininity and personal style. Unfortunately, unless you want grey, brown or black, it is difficult to find other colors, much less floral prints (now I realize that this past season or two there has been a bit more of a variety in leg wear then what us American women are used to seeing, but you know what I mean...).

But then the heavens parted and the flood gates opened! Urban Outfitters had the cutest pair of floral tights for sale - and I am getting them! Now if it will only get warm enough to wear them here in Minneapolis...

(Urban Outfitter.com - floral tights)

Do You Ever Look Up?

2009-01-15T10:50:00.002-06:00

Oh My Goodness!! I was in the kitchen feeding Parker breakfast just now and for some reason, I looked up. What I saw absolutely grossed me out. I noticed that the ceiling fan in my kitchen was piled with a ton of greasy dust, probably collected over the past 3 years or more. I know I certainly did not clean it when I first moved in (morning sickness got in the way of a lot of my moving-in cleaning). I realize that our house has pretty high ceilings, but this was unforgivable to not notice earlier. I immediately thought of all of the entertaining we have done in our home and was mortified to think of all the people that might have noticed the filth but where too polite to say.

Needless to say, today I am on a mission to look up EVERYWHERE. So far, I am not liking what I see. If you haven't looked up in your own home for a while, be prepared. This stuff sneaks up on you!

Video Wednesday

2009-01-15T09:27:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the lack of posts again. Phillip has still been out of town for work. He is finally home for a while. Hopefully things can finally go back to normal.

(Ben Folds & Regina Spektor - You Don't Know Me)
A friend of mine recommended this video when I posted about the top videos of 2008. I have always thought this song was cute, so I was happy to share the video with you all. I love how it is a bit quirky.

(Kate Nash - Foundations)

I love the styling of this video...especially the animation of the everyday objects. Again, a bit of quirkiness in this video.

Adorable Baby Blocks

2009-01-10T19:53:00.002-06:00

(Image from Martha Stewart.com)

Are these not the cutest blocks? I found these on Martha Stewart.com. The directions look pretty simple, so I think I might give it a try. I love that I can personalize these to Parker's interests.

The Wearstler

2009-01-10T19:23:00.003-06:00

One of my favorite designers is Kelly Wearstler. This woman rocks! Not only is she an awesome designer, but the woman is fearless when it comes to putting together an outfit -a trait I admire and envy...just watch Top Design (the only reality TV I watch religiously) and you will see what I mean. I found an article about Kelly that I thought I would share with you from one of my favorite sites, 1st Dibs...check it out! It gives us a bit more insight to Kelly and her beautiful rooms...and she likes The Cure! A woman after my own heart!

What I Have Been Up To This Past Month - Part 4

2009-01-10T18:57:00.007-06:00

At last, my final post about what we have been up to this past month while we were all sick.

I think I might have mentioned it before, but we did not get a Christmas tree this year. I know, I know...a complete sin, especially for Parker's first Christmas. Seriously, we were all too sick to go get a tree. I did not want to take Parker out in this cold. I kept thinking "soon", but soon never came. Luckily, Santa did not have to worry about merchandising his gifts too much since Parker won't remember it anyways. I will be ready for next year though...I finally broke down and purchased a really nice fake tree. I know, I know...a fake tree does not sound like me. But seriously, who wants to go out looking for a stupid tree in this weather? Apparently, it is sooo cold here that the tree branches are frozen while the tree is tied up. You need to let the tree stand upright for a couple of days without the ties before you can decorate it...you need to let your tree thaw out! What in the world!!! I certainly never had to do THAT in Vegas. Boy, the things I never appreciated when I lived in Sin City.
I think it is safe to say that he was pretty excited about his new sweatsuit.

Lucky boy...most of the presents were for him. All of you were VERY generous to him. Parker thanks you all. It ended up taking Parker 3 whole days to open everything.

My sister, being the rocker chick that she is, got him this little drum and music set. It is one of those toys that he loves and I don't. Let's just say, "Where's the aspirin?"

The boys on Christmas morning.

Video Wednesday (on Saturday)

2009-01-10T17:43:00.006-06:00

(Click here to see Travis - My Eyes)

OK, quite possibly the cutest video I have ever seen. But seriously, could you expect anything else but cute from Travis' Fran? He is just as cute as a button. As soon as I saw this video, it made me think of my own little rock-n-roll baby, Parker. I think this will be my theme song I will sing to him over and over again. By the time he is 18, I am sure Parker will be sick of this song.

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

(Travis - Closer)

I love all of the dancing in the grocery store. There are so many times I am in the supermarket and I hear some cheesy song playing quietly in the background. I always catch myself singing or swaying to the music.

I definitely think Travis is one of those bands that should get way more attention than what they get. I mean come on, I can totally hear this sound on VH1...and their videos are always so cute. For the life of me, I don't understand why they haven't gotten more attention. They are also great to see live, so if you ever get a chance to go to their concert, take advantage of it. Fran is so entertaining...a total goof ball. Not at all the stuffy, serious type.

Where's Parker?

2009-01-05T23:21:00.009-06:00

From the very beginning, Phillip and I played peek-a-boo with Parker, throwing one of his little rags over his head and calling for him, eventually taking it off with a bunch of fan fare and such. He always enjoyed it. One day I was vacuuming and threw one of his rags off to the side. I didn't notice first, but he grabbed the rag and began to play peek-a-boo on his own! I was so shocked...and it was so cute. I was cheering so loudly for him that I am sure our neighbors heard. Unfortunately, Phillip was at work and missed the "big event".

This past month, while we were holed up in the house sick, Phillip managed to tape a short clip of it for you all. The quality isn't very good, so sorry.

What I Have Been Up to This Past Month...part 3

2009-01-05T22:18:00.014-06:00

Phillip and I waited till Christmas week before we took Parker to meet Santa for the first time. We planned on doing it sooner, avoiding the crazy crowds, but as you know, our whole house-hold was sick for most of the season. We went to the old Macy's downtown. It is one of the old-fashioned department stores that is independent of malls and shopping centers. They had the entire 8th floor devoted to the North Pole and Santa. The theme this year was the "Day in the Life of the Elf", leading us down a path from the beginning of the Elves' day all the way down to meeting the big guy in red himself. It was very well done and I can only imagine how many hours and how much planning had to go into merchandising something like that.
Parker and I sitting at the North Pole Christmas tree.

This little piggy was twirling around, helping to decorate the North Pole tree. I thought it was so cute...I have a thing for pigs...probably why I love pug dogs so much.

Santa's toy shop busy at work. Personally, I thought the elves's looked a little evil, but the kids seemed to like it.

Parker and Phillip waiting in line to meet Santa. It wasn't that bad. I think we waited for an hour or so (considering it was two days before Christmas, I thought that was pretty good). Parker loved all the lights and activity around him.

Parker took all of the commotion in stride. He handled the waiting better than Phillip.

Is this not one of the cutest pictures ever? When we were finally up to meet Santa, everyone was concerned that Parker (because he is a baby) would start crying once he met Santa. I wasn't worried. Parker does not know what the word "stranger" means (a cute thing now, but could be worrisome later). He instantly took a liking to Santa and hung out with him for a while. We had so many cute poses of him with Santa that it was very difficult to choose. I only wish that I had the good sense to plan ahead and have a Santa picture for my Christmas card (not that I was even able to get those out this year, but you know what I mean).

Wallpaper - What Do You Think?

2009-01-04T20:23:00.011-06:00

I mentioned in the post below that I plan on wallpapering the wall Phillip's monstrous TV will be on. Hopefully, the paper will help prevent the TV from looking like one big black hole (or at least not so obvious). I thought that a printed wallpaper would cause a nice distraction to the TV...or perhaps a black background paper to help hide it. I don't plan on papering the whole wall - just framing a large section (maybe 10 feet or so) with picture molding like a large piece of artwork.

It was fun looking through all of the paper books, though I had a good idea of what I was looking for. I have narrowed it down to 6 possibilities.

This was the only paper from a line that I had not heard of before and unfortunately can not remember the name right now to share with you. The picture does not do it justice. The print is actually textured with some sort of foil that changes color as your perspective moves. One moment it is black on black, then blue, then green and here copper. This is by far the most masculine paper I selected. As suspected, it is one of Phillip's top choices so far. I thank the sales guy to suggesting it to me or I would never have found it.

I love this print because it is so busy. With so much going on, the TV will have to "fight the competition"to stand out-plus it uses a lot of the colors I am incorporating in my design on the lower level.

This is one of the papers I preselected before I went to the paper shop. It is from Designer's Guild. I am a HUGE fan of everything DG. Tricia Guild utilizes all of the traditional Rococo styling and mixes the prints and colors in such modern ways. In this paper, the little dots are a light gold. I think this paper would look so crisp against the light blue of our walls. Phillip really liked this paper as well.

A beautiful traditional looking paper from Nina Campbell. I thought with the black background, the TV would get a bit lost. Also, the white flowers lends to the crisp black and white feeling,but in a more subtle way than the previous paper. I also like the moss green in the leaves as I intend to incorporate that color with fabrics throughout the house.

Another Nina Campbell paper that I had preselected. This image is from the Domino Decorating Book. (By the way, I STRONGLY recommend getting this book if you spend any time decorating your house, no matter what your design level is.) I like this paper for all of the same reasons as the above paper, except this one has more light blue in it. That is nice since the walls of my living room and the family room are light blue.

This picture is very misleading. The background is black as well, but with more of a brown/red undertone. There is also silver foil in some of the flower leaves. I actually just added this one into the mix at the last minute, but I was surprised that Phillip has this listed as one of his possibilities.

I should get the actual samples in a week or so. Then we can actually hold them up to the space we will use them in with the wall color. Hopefully we will make a good decision. What are your thoughts? I would love to hear them. Email me or comment here on the blog.

Dining Room/Family Room Remodel Project

2009-01-04T19:04:00.015-06:00

Since the weather has turned to below freezing mostly at this point, Phillip has been forced to pause the work on the porch remodel project and began working on the room next to our living room. Technically, the room is a dining room, but we plan on making it into a family room since it is the only room in the house, with the exception of the bedrooms, that has a wall big enough to hold Phillip's monstrous 50" plasma TV (really, who needs a TV that big?). During the holidays, he had two weeks off and wanted to start work on this project. Even though he caught the cold that Parker and I had, he still worked almost every day on the room. Before you say anything, I didn't make him...he likes to do this stuff. I must say that I am impressed with the progress that he has made in such a short amount of time.

The first shot in each series is the "before" from when we first looked at the house and considered purchasing it. The bar is just one of the built-ins that Phillip loved about the house. You might think that there isn't really anything wrong with the room - why change it? Well, you can't tell in the photo, but in between each boxed panel on the wall is wallpaper...4 layers of it! It looked awful. We later discovered that it was also covering some major wall damage. This room needed a lot of TLC.

The window wall definitely needs the most work. Once Phillip removed the wallpaper, he found that there was a large whole where the plaster had crumbled behind the radiator under the window. He had to strip the wall to the bare bones. Unfortunately, he got the drywall up and skimmed before I was able to take a photo of how scary it looked. You can get a small idea of what it looked like though in the closest picture above...see the wood peaking out behind the drywall? The whole window wall looked like that. On a more positive note, since the wall was stripped to the bones, it gave us the opportunity to add insulation to the wall (something this house is in serious need of but would cost WAY TOO much to do if we did not need to strip all of the walls down.)

Even though the plate railing is nice, I thought it was WAY too much dark wood in one little room, making the room appear very "heavy". I wanted it to feel a lot more brighter and lively, like a young, active family actually lives here...not a traditional grandma (no offense grandparents!). Phillip removed all of the extra boxing on the walls, leaving one big wall for him to place his HUGE TV. I am planning on placing wallpaper on this wall to hopefully help camouflage the TV a little bit.

In the matter of time that it has taken me to post this (about 3 days after I took these pictures), Phillip has all ready skimmed and sanded the plaster walls, caulked and put up 2 coats of primer paint. Still, he is far from being completed. The wood still needs to be treated, painting the baseboards and the crown molding as well as the boxed ceiling. The window will also need some TLC, and we have learned that those take a lot of time. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Happy New Year's!

2008-12-31T20:38:00.002-06:00

Please be safe and have a great New Year's Eve! I look forward to talking with you in 2009!!

Video Wednesday...Special New Year's Edition

2008-12-31T16:23:00.035-06:00

In the spirit of New Year, I thought I would make my own list of Top 5 Videos of 2008. I put a lot of thought into this list over the past week and it certainly was not easy to narrow them down and even more difficult to list them in order. In fact, every hour I change my mind...but enough is enough.

I didn't choose videos on the mere fact of whether or not I like the song. The video had to have something artistic or catchy or profound about it...or it just had to make me laugh. Whatever the reason, I hope you like my list. Tell me, what is yours?

VH1 TV Shows Music Videos Celebrity Photos News & Gossip
#5 - Leona Lewis - Better in Time: I love how the video goes back and forth between the black and white film and the colored film with black and white. The vividness of color in short blasts seems to match the intensity of the lyrics. I think it is a beautiful video and made me like the song.

VH1 TV Shows Music Videos Celebrity Photos News & Gossip

#4 - Gnarls Barkley - Who's Gonna Save My Soul?: I get so grossed out every time I see this video, but I can not help but watch it every time it is on. It is so disturbing but at the same time, so truthful when it comes to breaking up. I am sure each of us have felt this way at least once in our life time. I think this video is definitely unique.

VH1 TV Shows Music Videos Celebrity Photos News & Gossip

#3- Radiohead- All I Need: When I saw this video, I was left speechless and made me cry for a moment. I happened to see it for the first time on Christmas night, after Parker opened so many presents (too many, to be truthful) and I instantly felt guilty. The thought of any child having their innocence taken from them, no matter the circumstances, just breaks my heart.

The Ting Tings - New Music - More Music Videos

#2- The Ting Tings- Shut Up and Let Me Go- not only is this a catchy song from one of my favorite new bands, but the video is so cool and unique. I absolutely love how the scene changes from the little heart-shaped window they make with their hands. I also love the martial arts scene. I think it is awesome that they are fighting each other and Kate totally kicks Jules' butt in his little red jeans.

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

#1- Katy Perry - Hot & Cold - I had posted this video all ready for Video Wednesday, but I had to post it again as my number one choice for the year. I don't like Katy and this video is in no way thought provoking or original, but it totally cracks me up! The song is too catchy to not turn up the volume and dance along. And come on, the Bridezillas are classic on their little bicycles with smeared mascara. That is video making at it's best!

What I Have Been Up To This Past Month...part 2

2008-12-30T20:29:00.011-06:00

Over our Thanksgiving holiday break, my little family flew down to Sacramento, California to spend the holiday with Phillip's parents, Ray and Theresa. They live in a little town outside of Sacramento called Placerville. The weather was beautiful (as it always is in California) and it was great to spend some time with family and old friends. Of course, the main event was not the actual holiday, but rather the Grandparents spending time with Parker. This was their second time visiting with him since he has been born. Needless to say, I hardly got any time with him for a whole week. Parker ate up all of the attention though and absolutely loved it.

(Grandpa Ray and Parker. Grandma Theresa and Parker.)

I have never been one to get too excited about Thanksgiving. I feel like the day is wasted because it is all about one meal...big whoop. However, I do have one long time tradition...the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. I watch it every year (I just love the parade banter) with a platter of Pillsbury Orange Rolls and coffee. One year I actually got to see the parade in person while I was visiting Kelly in New York. I remember that it was very cold (this was before I lived in Minnesota, so I didn't know what cold could really mean.) and wet. It didn't really hit me that I was watching the parade until I saw the Big Bird float go by my face. At that time, I looked up at Kelly and he and I both had such silly grins on our faces. That Thanksgiving was my favorite by far.

(Parker and I watching the parade together. Parker fell asleep.)

Even though the week flew by pretty quickly, we managed to drive down to Sacramento to meet some of our old friends from the Bay area. One of the couples just had a sweet little baby girl a few months ago, so Phillip and I were very eager to meet the new addition, Sophie.

(The old gang out to dinner. Our waiter rocked! He was so patient with us and the kids. Of course, we left him a good tip.)

(Parker meeting Sophie for the first time with Nick. Shannon, Parker, Sophie and Nick.)

I think I might have to plan on an arranged marriage for Parker and Sophie. She was definitely a cutie!

We had a great time and miss all of you guys!

17 Random Things About Brandie

2008-12-30T20:09:00.002-06:00

A girlfriend of mine tagged me with this list on Facebook. I thought her list was hysterical and wanted to share with you all my own list of 17 random things about me. If you haven't tagged me with your list on Facebook, why don't you email me or leave your 17 random things in the "comments" section. I would love to learn more about each and every one of you!

The Rules: Once you've been tagged you're supposed to write 17 random things about yourself. Then tag 17 people. Tag the person who sent this to you b/c I want to know more about you!

1. I used to eat cat food when I was a little girl.
2. I can't force myself to burp.
3. New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" is STILL my favorite song to dance to.
4. I insist that Taco Bell's Pepsi is the best soda drink around.
5. I have had red, blonde, and black hair...and I still like being a brunette the most.
6. I prefer eye-glasses over contacts.
7. I am currently obsessed with the Twilight book series.
8. My celebrity crush is Ewan McGregor...I especially love it when he sports the New Wave look with eye-liner .
9. I think the sexiest thing a man can wear is a pair of Converse sneakers.
10. I hate going out in public without my lipstick/gloss.
11. I took off my second pair of braces with a pair of plyers and a bottle of vodka.
12. I had 3 sets of braces before my teeth were finally perfect.
13. I am training for a marathon.
14. I thank God every day that I was blessed w/ my son, Parker.
15. Parker was named after my favorite indie actress Parker Posey. Love, Luv, LUV her!
16. No matter how hard I try, I can't get out of Target w/out spending at least $50.
17. I like being stressed out and get more done that way, but I still complain about it.

What I Have Been Up To This Past Month...part 1

2008-12-29T22:07:00.011-06:00

In the middle of December, Phillip and I hosted our Annual Christmas Dinner. I can't be certain, but I think this was our 5th or 6th dinner. It has become my favorite holiday tradition. Phillip and I invite 12 or so people over for dinner. This is nice for us since we are usually by ourselves for the actual Christmas Holiday since we do not have any family nearby. It seems silly for Phillip and I to make a big holiday dinner for just the two of us. I had a lot more decorations than what I am posting, but unfortunately, I did not realize that I only took half of the pictures. I must have gotten distracted at the last minute doing some sort of hostess duty.

I love this Santa Claus picture that I got from Pottery Barn. I knew that it was big, but I did not realize that it would be quite as big as it was. I had to move my big mirror and artwork around just to find a wall he would fit on.

One of my favorite decorations was this little display I made with a Bambi cake topper and a little white tree in the apothecary jar. I love using the apothecary jars for various seasonal displays...especially little cutie "still life" displays. I had this in the entryway next to my little Christmas Cd's Phillip and I make every year. I like to give them to our guests as party favors.

The pictures of the table don't really give the table dressing justice. The colors were aqua, mint and silver...they really did sparkle nicely. I can't wait for next year...by then Phillip will have the family room completed and it will look so much more appealing.

Above is my YUMMY chocolate trifle dessert. I must say that I am quite proud of this. Not only did it look gorgeous, but it tasted delicious! I highly recommend this dessert if you want to make a big impact for a small effort. By the way, you don't need the trifle bowl. However, I think the proper bowl really does show off the dessert. I mean, just look at all of those yummy layers! I found the bowl at Crate and Barrel. It was much more difficult than I thought to find a proper trifle bowl.

I am sure you are all wondering about the pictures of my tree. Well, I am embarrassed to say that this year we did not get a tree. It was not my intention, but every time Phillip and I tried to go, either there was a snow storm going on or Parker was sick. Before we knew it, it was Christmas Eve. So I did something I never thought I would do...I bought an artificial Christmas Tree at the after Christmas sales. It is a gorgeous 8 foot Noble (the only real type of Christmas tree in my opinion). The needles really feel real at first touch. Never again will I be without a Christmas tree.

Video Wednesday - Iron & Wine, Boy with a Coin

2008-12-24T13:51:00.003-06:00

As I promised, I will make up for missing out on so many Video Wednesday's this month. I mentioned earlier Iron & Wine, so I thought I would choose another one of their video's. I absolutely LOVE the flamenco dancing in this! It goes beautifully with the song which is interesting since flamenco dancing usually goes with much more "choppy" sounding Spanish guitar. What I love most about flamenco dancing is the fact that most of the time, the accomplished dancers and mature, full-figured women. You rarely see skinny ballerina or hip-hop types in their early 20's. Flamenco dancing is all about showing off the woman's curves and sensuality. If you have never seen flamenco dancing in person, I strongly recommend it. Years back, when I lived in Santa Fe, a friend of mine studied flamenco and she would give my friends and I private shows. She was amazing! You can not be a timid women and be great at flamenco...you have to have power and guts to show the passion that flamenco requires. I think that is why I love it so much. Maybe one day, I will be lucky enough to learn it myself...after my long list of other things I want to learn. (Sigh)

Video Wednesday - Iron & Wine; Flightless Bird, American Mouth

2008-12-24T13:06:00.004-06:00

Some of you might not be too familiar with Iron & Wine. A few years back, I went through a MAJOR "coffee-house" music phase...it was all I listened to. Iron & Wine was one of my favorites and I listened to them all the time at work. I listened to them so much that I got sick of them and haven't listened to them again until just this week. I rediscovered them when I went to see the movie Twilight. At the final scene, this song played while Edward and Bella were dancing. It is one of those songs I instantly picked up on and obsess over - and the movie scene certainly helped the song to be more memorable. Unfortunately, I could not find a video for the song, so the video clip I have her is not too exciting. But regardless, I wanted to share this song with you. I think it is just so pretty, especially the CD version.

Happy Holidays! I have missed you all!

2008-12-24T12:41:00.004-06:00

Hello everyone! I have missed you all! I am so sad that I missed blogging during this whole, very important, season. After our trip to California over Thanksgiving, our whole little family caught the nastiest cold and took FOREVER to get over it. In fact, Parker and I still have a bit of a cough that haunts us. Between that and trying to schedule the holiday season, I completely lost my footing. I had so many posts and ideas I wanted to share with you all. I suppose I will save them for you all next year. At least I will have plenty of time to work on them so I won't have any excuses for not posting.

What have we been up to (besides being sick)? Phillip and I threw our annual Christmas dinner. I will share photos soon with you. It went well and I was pleased that it came out decently even though we were all sick. We also went to Phillip's holiday work party. It is nice that his boss always tries to do something special for the R&D Team. All of the other holiday activities I had planned on I had to cancel. I was so disappointed, but I was just too sick. It was a struggle to just get the gifts purchased (I still have a ton of wrapping to do). I didn't even get my Christmas Cd's in the mail this year...the first time in 6 years! For all of you that are wondering what happened to them, I apologize. I did make them, I just didn't get to mailing them out. I will have to remember to send them out with next year's Cd's.

On a positive note, I was happily surprised that I heard most of you were wondering what happened to my posts. I didn't think anyone really checked this blog much. It was also nice to hear what specifically you all missed...I got a lot of requests for Video Wednesday to come back soon. Since I missed out on a whole month's worth, I will make it up to you this next month.

I will try to do better staying in touch. In the mean time, Happy Holidays to all of you! I wish I could share a yummy hot-chocolate and the season festivities with you all! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

Luv,
Brandie

Amy Butler Christmas

2008-11-20T08:53:00.006-06:00

I discovered the coolest fabric store in town yesterday called Crafty Planet. They have the best selection of unique fabrics that I have ever seen. They carry a lot of fabrics from various indie textile designers. They also carry the most adorable selection of fabric for children - very vintage and very Tokyo Pop. I wish I would have known about this place when I was putting together Parker's bedroom. I would have spent a bundle!

I went there particularly for Amy Butler fabric. She has such amazing fabric - a great combination of traditional and modern, which is exactly the look I am working towards in our home. But I did not go there for a decorating project. I went there for a Christmas project. I bought the Mary Engelbreit Home Companion magazine the other day. Normally, this magazine hasn't been my sort of thing, but it had Amy Butler's home for Christmas on the cover. Amy decorated her house for Christmas EXACTLY the way I want to. So, of course, I had to get it. Surprisingly enough, she had some projects shown that you can download for free! I bought the fabric to make the tree forest for a table display. For this free pattern and more, check out Amy Butler.com. At the bottom left, you will find "Free Patterns". Select ME Holiday for Christmas ideas, but check out all of the free patterns. You never know what you find!

(image from Amy Butler Design.com)

Weekly Video - I've Been Rick Rolled!

2008-11-20T08:15:00.002-06:00

Rick Astley MTV Music

Whatever happened to Rick Astley? Roll your eyes all you want...you know you loved his singles in the 80's - that is, if you were old enough. You can't help but tap your foot and sing a long.

Viva la Coldplay!

2008-11-18T21:17:00.005-06:00

Everyone is asking, "How was the concert?" Well, I will tell you - AWESOME!! I was pleasantly surprised. Don't get me wrong, I love Coldplay. They are one of the few bands that I can listen to an entire CD from beginning to end and not skip over a bunch of songs. They are very talented for sure. As I mentioned before, Phillip and I saw them when they first came out with Parachutes, and though the songs were great, they were BORING. Boy, what a difference 6 or 7 years will make. I was completely charmed by Chris. Not only was he full of energy, wriggling all around the stage like some sort of giant Gumby, but he was so gracious. He talked about how much fun they were having and how much they appreciated the response their fans gave them. The stage and filming that went with the show were amazing. Definitely some of the best film work I have seen with a concert...arty, but not pretentious. At the point of the show where they performed Lovers in Japan (see post below. Watch the video again and imagine thousands of butterflies surrounding you while the music is playing), thousands of foil butterflies and flowers fell from the ceiling for what seemed to be at least 10 minutes. It was so beautiful - they were floating all of the place. It was a particularly neat effect since we were directly underneath it all (we had floor seats).

I have been to t TON of concerts in my time, and I have to say that I witnessed something I have never witnessed before at a concert...especially one that is as big as Coldplay. They were so grateful to their fans that the whole band marched towards the back of the audience, in the bleacher seats, and wedged themselves in between all of these people sitting there and proceeded to sing a few songs. Everyone's mouth just dropped. That was the moment that won me over...well, that and the butterflies.

All in all, one of the better shows I have seen. They sang everything I could have possibly wanted, and of course closed with Yellow. That song never gets old. Well done, Coldplay. You have restored my faith in your live shows.

My Heart Just Melted

2008-11-13T22:08:00.002-06:00

For a while now, I have been trying to teach Parker how to give a kiss good-night. I ask for a kiss (usually several times) and eventually he will lean forward to my mouth with his mouth WIDE OPEN for his "kiss". It is wet and slobbery and I wouldn't trade it for anything. But tonight, when I was getting him ready for bed, he did something different and I had to write it down so I wouldn't forget how special it was.

Parker has been teething in a bad way lately. It seems to bother him mostly at night around bed time. You can tell it hurts because he whines and whimpers, wants to be cuddled (not normal for him) and will let me rock to sleep while singing quietly to him. While we were sharing this quite time together, he lifted his little head from my shoulder with the sweetest look (I swear little hearts were shooting out of his eyes) and proceeded to give me his version of a kiss all on his own! I did not have to ask him for it at all. I swear my heart melted to mush at that very instant.

Crochet in a Different Way

2008-11-13T21:58:00.002-06:00

(Boutique Pink Designs at Etsy.com)

I know I have said this before, but I am constantly amazed by people's talent. Crochet had been a craft that, until the last few years, had become a bit "dusty" and boring. But now, with a new generation of crafters and artists, I have seen some beautiful things. I found this fantastic scarf lariat on Etsy (one of my all time favorite sites). Check out the artist, Boutique Pink Designs. The shop has a great selection of scarves, scarflettes, wraps, fingerless gloves. The shop is full right now, so maybe you will find a fantastic Christmas gift.

Video Wednesday - Coldplay

2008-11-12T10:51:00.002-06:00

Coldplay MTV Music

I am a huge Coldplay fan. I love just about every song I have hear them sing...on CD. I saw them live back when the Parachutes album was just getting big and I have to say I was hugely disappointed. Chris had the personality of a rock and the band clearly didn't have it together to play the venue they were at. This Friday, Phillip and I are giving them another chance. I hope that after all of the practice they have had, they will put on a better show. I will let you know.

The first video, Lovers in Japan, is from their new album. I have to say, I love what their stylist has done with their look for this new album. I love the banded colors on their arms and such. It definitely was a unique statement in the beginning.

The second video, The Scientist, is one of my top favorite Coldplay songs and definitely one of my top favorite videos of all time. It is so haunting and simple. I have seen it several times but only now just noticed something at the very end. The woman took off her seat belt just for a moment to remove her coat right before the car accident. I can't tell you how many times I have done that. Now I might think twice.

Our Weekend

2008-11-11T11:52:00.003-06:00

This weekend, Parker stayed the night at a friends house. He absolutely loves staying there. He is always so tired when he comes home. My guess is from all of the constant interaction he gets. Between our friend Deb and her husband and kids, Parker doesn't have a moment to play by himself...and he loves it!

My shopping trip with the girls was great. We were at the mall from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. I know that is a LONG time. There was a private sale at Sephora (my favorite beauty store) that I wanted to go to. My girlfriend Katie and I even got makeovers. All day she walked around with a really pretty blue eyeshadow (not the 80's kind) and I had rocker chic heavy eye-liner. If you have seen the last two episodes of Gossip Girl where Little Jenny has totally rocked out her look, then you know what my eye make up looked like. It was a lot more than both Katie and I were used to, but it looked really good. Darn, it didn't occur to me until just now that we should have taken a picture!

Phillip took the afternoon that he had to himself to play poker at some card hall he found. He played for 6 hours and left with enough winnings to pay for our dinner that evening! Now if he could have won a bit more to cover my shopping...

All in all, we had a nice weekend. Even though we spent most of it separated, it was still nice to go back to who we were before Parker. By 12:00 pm on Sunday, we were both ready to pick up Parker and see his smiling face. I hate not seeing him all day and night. As soon as we walked into the door, he gave us a big smile.

Ahhh...

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2008-11-11T11:45:00.004-06:00

(Hat from Kate Spade.com)

Well, within a two week period the temperature plummeted here! We had snow flurries last weekend. The snow did not stick, but it was a sad reminder of things to come. Not that I don't like snow. I do. There is something magical about FRESH fallen snow. But when it sticks around for months and months and months (no exaggeration, unfortunately), one gets a bit sick of the snow. By then, it turns all gross and dirty. The beautiful virgin white snow is only a memory.

I think I need this hat makes the statement I will want to make by January.

Have a Great Weekend!

2008-11-08T00:00:00.002-06:00

I am looking forward to this weekend. Tomorrow, Parker is staying the night at one of our friend's house. He has occasionally slept over there and has had a lot of fun, so we will see. It is definitely much needed on mine and Phillip's side. I am spending the day with the girls at shopping. It is a real treat to go shop without Parker. I will actually get to try clothes on! I think Phillip is planning on going to the local casino and play a few hands of poker. Later, he and I will get to have a real grown-up evening with a nice dinner and get to sleep in on Sunday! Yahoo! But...as much as I crave adult time, I miss Parker after a couple of hours. I especially hate not being able to give him a kiss good night. But I just keep telling myself that these sleep overs are good for both Parker and me.

Hope your weekend is great! Any exciting plans?

First Steps!

2008-11-07T23:53:00.002-06:00

I know the picture is not that great, but Parker was only standing up for just a couple of steps, so I am lucky we got this shot. Just last weekend, I bought him his walker. I had noticed that he was really good at pulling himself up to a standing position(usually next to the couch and such), but he wasn't cruising yet. After playing with all of the gadgets that came on the cruiser and helping him feel comfortable to pull himself up to a standing position using the walker, he surprised Phillip and I by taking is first tentative steps all on his own with his walker! We were so excited!

What's Up Cupcake?

2008-11-06T17:25:00.003-06:00

(Cuppies Walking Cuppy Puppy in the City and Underwater Cuppie at Jessie Oleson's shop on Etsy)

There is something so cute about cupcakes having different adventures. Who can resist? I totally think that someone should write a series of childrens books about Cuppy and her pals. Jessie Oleson has the most adorable prints showing us all sorts of crazy adventures Cuppy has. I don't care how juvenile the prints are, I want them all to hang in my living room!

Adios Bush! (Video Wed)

2008-11-06T08:37:00.002-06:00

I realize that this is actually Thursday and not Wednesday, but at the rate I am going with my time management skills lately, I am lucky I am posting anything at all.

I thought this song choice was appropriate in light of the election this week. I know the song is a bit harsh, and I certainly don't wish Bush any harm, but it is time for a new era. Hopefully the next four years will purge us of all this "toxic crap" we have taken in as a country.

Besides, I have always been a HUGE fan of the band Drugstore. Hearing them sing reminds me of happy times in my early 20's and the people that were important to me.

When You Don't Like Your Choices...

2008-11-04T10:24:00.000-06:00

See more Natalie Portman videos at Funny or Die

Sewing Class

2008-11-04T08:11:00.005-06:00

(Image from The Daily Planner)

I thought that I would give you all an update on how my sewing class is going. Let's just say that I am hanging in there, but it is definitely causing me more stress at this time rather than enjoyment. With the age that Parker is right now, I am having a hard time keeping up with the "assignments". The only time I can really devote to sewing is when he takes a nap...and I have to share that time with eating, showering, cleaning house, blogging, etc...you get the picture. Tonight is the 5th class so far. I missed last week's class since I didn't have a chance to get my pattern pieces cut out (which I am still working on). We are starting work on our selected beginner's project. I selected a pair of toddler PJ's. I figured Parker is growing like a weed and can use the PJ's. Plus, if they are hideous, it won't matter because only Phillip and I will see them. I found this cute fabric with a Pirate theme for his first pair. I am struggling with cutting the fabric. I don't know if it is the scissors, my lack of knowledge, that I am left handed, or a combination of all three, but it is taking me FOREVER to cut the fabric! I mean FOREVER!! It is so frustrating. Come to think of it, when I was a little girl, my mother would sometimes have me try and cut her patterns out for her...I was never very good at it...always chopping up the fabric. Hopefully I can get all of the pieces cut out before tonight's class or my mean Hungarian teacher will yell at me in front of everyone (unfortunately, I am not joking about that).

Where Did All the Kids Go?

2008-11-03T13:07:00.007-06:00

Well, Halloween has come and gone. Friday was a bit anti-climatic though...I only got 4 Trick or Treaters this year!! What the heck!!?? Last year I had about 40 - that is a huge drop in numbers. The elementary school up the street from our house had some sort of party during prime trick or treating hours. I think they took all of my trick or treaters. On an upside, I did have some strange woman ring my doorbell and tell me she loved how I decorated the exterior of my house...especially the mummy. Well, I guess I will take that compliment...but I would rather have had a bunch of kids ring my doorbell instead. Now I have a TON of candy and you all know that I have no self-control when it comes to chocolate. I HAVE to eat it.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T11:41:00.002-05:00

(Image from I Think I'm an Artist)

It's Halloween night,

and all through the house,

Not a creature is lurking,

not even a mouse...

The cobwebs are spun

by the chimney with care,

In hopes that some monsters

soon will be there.

Have a Spooky and Happy Halloween!

Parker's Halloween Party

2008-10-31T08:52:00.006-05:00

Parker had his first Tot Halloween Party this last weekend. I was so nervous about it...how do you entertain a bunch of toddlers? It isn't like you can play a lot of games and make a lot of crafts.

The party ended up a much bigger success than I could have ever imagined. There were 9 toddlers in all, plus their parents. I set up a table at the back with plain pumpkin shaped sugar cookies and icing pens for parents to help the older tots decorate. I cleared a large space on the floor and brought down Parker's toys. I also have a dozen little beach balls (various sizes for babies) that had goofy skeleton faces on them. The kids really enjoyed those.

(Some of Parker's new friends)

It seemed that everyone had a lot of fun. We didn't really have any Tot meltdown (I was expecting a few). The kids all left with a party favor bag filled with a Halloween Rubber Duck, Halloween bubbles (both from Oriental Trading Co), and Goldfish Crackers.

(More of Parker's playmates)

Gothic Halloween - Killing Jar, Siouxsie and the Banshees

2008-10-31T08:31:00.003-05:00

Definitely my all time favorite Siouxsie song...definitely one of my top 15 songs of all time! Many try to be Siouxsie (hello Shakespeare's Sister), but only come across as a cheap knock off.

Gothic Halloween Dinner Party

2008-10-30T12:11:00.008-05:00

As I had mentioned in an earlier post, our Halloween Gothic Dinner Party was a hit! The food was yummy and the drinks were FANTASTIC (thanks Jess!). Conversation never slowed down. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to take pictures of the guests once they showed up (I blame the yummy Dracula Kisses...very strong with lots of liquor!).

Guests were greeted by a creepy apothecary table set with party favors (home-made Devils Food cupcakes with cream cheese icing), a brain, zombie hand, and skull. Creeping on the wall was Bernice, my HUGE spider. She spun her web all over the house.

Guests were greeted with a specialty Halloween cocktail...Dracula's Kiss or Pumpkin Pie Martinis. Both were scrumptious and went down WAY TOO smooth. I lined all of the glasses with black sugar and found these adorable sugar glass clips at Target. We all enjoyed cocktails and appetizers for a while. I will be sure to write a separate post for some of the best recipes for this weekend's events. They were a real hit.

I am not a big fan of the whole orange and black Halloween decor. I favor a black and white color scheme. It is a little bit more elegant and unexpected for Halloween. The table was set with this beautiful velvet burnout rose fabric I found at Hancock's Fabric. It thought it was perfect to go over a plain white table cloth. I had so many more plans to dress the table (IE. fold the napkins into bones), but being sick for that week and a half really forced me to take things off of my "to do" list. Oh well...there is always next year. You can bet I all ready have so great ideas for next year's dinner!

Our house has this old built-in bar cabinet. It was perfect for our setting - just add spider webs and cheese cloth! You can't tell from the pictures, but I had all of the drinks and appetizers served on old, tarnished silver trays. Over the past years, I have gone to thrift stores and picked up various old silver trays for this very purpose. They look great and elegant, tarnished and creepy, and hardly cost a thing! They are more unexpected than serving things on paper plates or Halloween trays.

I made sure that the entire house was decked out...even the second floor (where the bathroom is).

Hector, the black owl, looked over everything to make sure no one was misbehavin' too much.

So Long. Farewell.

2008-10-30T11:54:00.004-05:00

(image from Brisbane Times.com)

I can not believe it! Joaquin announced in a surprising red-carpet interview that he is retiring from acting!! The movie Two Lovers, with Gwyenth Paltrow was his last movie. Joaquin says that ever since he learned how to play the guitar for his role as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line (excellent movie by the way. He should have won the Oscar), he has discovered that he has a passion for music and wants to pursue that. He is all ready working on a music project with front man Tim Burgess of The Charlatans UK. I am interested to hear what he will come out with...I am guessing it will be a bit moody and perhaps a bit like Jack White of the White Stripes. I only with that he would have won an Oscar one of the two times he was nominated. He always picked strange characters. I loved the darkness that he brought to them. Best of luck to you Joaquin! For more information, check out the brief interview here.

Gothic Halloween - Butterfly on a Wheel, Mission UK

2008-10-30T11:51:00.000-05:00

Both Phillip and I love this song. Though, the video is not very good. One question...why do they keep showing a rose in the video instead of a butterfly? It doesn't make sense to me.

Head Waiter

2008-10-28T09:06:00.002-05:00

(image from Martha Stewart.com)

One of the many things I did last week was make this Head Waiter for my Halloween tabletop center piece. It had quite an impact on the table but was really simple to make. This project is even easy enough for older kids to do. You can find the Styrofoam head at most beauty supply stores. I purchased mine at Sally's Beauty Supply. The project uses Mod Podge, so you won't be able to complete the project in one sitting since you have to let that paper dry. I would guess that all together, this project only took about 2 hours to complete.

My finished piece!

This Weekend's Chaos

2008-10-28T08:50:00.002-05:00

Phillip and I survived this weekend's chaos. I don't know what sort of crack I was smoking when I decided to host two Halloween events back to back. But we did it and we live to tell about it.

At the last minute, we had a few hiccups regarding the guest list for our Gothic Halloween Dinner Party. Two couples had to cancel at the last minute - both with VERY good excuses...but we ended up with way more food than what we needed. Still, we ended with a dinner party of 6 and we had a lot of fun. I will have pictures up later of the decor and table. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to take pictures of all the people dressed. Boohoo. Silly me.

The event I was really worried about was Parker's First Toddler Halloween Party. I had no idea how to entertain a room full of 1-2 year olds and stay within the Halloween theme. But that, too, came off without a hitch. As a matter of fact, we had 9 babies! It was so cute. They were all dressed in costumes. I will have pictures and more information of that little party up soon as well.

Gothic Halloween - Part One

2008-10-26T19:42:00.004-05:00

In honor of Halloween this week, I thought I would post a daily video to pay homage to our Godfathers of Goth. May I introduce Mr. Peter Murphy, a man with the most haunting of lyrics and palest of skin.

Spoiler Altert! - Top Design

2008-10-23T12:31:00.005-05:00

I have been watching the show from the beginning, but never had a chance to blog about it in time before the next episode. That is unfortunate, because I, of course, have a lot to say about it!

-First - did anyone see that awesome belt buckle that J.A. was wearing during the Pop Challenge? It was this big, old looking skeleton key. J'adorable (as J.A. would say)! I want to find one for Phillip because he needs this cool buckle. I wonder if there is a way I can make one...hmmm...

-I am SO OVER Ricky Schroeder! If I cared about him, I would be watching Silver Spoon reruns on TV. He was so 1985...who cares about him and his made for TV movies? Big whoop!

-Can you believe that Eddie had the NERVE to call J.A an ELF!! Who does Eddie think he is...oh yeah - he thinks he is Martha Stewart reincarnate. You know, Martha is the BEST DESIGNER of all time after all (wink, wink). I swear I just want to jump into the TV a slap that little smirk off of his face. If he worked for my company, I would be embarrassed by his catty behaviour. Do I really care that he gets to ride in Martha's plane? No...that doesn't make him a better designer. All that means is that he has an interesting job.

-Speaking of Eddie, as much as I hate to say it, I felt the judges were a little overly harsh on his room. Don't get me wrong - I hated it. But the room did have great moments. I think it all fell apart when he discovered the Martha Stewart Showroom...all of the furniture totally was too dark and pulled the room into this depressing state. Margaret was 100% right when she said that he made such a GORGEOUS chandelier look cheap. It takes a lot of "skill" to ruin something so beautiful that can really stand on its own. One word for his room - YAWN!

-I am on an Eddie kick right now...remember in the beginning of this competition he said that he wanted a more modern dining room for a wealthy, young couple? But at the end, he said that he always wanted a traditional/modern room? Uh...which was it, Eddie? Do you even know what modern is? Give me a call sometime Eddie and I will tell you what modern is. By the way, Eddie, maybe you should pay a bit more attention to the judges advice...they know a lot more than you do...that is why they are judges!

-I am SO OVER Indea Hicks. I have never been a fan of hers. I don't like most of her designs and I am not a big fan of her product line either. So her father was a great designer...he was fun and much more interesting than her. She is so regal that she has a stick up her butt! And by the way Indea, I have seen tons of photo shoots with sofas pulled up to a dining room table. It isn't all that weird.

-Did anyone notice the dirty look that Margaret tried to hide when Simon (I love him, by the way) asked Eddie if he had any regrets about the room? Margaret would lose big money at the poker table. She doesn't hide her feelings well at all.

-What the heck, Ondine!?! How can you take such a beautiful chandelier and make it get lost in a room? I'll tell you how - by putting a lot of CRAP all over the place with no rhyme or reason! Way TOO MUCH stuff going on. I get that she wants to be global and eclectic, but let's remember the great words once said by Chanel...always remove one accessory before you walk out the door. Ondine just had too much stuff competing for attention...the chandelier got lost in all of it. By the way, when I look at that chandelier, the last thing that pops into my mind is global. Where did that come from?

-I am glad that we finally got our blessed visit from Simon, but why wasn't he the guest judge on the window display? After all, he is the Godfather of window design.

-Where was Kelly? I missed her. :(

-I am glad Preston won. I was torn between he and Nathan room. I loved the orange chairs that Preston chose. He is excellent at balance and scale. Very polished. But he is a one-note Charlie. Another Boutique Hotel Lobby/Lounge? Black walls again? Preston, I want you to step out of your comfort zone and give me something that shocks me!

-Andrea, some advice...grow a spine!!!! I am sure that Ondine wanted to jump out at you with all claws out and slap you upside your head. I know I did.

-I LOVED/HATED Nathan's room. I love the light he chose the best. I loved the big horse...it reminded me of a Goldfrapp video I once saw (I will try and find it for you). His room was just SO BITCHY...there is no other way to put it. The wall was so in your face. I think I would have liked it a lot more if the colors for the mural were not so garish and contrasting with one another. But it all totally worked in some crazy way. I would love to be friends with Nathan. He is such an out of the box thinker.

I told you I had a lot to say!

Our U.P. Visit on Labor Day

2008-10-23T08:11:00.007-05:00

(Jinga, Phillip & Parker in the Great Lake)

It had just occurred to me (as I was going through the never ending project of organizing pictures...yes, family...I am STILL working on the next series of Parker picture CDs) that I never shared with you any pictures of our trip over Labor Day to our friends cabin in the Upper Peninsula (locals refer to it as the U.P.). I think I mentioned that Parker was sick with his first cold and was quite unhappy the first day or so. I was disappointed that he was sick because I was excited to take him swimming for the first time. Of course that didn't happen, but we did get to take a stroll out to the Great Lake (only a few yards away from the cabin).

(Parker and Phillip. Parker is wearing a great big floppy sun hat. He has his Daddy's pale complexion.)

Pete, or I should say all pugs, don't particularly like swimming. They are too top-heavy (like a bull dog) and they just sink. However, after Pete spent some time at Doggy "Camp" this summer, his "camp supervisors" told me that he was in the kiddy pool every day playing with the other small dogs. The water above is very shallow, but still too deep for Pete to walk, forcing him to practice his swimming skills.

(Dogs playing on beach)

The dogs LOVE visiting the cabin - especially Jinga. They get to run around a nice size piece of land. Jinga loves to run out in the morning as soon as someone wakes up and take a swim. The huge lake is right out the front door, so she is completely blissed out.

This is view of the cabin standing from the beach. You can't see the cabin, but it is right in the middle of all those tress. The clearing you see in the center is where everyone hangs out at night at the bonfire and looks at the stars...or the guys play with fireworks. Boys will be boys - always wanting to blow something up.

Video Wednesday - Gotta Luv Bridezilla

2008-10-22T13:14:00.002-05:00

I could not stand Katie's first song release. I figured she was a Dita Von Tessa wanna-be that only got a second look because she was singing a song about kissing a girl. Big whoop! But now, I can't help but L-U-V this song and video. The video totally cracks me up - especially the scene with the bridezillas on the pink bicycles and smeared eye make-up. Who comes up with that stuff? The song is totally catchy. I predict that I will be singing this song at the top of my lungs in my car one day in my future. By the way, Parker totally likes this song too.

Alive and Kicking

2008-10-22T13:10:00.002-05:00

As Simple Minds once said, I am "alive and kicking". Parker and I are both fine now. We had a VERY nasty cold and ear infection. Poor Parker had an ear infection in both ears as well as in one of is eyes. The whole virus came out in a nasty diaper rash as well. Thank God for antibiotics. He has been good for a few days now and I am finally starting to feel normal and catching up on missed sleep. Now I am WAY behind on my HUGE "to do" list this month and of course I am in a panic. Send positive wishes my way that I can make it through this weekend without getting myself worn out and sick all over again.

Mommy M.I.A.

2008-10-14T15:31:00.002-05:00

Both Parker and I have been VERY sick, so my blogging will cease until I have the energy to try and write. Parker is fine. He has had a cold for over a week now and it has settled into his eyes and ears, causing an infection. I just have a very nasty cold that isn't going away since I am not getting much sleep while Parker is sick. I will keep you informed.

Love to all of you!