It was New Year's Eve when Hot Husband (formerly hot boyfriend!) proposed to me. Because I was (and still am!) SMITTEN, I said YES! That was 7 years ago today. The tat is fake but the love and the diamond are real. Wishing all of you a happy and healthy 2014! Xoxo pretty people!

 

When most people come to Memphis they want to eat BBQ and see Graceland. Not my sister y'all! She wants to go to an adorable shop in cooper young called Toad Hall. It is so stinkin' cute- you know, the kinda place where you want to buy EVERYTHING! Even stuff that isn't my style- I want that stuff too. But for today I will post pictures of stuff that is my style that I do want...

Go there! It's a great place to buy gifts. Especially gifts for me! Kidding. Kinda. 2129 Central. Go! We'll- not now they are probably closed- but go as soon as you can when they are open!

 
Merry Christmas pretty people! I hope you and yours are enjoying the day. The best gift is seeing my boys smile and hearing them laugh. Glad I still have my senses to take it all in. Here are a few of my favorite shots from the last dew days. Enjoy!

 

We had a tornado warning in Memphis on Saturday night. We knew it was coming. All day the sky looked angry ~like at any minute it was going to cry all over us. It did. For several hours. It wasn't the relaxing I'm going to go nap rain. It was the scary & stressful ' I hope my roof doesn't blow off a-la-wizard-of-oz' kinda rain. We just finished eating some FANTASTIC cheeseburgers that I made when the rain didn't sound right. It sounded like someone was throwing a thousand buckets of water at our windows. I'm not going to lie it was kinda scary. Even more-so because HH was making the concerned face & checking the weather and looking outside every few minutes. We decided if was time to move into the hall- away from windows- all the stuff they teach you in school that you hope you don't forget in an emergency. We were calm, we didn't want to freak out BIG and LITTLE. Occasionally BIG would say 'what's that sound?' Just the rain baby, just the rain... But the five of us never sit in the hallway. The pug was begging for partially eaten burger from LITTLE's high chair tray. LITTLE was dangling his unwanted food over the edge to egg her on. BIG was watching HH play guitar. I was sitting on the floor watching the four of them and praying to God that nothing would happen to my family. In those few moments you wonder what you could take/save if a disaster happens. It goes without saying (or it should- but I will type it anyway) that the safety of my family is always priority one. But what would I take? Pictures? Birth certificates? My ice castles movie? Nope. I would jut take my family and get to safety. There are no things on this earth that are worth slowing down to grab when the risk is everything. So in those few minutes in the hall I discovered that all that I have <great as it is to have stuff>would mean nothing without these three- four if you count pugzilla. You have to count her- if we had no stuff we'd need something to keep the boys entertained & to keep my feet warm.

Hope all of my pretty people are staying safe and enjoying the holiday season.

If you like it- share it!

Xoxo

 

I Love the Christmas traditions my folks set up for me. The first is Christmas pajamas. They usually match but not always.

Another tradition we have is the Santa picture. We have it every year but one or two when Santa creeped out my nameless sister (respect her privacy gentle reader- she didn't ask for the limelight) Yes those are high waisted Calvin Klein jeans. We were cool before they were cool. And yes my mama probably put a bowl on my head and cut that hair...Don't you judge me.

My aunt has a precious tradition of making cookies with her baby girl... Errrr... She's not a baby anymore but it's tradition. They have fun and love doing it. To me that's what this is all about. What traditions do you have pretty people? I'm looking to add a few fun ones!

 
It all started yesterday when HH sent me a text with a link to the following article:  http://charlotte.cbslocal.com/2013/12/17/5-year-old-suspended-for-making-gun-gesture-with-hand/
It immediately gave me an uneasy feeling for a few reasons.  The child is only a year (and a month- but whose counting?) older than BIG and I've seen him make a gun gesture with his hand plenty of times.   Until yesterday I didn't realize that was a punishable offense.  If you aren't interested in reading the whole article I will give you a quick cliff notes versions.  There was a little boy playing army man on the school playground at recess in Charlotte NC.  In this school this is a suspend-able offense as he was suspended for a one-day in school suspension.  When his parents found out they called the principal and school board and asked to meet with them.  The suspension was then dropped.  It's also important to note that there is a school handbook and gun hand gesture punishments is not mentioned.  Ok, so those are the facts as reported.  

But this still leaves me a bit uneasy.  We all know that kids aren't allowed to bring actual guns to school.  (duh!) It's even iffy if you can bring a fake gun to school.  Personally I'm ok if there is a rule that says no fake guns at school.  While some may not like the rule- if the school district decides that is the way to go I support that.  100%. I'm probably a little more hard core than most because I'd be fine with a ban on all toys in school. I'm no Burger Meister Meister Burger where I hate toys. However if toys are causing a problem have a blanket no toy policy. I'm on board.  

What I do have a problem with is when there is a rule that isn't in the student handbook* but is enforced with an iron fist.  This is a 5 year old.  F.I.V.E. Super Nanny tells you his punishment should be a 5 minute time out.  Not a suspension.  And guess what- he didn't know he was doing anything wrong.  He was playing Army man on the playground.  *I realize the rule book can't have possible situation that a child may get in.  No noogies while standing on one foot while you are wearing a  stripe shirt.   But if hand gestures aren't allowed this should be listed, taught and reinforced by the parents at home. 

Google search kindergarten suspensions and you will be shocked at how many stories come up.  In one case another 5 year old was suspended after talking about shooting her friends with her PINK HELLO KITTY BUBBLE GUN (that she had at home- not even on school property)   She may as well have said my unicorn is going to sneeze glitter all over you.  Here is the shocking (to me at least) part.  School district officials labeled her a terrorist threat.  Let that sink in for a minute pretty people.  This little girl and her pink hello kitty bubble gun (again not on the premises) are considered on the same level as a terrorist threat.  They wanted to suspend her for ten days.  TEN DAYS.   A six year old in Colorado was accused of sexual harassment and suspended for kissing a little girl on the cheek.  I get it- he had cooties and it was a totally unwanted advance.  But to suspend him?  Is that the right thing to do?  I'm no expert so I don't have all the answers but I wouldn't call him a sex offender because he smooched a classmate. 

Another school system considers kids playing cops and robbers an act of violence.  I wonder if it would be considered violent if they were using finger swords and slaying a dragon to save a princess.  Maybe reenacting a fable they heard during story time.  To me this imaginative play is awesome.  It shows that the child is interested in learning and taking it to the next level. It's  interesting that there is a core curriculum that where the goal is consistency in education at every level but doesn't it doesn't address what's considered acceptable student behavior vs' "terrorist acts." 

Some of these sound like teachable moments to me.  Keep your hands to yourself.  No kissing.  We don't play so rough that we pretend to have guns to hurt someone.  I guess that's the difference to me- if these kids had actually hurt someone they wouldn't be suspended for up to 10 days.  The parents would be called immediately.  In several of the cases I researched the parents weren't called until way after the fact.  After their child had been in a three hour interrogation with the principals and counselors.  Even real life criminals are allowed a phone call and a talk with mom and dad or a lawyer.  These little ones are kids- not criminals.  
 
Picture
*** The unthinkable happened to my friend Allison and her husband Charlie eleven years ago.  They lost their precious son Grant when he was 4 years old.  Today he would be 15.  He lives on in their hearts, spirits and souls.  Allison is on a mission to help others by being someone's light.  She shines bright y'all!  Read her poignant words below.  

PictureLittle Charlie standing with pictures of his brother Grant in heaven.
PictureAllison and her two Charlies. Enjoying joyous moments.
 

This post took me awhile to write.  Not because it's super profound or a work of literary art a-la-the Illiad.  Nope- because it had a ton of self reflection and I couldn't quite figure out how to say what I'm about to say.  So I'm just going to say it.  Last week I failed as a mom.  Super hard to admit- but I did.  I let someone bully my child.  The scary part is- he was a bully in sheep's clothing dressed up as a grandpa.  Not my boys grandpa- they are both amazing and wonderful and would never do what this man did.  At first you might think- Oh, MommyOhhhh you are over reacting.  But I'm not.  And the more I think about it the more upset I get with myself for not standing up for BIG and for not speaking my mind.  


We were in the grocery store and both boys were being perfect angels.  It was the kinda day where the store had everything I needed on my list and the double shopping cart was keeping the boys entertained.  There was a couple that looked to be grand-parenty.  They were also in our way in every lane.  But I was in a great mood so it didn't bother me, but again we saw them in EVERY lane.  The wife smiled.  I said hello.  LITTLE WAVED and BIG gave her sweet eyes.  The curmudgeon husband didn't do much but fuss at his wife over the price of produce.  {{WE were at aldi, so you know that stuff is cheap!}} We finally broke free of them and I saw the man I will call Mr Meany walking toward us.  Not shocking because like I said early they were EVERYWHERE.  In my way at all turns.  So I wasn't shocked to see him yet again.  What shocked me was when he looked directly at BIG and said "Boy, what are you doing drinking out of the sippy cup you are 9 years old.  Your mama should know better."  I was so taken aback at what he said, I said nothing.  I just stopped walking and stared at him.  If you know me in real life you are probably shocked I didn't give him a piece of my mind.  I immediately gave him my mean look- but my brain was still trying to process what he said and I think he realized he was inappropriate and he scurried away.  For the next few minutes I thought of 2800 not so nice things I could have said back to him.  They were even two people in front of me in line- I thought about calling out to him and giving him a piece of my mind but I didn't want to cause a scene.  Looking back I should have. Maybe.  I'm still torn about what I should have done.  I know that I should have done something.  At least I think I should.  BIG is VERY BIG. So while he's 3 (4 next month- OMG, where did the time go?!?) he probably looks closer to 5 or 6.  But none of that is Mr Meanie's business.  If I want to give my 14 year old a sippy cup- I will.  [Doubt he'd take it- but I'm trying to make a dramatic point here pretty people] And who does he think he is to give his social commentary on anyone?  He's a bully.  He doesn't look like one, but he is one.  He didn't speak directly to me because he has no power over me, so he chose to spew his venom at my son.  That's how they do.  I'm prepared God forbid this ever happens again.  I will say something.  It won't be nice- but neither was what Mr Meanie said.  So.  I will probably go to Aldi tomorrow at 1 in case he's a creature of habit.  This time I will {quietly} dare him to speak to either of my boys.  And I will shame on him.  I think the best approach is a "shame on you."  I might even do a finger point.  Which LITTLE will then mimic and say no-no-no-no-nooooo.  So look out old man we are ready for battle. 


Anything like this ever happen to you my pretty people?  What did you do?  Please share your story. 

 

Boo!

Happy weekend y'all! More on Monday!

Xoxo

 
Ok, if you are a faithful reader, you know I LOVE mail!  LOVE IT! So it's with a heavy heart that I tell y'all that I failed you.  National letter writing day was 12-7 and we missed it.  DAMN!  So as I dry my eyes I will say (type) this: write someone special a letter!  Today. Could be an old friend.  A former teacher.  A nurse that made your delivery experience a little less horrible... They will LOVE hearing from you!  This week BIG and LITTLE got a letter from a friend with stickers.  BIG was over the moon.  (And since I never feed LITTLE- he tried to eat the stickers!) {{don't call CPS- I'm KIDDING!  geesh- he eats us out of house and home.  he ate 6 pieces of cheese today!  SIX!  In addition to three meals.}} A girlfriend sent a thanksgiving card outlining things she's thankful for and I was on the list.  It made my day.  You don't have to send something super fancy.  I've sent a little hello on a post it note before.  Or run to Walgreens and buy a handful of Elvis postcards (I live in the south y'all!) and mail those bad boys off.  Who wouldn't love to come home and see EP in the middle of a Kroger circular and a home refinancing notice?  The point is- send something.  

If you are a techie there is a free app called FELT.  You pick a card, write your message- they print it, stamp it and mail it for you for about $4.  That's the price of a card and stamp.  AND no, that's not cheating- it's the thought that counts pretty people! In my humble opinion now is a great time to send a note.  I am lucky enough to get boat loads of mail this time of year.  Catalogs!  {Free shipping!} Store coupons! ~We haven't seen you in awhile MommyOhhhh- take $25 off your $50 purchase (Yeah Chico's sorry about that.  You really aren't my style but that sweater I bought FOUR YEARS AGO is really cute.  First person to comment gets the coupon!) And Christmas cards.  Lets talk about the Christmas cards for a minute.  I LOVE THEM!  Especially if there is a family- bonus points if someone is in pajamas and/or wearing reindeer ears.  For me it's about the pictures.  That's why I like facebook- but LOVE instagram- it's the pictures.  I want to see your trip to Vermont.  I want to see your bulldog puppy.  I want to see your aunt Alice's tea cup collection.  I'm nosey! Maybe it's the Rear Window voyeur in me but I LOVE it! All of it.  And I know others do too.  That being said- I'm practicing what I'm preaching.  I'm sending three thank you notes out today. There is never a bad time for a thank you note pretty people.  It's a great way to show someone you appreciate them and that you are thinking of them.  So if anyone has helped you, given you a gift or a shoulder to cry on- now is the time to thank them.  Get off your bum and write them a note. I promise It will make them feel just as good to receive it as it makes you feel to write it.  

Sooooooo... Thank you pretty person for reading this.  If you like it (put a ring on it!) share it!  xoxox

 
There is this thing going around Facebook. Post the 10 books that have stayed with you. Wow. 10 books. Y'all may not know this but I have my Master's degree in English literature. (Sure I end sentences with prepositions sometimes at. I can't spell worth a flip and everyone assumes I should have read every book in print- not the case gentle reader!) I read alllll the time. We'll, I used to. It's hard to now when someone climbs in your lap and head butts you. But I read whenever I can. So for me to narrow it down to ten is really hard. I mean really really really hard! That being said- I will list a few. I Probably kick myself later because more will come to me. Just to be clear- I'm not trying to impress y'all and only listing fancy schmancy high works of literature. Mama loves a trash novel just a much as the next gal does. So those of you hipsters who posted the question just to see what everyone lists may be sorely disappointed with my answers. But let's be honest, y'all don't really like Hemingway either.

Here I go;

1. Bless me Ultima- Rudolpho Anaya

2. Beloved- Toni Morrison

3. Canterbury Tales- Chaucer

4. My sister's keeper- Jodi Picoult

5. Autobiography of a face- Lucy Greely

6. Frankenstein- Mary Shelley

7. The Crucible- Arthur Miller

8. The Einstein syndrome- Thomas Sowll

9. What to expect the first year- Sandee Hathaway

10. Letters from a nut-Ted L. Nancy



I will probably think of more even as I type this. To me the interesting part is why everyone picked those specific ten works. While these books all made an impact on my life in some way, my ten don't define who I am- <the Little prince by antoine de saint exupery > if I would have picked ten on another day I may have picked ten completely different works. <Peek-a-who by nina laden> every book I chose brings back different memories/life experiences <midnight in the garden of good & evil by John Berendt> & feelings. <room by emma donahue> Books for me are magical adventures. I get sucked in and become attached to characters.  Perhaps this is why I fall for a series (Harry Potter! JK Rowling)  It's funny to think that when I was in grade school I was in the slow readers group.  I remember hearing my mom talk to the teacher "are you sure? uhhhhh...i wouldn't call her a slow reader....she reads all the time... ok, if that's what you think."  What nobody knew was that while the other kids were reading a passage- I would always tell the teachers I wasn't done so I could read ahead.  Or re-read. <such a pretty fat by Jen Lancaster>  All that being said- I want to see a status about WHY those books are so important to everyone.  You share yours and I will share mine.  Thanks pretty people.  Hope y'all have a great day.  




**If you like my little blog- share it with a friend and like MommyOhhhh (4 h's y'all!) on Facebook
 

I love that feeling. Hopefully you know what I'm talking about. The feeling of someone going totally limp in your arms. The "I feel so safe with you" feeling. I am lucky enough to feel it daily with LITTLE. BIG does it occasionally. One of the many differences between 18 months and almost 4 years old. (Now is the time when my non-crying self starts to cry! 4! Next month! Time flies!)

Anywho- I noticed it this morning when taking them out of the tub. BIG helps in the fact that he is part acrobat & part fish - he knows how to glide through the water and dismount with (supported) grace. And by using the term grace...hmmm... I may be stretching the definition a bit... LITTLE on the other hand is like a sack of potatoes. Imagine pulling a 28lb wet watermelon out of the tub. <if a watermelon could splash half the bath water out on the floor> That's what getting him out of the tub is like. What he lacks in grace he makes up in trust. He trusts that I will not drop his slippery- wiggly self. He turns into what my mama calls "no-bones Jones." No help. No support. Just 30lb (I've added 2 water pounds for dramatic effect) of wiggly-giggly-wet-silly-squirmy-trusting boy that I hoist out of the tub to dry land. (And by dry land I mean a soaking wet bath mat & tile) He knows I will not drop him. He knows I will grab him and hold on tight. BIG knows too- he just also realizes I need help hoisting him. LITTLE will learn that.

Picture
Photo credit; Sweet n southern photography

BIG has that same level of trust with HH as LITTLE has with me. He knows HH will not drop him. He loves to get in this position where he puts his knees on our shoulders and we outstretch his hands towards the sky. I can't do it any more. He's too heavy for me but HH can and does it frequently. My joy comes from watching them. I tried it the other day and while I didn't drop BIG I quickly moved towards the couch so I could set him comfortably down. But he knew. He also knew that I wouldn't have dropped him. Ever.

Picture
With trust comes love. Clearly BIG (when he was little) and his girlfriends love aunt KK

Happy Tuesday pretty people. Thanks for reading!!xoxo

 

I'm not a cryer. Well, I wasn't until I had kids. I cry all the time now. I don't mean to. Sometimes I don't even know I'm doing it. Like yesterday. I was snuggled up on the couch with BIG. We were wrapped up in his red fuzzy (HH name it Elmo skin) blanket. I just looked at him and started to tear up. He is so beautiful and innocent and wonderful...then I looked across the room at HH holding LITTLE in the recliner and I couldn't hold back. I was overcome with joy. Pure joy that these three handsome, smart, silly and amazing men are in my life.

That and it happens to be snuggle season. I am dreading the day when they don't want to cuddle with me anymore. Until now- I will get in as much as I can! Luckily HH is obligated to cuddle with me forever!

 

Ever notice that when you miss people there are signs of them EVERYWHERE? Like yesterday I ran to the grocery store and was reminded of some folks that I miss very much.

Zaps are the best chips in the whole wide world! (Looking for sponsorship Zaps! Call me!) They always give me such great food memories. Do y'all have those? Where the taste of something brings you back to a special time? Zaps played a huge role in my life during college. I lived with my sister (respect her privacy gentle reader! She didn't ask for the celebrity life) and two best friends. The four of us were more like sisters than friends. To this day we can communicate without saying a word. A smile, nod, look, grimace, eye roll, cat-marching band (that needs it's own post pretty people!) we just get each other. Unfortunately we live all over the south & mid-west and don't get together nearly as much as we'd like. Everytime I see a package of zaps I smile. The four of us ate zaps at least three times a week for about 2 years. We lived around the corner from this convenience store that sold warm pressed sandwiches for $3 or so bucks. {This was pre-panini hype folks.} You got your sandwich & ZAPS and a f-t a-s coke (if you are in the no- you know what I'm talkin' about!) it was a bargain. They started to know us by name. They started to know our orders. We loved them. We loved that we could pick up our sandwiches be back at our place and eat quickly without having to shop, cook or clean. I smile just thinking about it. I can almost taste the roast beef and Swiss or the turkey and American...with the Cajun crawtators. Sometimes they put BBQ in the bag-but we didn't complain. It was in the soup nazi generation and we were afraid to complain. So while I didn't buy these yesterday it made me smile and think about my girls. I love and miss y'all MRRD-DGM-JAP.

I also saw this and thought how great it would be to see my sister's face if she saw it too. Would totally gross her out and it would be funny.

Hope y'all are having a great Sunday my pretty people. If you haven't tried ZAPS- you are missing out! Xoxo

 

There is nothing 'special' about today. It's not a birthday or a holiday. But it is Saturday. So I guess in a way that makes it special. That and that I'm alive to write this and you are alive to read this (thank you by the way- you are one of the 2100 people reading this blog! Crazy!)

What makes it and everyday special is that I have these cuddle bugs in my life.

They are night and day different but I am madly in love with each of them. So while today isn't really special per se... All our days are special.

Happy Saturday pretty people! Xoxo

 

I hope it's coming. I'm ready. Ready with canned goods. Ready with beef stew. Ready to bundle BIG and LITTLE up and make a snow man. Does that make me crazy? Maybe a bit- but it's a fond memory I have from when I was little. That plus it's the weekend so HH doesn't have to get out in the elements. We can stay inside all warm and snuggly. After we freeze our booties off in the snow.

Our romp in the snow last year. There wasn't much. But BIG loved it!

I had to run to the store to pick up a few things yesterday afternoon.. It always surprises me to see shelves like this when the weather forecast says there is a chance of snow/ice. Since I grew up in the Chicago suburbs winter weather is old hat. HH has mid-south storm memories of being without power for days. <eeeek!>. Being stuck in his mid-town neighborhood because trees were down. That is not the kind of storm I'm hoping for pretty people. I want the kind where everyone is safe. WITH power. Just enough to cancel all social events so you can stay home and snuggle with your own pretty people. Especially if they are in footy pajamas. You can take the girl outta the mid-west but you can't take the mid-west outta the girl! Be safe pretty people!

 
PictureSC Photography
Hi pretty people.  I wanted to write something about gift giving ideas for the woman in your life.  Or women.  Mothers.  Wives.  Sisters.  Aunt Gertie. Whoever.  While this post will give you local mid-south business WOMEN to support (see gentle reader, I am not a sexist as previous posts may indicate!) - these ideas are great to give anyone where ever you are.  I know I have a huge following & fan base in Germany, much like David Hasselhoff.  

First up (and one of MY FAVORITE GIFTS EVER!) A gift certificate from SC Photography- or if you don't live in the Memphis area, pick a photographer that specializes in family pictures. (I also love stories framed photography if you are in the Chicago/Milwaukee area)  I LOVE*LOVE*LOVE SC Photography.  Stace is a local mom who takes Ahhhhhh-mazing pictures.  She has such a great way with our boys and isn't super posey-posey so HH doesn't feel like we are taking prom pictures and missing the spiked punch at the after party.  Any-who, she is selling gift certificates & they're 10% off the original price! An hour session gift certificate will be $180 for new clients and $135 for returning clients. Everything can be done online.  Like her page on Facebook for all the details on how to contact her.  But - if you take my family's spot- you are in trouble missy.  or Mr.  There I am being sexist again. I have a huge male fan base too.  HH.  My dad.  Roger.  Uncle Stan.  My boys... I could go on and on...But I wont.  This is the only item on my Christmas list this year.  So hold one for me Mrs S!

Picture
This next one could be a gift for yourself or for someone else.  I LOVE Paggios salon in Memphis.  It feels like you are in a super swanky salon with a bunch of girlfriends.  The gift I'm suggesting for yourself is a mini make-over.  (Think make-up lesson where you look super pretty after) Do this on the day you have a christmas party or big date.  You will feel ultra foxy.  Ask for Courtney- she is a magician with make-up.  She will also wax your furry eyebrows.  Not that any of us have those.  {{wink}} Some of us even have werewolf faces.  (not me because I see Courtney!) Check out her page on facebook too for specials.  I saw something yesterday about a $40 Brazilian if that's your kinda thing.  Make sure you know what that is before you get it.  I had a friend once who booked one and was a bit surprised when she found out what she signed up for.  These are also gifts you can give a loved one but be careful how you give it.   {{Don't say- you are ugly/hairy you need a make-over/wax!  Baaadddd idea folks!}} Tell your lady friend- I know you've been a little overworked- stressed- whatever she's been- go take a little you time to relax and unwind.  Courtney will take care of the rest.  If you are super ambitious spring for Jennifer or Stacy to give your friend-girl a blow out.  I love a good blow out.  Hint Hint to anyone buying me a gift...

Picture
This gift is one you should buy for the good of your family.  One day I will show you the cake I made for BIG's birthday and you will say - MommyOhhhh, why did you make him a nightmare before Christmas birthday cake?  I didn't you big jerk.  I tried to hand letter a chocolate cake and it just looked super creepy.  I tried.  But now I don't have to.  I discovered a FANTASTIC and sweet resource (get it, sweet?!  I crack myself up!) Email Deatra at [email protected].  I've seen her make everything from wedding cakes to duck dynasty cakes to vera bradley cakes.  Her work is beautiful and delish. If you want to trick your in-laws and let them think you slaved over the desert you offered to bring- get your order in by 12/10.  D will plain wrap it for you too- so you can just bring it in all "yeah I made it" style.  If you are extra nice she may even give you a fake recipe to pass out to let the hoax live on.  Not that I've ever done this.  Yet.  So if you are thinking cake.  cupcakes.  cookies.  chocolate mustaches- you are my kinda person.  I knew I liked you!  If you don't live in the mid-south (sorry!) I'm sure there is another baker that can help you out.  

Picture
I love art.  I peruse etsy, the louvre- (once, it counts!) and all random things art.  I love personalized art the most.  I had an idea but since I'm not a graphic designer I couldn't make it come to life.  That is where Serah comes into the picture.  Serah is a very talented graphic designer that took my idea to concept to print.  I told her what I was thinking- she made it better - sent me a small bill- i printed it at kinkos, framed it and gifted it.  E-Z-P-Z!  She can do greeting cards, birthday invites- anything graphic that you might buy off another site- she can probably do it.  Better.  You can contact her at [email protected]

Pardon the picture quality here folks- I am no SC Photography! 

PictureSC Photography
You didn't actually think I'd post about my favorite family photographer and NOT post a picture she took of the dynamic duo- did you??  Do you even know me? 

As usual- I am not paid for any of these shout out's.  (damn- why not?  what am I doing wrong?!)  Just sharing stuff with you that I love.  But not as pricy as Oprah.  



 

I hate the attic. I hate everything about it. It's dark. It's creepy. You have to climb a rickety ladder to get up there. It's where we keep Christmas decorations & stuff that I'm not quite ready to get rid of. I'm not a hoarder by any means but do I really need some of that stuff up there? I don't think so- but I'm too frady-cat to go up there and see. Do you want to know a big reason why I'm afraid of it? I have this friend josh. HE FELL THROUGH HIS ATTIC y'all!

Fell. Through. The. Ceiling. 12 feet.

Marinate on that for a second. {{Do do do do do do doooo- there- that's at least a second}}

Let's talk about the injuries

1. The ribs: 3 fractured & 2 broken

2. The rotator cuff: torn

3. The clavacle: broken BOTH horizontally & vertically. This includes an 8 inch plate with NINE screws to repair it. IN ADDITION to the THIRTY SIX staples to close the wound. 36!

Til' this day he only has about 40% feeling on the lower side where he hit.

So while I've never been excited to go in the attic myself (I've never even been in our garage attic- HH could be running a drug cartel from up there for all I know!) I think of Josh everytime anyone goes up there.

Can you even imagine how Josh's mom, wife, kids and gorgeous sisters felt?!? I can't. It's scary to think that one awful non-room in the house can cause so much pain and anxiety. Pain for him-anxiety for me.

That being said I feel extremely petty for what I'm about I say next. I was so brave to go up in the attic myself last week. I felt like Christopher Columbus looking for my Christmas decorations. Since I never go up there I don't have a system set up. I had to root around in HH's system and find what I was looking for. Now might be a good time to tell you that I am so afraid of attics that I've been up there exactly 6 times in 7 years. Zero times in the garage attic. HH could be running some kind of drug cartel up/out there and I'd have no clue. (He's not!) <I don't think> {hear that DEA? I am clueless}

This was the year I decided to be a minimalist. I only used about 1/5 of my Christmas loot. Believe it or not it's harder to use just a portion than it is to slap all that stuff up. Plus I was thinking I didn't want to haul all that stuff down & come January I didn't want HH to have to haul all that stuff back up. (We aren't getting any younger pretty people) The point I'm taking forever to make is that I don't NEED a ton of stuff to make our house holiday ready/pretty. I just needed a few things

Here is what we HAD to have:

BIG is wild about letters so I needed JOY.

Stockings, my fabulous silver reindeer that my MIL gave me (I am smitten with them!), robot ornaments and an advent calendar- BIG loves numbers too. (2!) luckily our elf on the shelf was in one of the boxes that made the cut this year. We are still trying to figure out our elf. Folks either love him (or her- I am a total sexist) hate him (there, I did it again) or think he's just ok (ooops~ just call me Brittany!)

So while I felt kinda bad that I decorated with a minimalist approach- it's been perfect. BIG came home, rushed the front door, gasped and screamed 'SANDY CLAUS!' LITTLE has taken it upon himself to relocate ornaments. BIG is the self appointed ornament police force. He has jurisdiction over where the ornaments should be put back once recovered from sticky fingered LITTLE brother. And it's all perfect. (Besides the screaming and yelling when an ornament is relocated or found missing- that part is far from!)

Be careful in your attics pretty people!

 

I was cleaning up last week so I could decorate for Christmas. I'm not usually an early bird that does it before thanksgiving- but (I can tell you this now) we were out of town for turkey day and I wanted to have Christmas ready for when we got back. (See- more than a pretty face my pretty people. Didn't want any of you hoodlums to rob us!) Any-who, my MIL had a free day last week to watch the boys so I could get all Christmas-y. I thought I would turn on Christmas music and drink hot cocoa- but what I did was decorate like an animal. In silence. No time for cocoa. Just time for glitter, stockings and the advent calendar that is missing a few parts... But I digress. I wanted to share with y'all some of the treasures I found during my x-mas decorating prep.

1. My Grease 2 DVD. Not that it was really missing since HH just gave it to me a few weeks ago. It mysteriously Xmas stuck at the BOTTOM of a stack of DVDs. I'm totally not one to name names but he was just making fun of the movie yesterday so he probably buried it.

2. Favorite eye shadow brush

3. Some buttons! My favorite being I ❤️wizards

4. AN AWESOME Olan Mills picture circa 1988 with moi & some girl with the same parents (respect her privacy please gentle reader) Clearly we are super stylish. With great hair. My best friend. Even if she won't let me talk about her on here.

5.Buzz light year domino

6. Two pairs of baby finger nail clippers

7. $4.79 (score!)

8. Wrench

9. St Patrick's day card I bought for my girlfriend in Denver. You know who you are. It was the thought that counts. Will send it next year!

10. I'm 1 today! Ribbon. Technically this could go with the other buttons I found since it's a pin back but it's special. Totally forgot I bought it & LITTLE didn't get to use it. ;( good thing my friend Mildred's baby is 1 later in the month. I will seem with-it and prepared!

11. 8 dinosaurs

11. A dust bunny that could pull Santa'a sleigh. Didn't want to take a picture and gross us all out.

Happy December my pretty people!