my daily cup

i have a secret

i almost told you but i can't yet!!  i can say that it involves one of my best friends, barb.  it marries our favorite things to do AND benefits other people.  it is stylish.  it will have value to a lot of people.  i can't wait to tell you more. 

expect more info SOON!

in the meantime, i have to share these pics from the weekend of my girl and our friends. 

friday, we went to the wineman's for spaghetti dinner.  the girls love to get in meg's couch and zip themselves in.  i just love watching little girls be little girls.

we had a pancake breakfast at our house.  chocolate chips, blueberries, strawberries and bananas!  mmmmmmm!  afterward, we went swimming together.  besides the mini 'tude abs had, we had a blast.  i think she woke up rested today.  time will tell. 

today, we are going to my parents' for my brother's girlfriend's birthday party.  we love her.  it's going to be a lot of fun!  surely, more pics to come!

hugs,
c

eenie, meanie, miney, mo...

or however you spell it! 

to cut my hair or to grow it.  the story of my life...  i am never content.  i always want it short.  occasionally, i want it longer. 

i'm inspired to grow it a little longer. 

and, in the meantime, isn't THIS cute?

who doesn't love versatility?

i adore j.aniston's hair - always. 

until next time...

:) c

sugar low

have you ever had too much sugar in one day that you are flat worn out???  i don't often do this to myself but i cannot resist my mom's home-made fudge.  it is the most delicious fudge anyone has ever eaten.  it's nothing like traditional fudge, which i have had and do not like at all. 

today was my dad's 60th birthday party and mom made a fresh batch of fudge.  dad and i hid it so that we could later split it and so that we would not have to share it b/c it's THAT good and we don't get it often - a couple of times a year MAYBE.  so... anyway.  we hid it.  mom found it and put it out for the guests. :(  that also meant that it was right in my path everywhere i went and i had to get a bite each time i passed by it.  uuuugh the belly ache i have right now.  it was 100% worth it but, it was too much...clearly.  i'm beyond the sugar rush and now i'm at the sugar low.  all i have wanted to do is take a nap since 5pm. LOL

now, i'm home...veggin'...and i could crash any minute.  i prob will.

but, first, lemme share this sweet pic i got of me and abs when we were licking the blades of the mixer after making fruit dip for the party.  this is the first time i've let abby lick the blades from the mixer and it was so cute.  she was so excited.  she kept trading me for mine and eventually ended up w/ both.  but, she couldn't manage to keep it off of both of our clothes so it was sorta short-lived.

and, this sweet one of abby helping daddy blow out his candles last night :)  happy birthday honey!!

game on

**real quick, before i get started, digiscrappers, read the post below to win my collab w/ amy hutchinson**

what a crazy couple of weeks we have had.  let me just tell you.  first, we started this whole "new office" project" where i was going to clean out our formal living room and turn it into my new office.  my "home desk" and work desk PLUS all of my crap in the spare [storage] room.  aka. the cat's room.  the tanning bed room.  whatever.  well, the whole thing morphed from me wanting a new office into me making efficient use of our entire home and ridding us of the last bit of clutter and disorganization!  i had it all figured out.  i would sell our formal living room stuff (minus the red sofa) in a neighborhood-wide garage sale.  done.  then, we would touch up our walls in there, order my new office shelving, get rid of whatever i don't need in my new office, move my desks in and organize or trash any craft stuff in the spare room.  it was going to move into the office w/ me and have a HOME or it was garbage.  and, since abby has toys stashed in the family room, her room, the original office AND yes, the storage room.  we really need a play room.  so, the old office would become a play room and the home of the red couch.  perfect.  i could put all of her larger play stuff in one room and free up her room for her big girl bed and get them other toys out of the spare room so they can be used.  yes!  then, i would convert abs' bed into the big girl bed and i could update her decor to this beach/surf theme i have my eye on.  everything would have a home.  the spare room would house the tanning bed and the cat and maybe a teeny bit of storage that actually fit IN the closet.  aaaaah.  organization. 

well, there are always speed bumps.  just when i got rid of all of the furniture except the red couch, i got the touch up paint based on the records of the local paint store. um, of COURSE it would be wrong.  it was the wrong finish and (the smarty pants that we are) we touched up the kitchen AND my new office b/c they were the same color.  so, both rooms are messed up and need to be completely repainted. :(  that wouldn't normally be that big of a speed bump except that my hubby can't do anything half way.  he insisted we have to repaint the whole house and we are going to do it ourselves.  double :( :(  so...off to pick out new colors all together.  that's a process.  oh, it's not over...

THEN, baby gets the itch to move again and take advantage of the market closer to the beach so we decide to investigate the possiblity of putting our home on the market and whether we should go ahead and buy the new home now or wait.  after weeks of discussing and meeting w/ our broker and a real estate agent, we come to the conclusion that it's too risky to buy another home before ours sold - even if we rent it - just in case something big happened and our home's value is way down.  grr.  so, we are staying put, which i really feel is the wisest decision. 

so...it's full speed ahead!  i will have my new office!!  AND we have hired a painter to paint the entire inside of our home next weekend.  SO relieved.  not only will they do it in a day and a half but we couldn't beat the price.  he's going to paint the outside of our house eventually, too.  and, when i finish all of my room shifting, i will focus on finishing up some other areas of the house.  but, having our bedroom and bathroom painted will be nice since we have splotches where we tested colors. :) hehe

you can expect lots of updates as i finish each room.  i am looking forward to my clutter free home. 

hope you are having a great weekend!
c

{never tire}

of photographing my girl in her dress up clothes.  she is letting her creativity SHINE and i LOVE it.

only have a minute.  i wanted to share these:

isn't she a trip!?  we have so much fun.

have a good day!  TGIAF!
c

{p365 update}

rain, rain, go away... it's saturday, doesn't it know???

my p365 blog page is down for some odd reason so i'm posting my updates here! 

day 40

day 41

day 42

day 43

day 44

happy valentine's day to you and your loved ones.

<3 - c

{happy new year!}

hope you had a safe and fun new year's eve!  we sure did!  we spent the evening at our friends', the cole's.  we put little a. to bed in their room and hung out w/ 9 or 10 of our friends.  we played mad gab and snacked.  then started playing cards while some played wii bowling.  we got to watch the ball drop together.  it was a blast.  we haven't stayed up til midnight on new year's eve in years and we didn't expect to stay so late either but we were having so much fun.  when we got miss up to head home, everyone got a glimpse of her wild bed head - something i have the joy of seeing every morning but is usually gone before anyone sees her.  hehe  one of our friends [miss] ann (a's teacher) was there and she was so cute when she woke up for a minute and saw miss ann.  :)  she loves her.  so do we.

i'll upload pics soon.  i'm couch-ridden right now b/c i totally overdid it yesterday.  i was on my foot a lot and/or did not put it up at all.  it was wore out and i'm so sore today. 

one of my childhood bff's is in town w/ her husband and daughter.  a. and i are going to have lunch w/ them today.  fun!  i can't wait.

so, i'll be back to share later.  hope you enjoy this first day of a new year - whatever you are doing. 

:)  c

{good morning}

have i been so good with my blogging or what?  i go in spurts.

i think it's going to be a quiet day around here.  lots to do to tie up work for the year. 

but, right now, we sit.  little a. is eating kix and we're watching sesame street - a daily routine (sesame street, not kix). she is going to mimi's today and she is SO excited.  and, i'm working from starbucks for the morning and having lunch w/ my bfb (best friend, barb) at longhorn.  gotta run around and straighten the house.  the girls come to clean today and we are so full of clutter!  seeing how i'm in this 15 lb boot, i am slow!  seriously, i hopped on the scale w/ my boot and sneaker on and i'm 19 lbs heavier with them on - compared to yesterday when i got on w/o them.  i should weigh the boot by itself. LOL 

alright.  let me get in gear. 

happy new year's eve!  whatever you do, be safe.  :)  i cannot believe we are almost a decade into the 21st century.  crazy.

have fun!
c

{i just realized}

tomorrow is new year's eve.  already.  my gosh. 

i am antsy.  there are so many things that i want to do next year. 

i want to really use on my creativity and craftiness.  not only do i want to create more digital designs but, i want to paint/draw.  i used to draw fun stuff.  it has been sooo long.  i have some ideas for canvases.  i can't wait to have the time, space and energy to give it a shot.  it'll have to wait until my foot heals.  i also have jewelry and barrette ideas.  maybe i'll start an etsy shop.  who knows...

i also want to learn manual photography.  finally.  i won't do a PAD challenge for 2009.  2008 has been tough and i have missed some days toward the end.  i know how i can make them up, though. 

i want to make it to church more and build on our MOPS website (mom's ministry).   

i want to go see movies w/ my hubby again.  we haven't been to the movies in ages and we love seeing movies. 

i want to have slumber parties w/ my niece and nephew.  i want to have tea parties w/ little a. and our girlfriends. 

i want to take a. on the boat this summer. 

i want to go visit my bff in PA often. 

i want to get in shape. 

i want to wrap up a few projects:  paint our bedroom, re-cover mugga's chair, organize the spare room, ugh - the list goes on...

it feels good to "write this all down."  :) 

2009 is going to be a great year.  i'm looking forward to ringing it in w/ our friends.  we are going to the cole's tomorrow night and putting little a. to bed there.  it's sorta like a sleep over at noah's.  hehe 

happy new year's eve!  here's to turning over a new leaf.

:) c

{superman}

i swear, i married the best man in the world!  he is amazing.  he loves me so much.  what did i do to deserve him?  i had my foot surgery thursday and he has taken THE best care of me, little a., the animals and the house.  he is doing it all - and today, he said he actually likes it.  he is doing the laundry, dishes, cooking, feeding and walking the dog by himself - all during a time that is incredibly demanding at work (he was recently promoted).  he set the alarm through the night to wake me and give me my medicine - even though any disturbances after 3 or 4 am usually means he can't go back to sleep.  so, yes, he's been up since 4am.  he woke me at 8 to give me my medicine AND he had already been to starbucks.  he brought home my venti white mocha.  i'm seriously the luckiest girl alive.  he also cooked me breakfast and got ice for my foot, first thing.  then, he gave me a bath, which is something i can't easily do on my own in our tubs.  i feel like a million bucks.  i love him so much.

in addition to my wonderful husband, my family and friends have been so thoughtful - calling to check on me.  helping w/ abby.  b's mom had her wed and thurs.  my mom came over yesterday to help take care of me and entertain a.  they made christmas cookies and we just hung out.  it was nice.  today, girlie is at mom and dad's.  she stayed the night and is playing w/ my nephew today.  we'll pick her up at our family's holiday party later.

and, on a totaly random note, there is a lot i haven't posted over the past [almost] month!  i've posted pics on my facebook, though. 

and, we had greg take some pics of us for the holidays and for me to use for our christmas card.  i like them.  i think they're fun.  and, since we were shooting in greg's studio, leah dressed meg up and we got some pics of the girls, too.  i want to share them all!  i love them.  just realized they are not an image format right now.  i'll have to export and save them.  i'll come back.  i can share my christmas card, which has some pics on it:

 

i'm unsure about our siggy.  that's my actual handwriting but its hard to figure out what stands out on the red ornamental design.  we'll see if i don't change it.  :)

anyway...gotta rest more. 

hope you are enjoying the weekend.

:) c