Our Winter Wonderland.

Last Sunday we awoke to a blanket of snow!
Where we live, the weather is quite mild and if we get a light dusting in the Winter it's NEWS! But this was more than a dusting- it was inches and inches of magic. The kids had SO much fun playing. Snowmen, snowangels, snowball fights... fantastic!
Here's our backyard...


I couldn't resist taking a pic of our neighbors house--it's like being transported to Europe! So lovely...

Our gumshoe tree covered in white...

Rosey cheeks and noses...

Resident snowbunnies...


More pictures to come. I went a little crazy taking them!

XOXO

~S

Why I do What I do.

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people

And the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics

And endure the betrayal of friends;

To appreciate beauty,

To find the best in others;

To leave the world a little bit better;

Whether by a healthy child;

A garden patch,

Or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier

Because you lived.

This is to have succeeded.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I Miss The 80's

Today Josie was dressed rather...brightly. A funky shirt, denim skirt over wild stripey tights and crazy boots. Robert came home and said "Hey, you look like Punky Brewster!". She came into the adjoining room where I was and said "Mom? What's a punkin rooster?!" lol. We went to the computer and I googled PUNKY BREWSTER and discovered that there are YOUTUBE episodes AND that the first several seasons are available on DVD now!!! WAHOOO!

Tiny McSmall Love.

Something I like to do is peruse online children's boutiques. Making dreamy wish-lists and being inspired, daydreaming of having a store of my own and what I might stock it with. CHILD magazine (no longer running) used to hilight one or two boutiques a month- it was my favorite segment. Pictures of the storefront or inside. Their best-selling items. Anyway- beautiful, funky children's shops are a definite weakness for me.

here are some fun finds I thought I'd share.

First...


Link here
Talk about ADORABLE!!! If you have kids- check it out.



My faves... classic stlyed dresses, personalized felt barettes, silky soft cotton knit mod leggings, sweet jumpers...(happy sigh).

How was that for a deep, thought provoking blog entry?!

xoxo

~S

For C.

Ideas for displaying your collection...

Love you!

xoxo

~S

photo credits:
http://www.lenacorwin.blogspot.com/

http://flickr.com/photos/upinthetrees/411021371/

http://flickr.com/photos/katidriscollisntdead/134439979/

Saturday

Didn't do much in the way of housework yesterday- so today is catch-up day!
We went to the Homeschool Swim yesterday afternoon and the kidlets LOVED it. As soon as they got in the water they began recalling what they'd learned in swim lessons this past Summer. They had a LOT of fun and enjoyed playing with friends- racing, jumping, "bolly" flopping (aka belly flops) and many sputters and giggles. It was nice for me also- I got to visit with a few moms and swap ideas and successes/struggles with how school is going for all of us.
Today is the FIFTH day in a row that I've been experiencing the WEIRDEST thing. The muscles underneath my eye- just above my cheekbone- are intermittently twitching. It's happened before- too much coffee and I'll get a little twitchy for an evening- but NEVER 5 full days. I don't know if it's related to caffeine intake in this instance because on several of the 5 days I've had this I haven't had any coffee/soda and other days I've had a cup or two--no days of excess. What the..?!?!? I was joking around with some girlfriends saying "Yes, it's warning me I'm about to stroke out, I'm sure" and honestly, I'm a tiny bit concerned why this IS lasting so long. I hope it's nothing.

Here are a few things I made for Christmas gifts for 2007. Handy dandy purse calendars for 2008. And I made sihlouettes of my nephews and my girlfriends' kids also. They were ALOT of fun and the results were amazing. There's no mistaking what child each one is. I'm toying with adding this as an offering in my Bella Carte designs. I plan on doing a new one each year for my children..they grow and change so quickly- the sihlouettes will be such a precious recollection! I'll share a pic of my kidlets soon.

Have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo
~S

Wednesday.

Homeschool.
It's going pretty well...we've had a bumpy road to travel but we're toughing it out.
The first year is the hardest...or so I've been told. Others have stated this and then continued on with "AND the next year. AND sometimes the NEXT year too..."
Hearing this doesn't exactly instill a feeling of confidence that I'm going to make it, but I appreciate the honesty of it. It's a literal LEARNING PROCESS.
Right now, one of my favorite bloggers, scrappers and kindred-spirits..Ms.Kelli Crowe is doing a series of posts on being a homeschool family and how they roll. I'm always excited to get a new perspective, but admittedly- you always relish input from people you find a kinship to. Granted, we've never met-- but everything I've read and seen leads me to believe, if we met, we'd get along swimmingly. I'm thankful she's taken on the persistent pleas of other homeschool moms (along with myself) and decided to grace us with her take on it all.

Tonite is AWANA's and the start of our next session of Wednesday night classes (in lieu of a service). We're beginning WAY OF THE MASTER tonight and I'm looking forward to it! Robert and I worked with our College age group on the series this past Summer and it's one I think every person in church should check out. SUCH an amazing tool to get out there and evangelize-- which, let's face it, is our reason for walking on this Earth! Sharing Jesus with everyone we encounter is imperative but as Christians, we fall short EVERYDAY. Me? Guilty as charged!!!!!



Last thing for today.... I saw this poster in an issue of DOMINO a long time ago and wanted it. I still want it. BADLY. I'd love to have this hanging in my house. Groovy daily reminder, dontcha think??

XOXO
~S

Silly.

Pictures from last Summer...I can always count on Josie to have an impromptu posing session with me! Matthew?? Not so much. I'm working on him. Am I the only one ready for Summer already?? I'm craving the sound of lawnmowers and smell of fresh-cut grass. Blue skies with fluffy clouds. Tanks tops and Flip-Flops. The kids running around in the backyard. Fresh fruits and veggies with an ice cream cone chaser!

What says SUMMER to you??

xoxo

~S

Tonite!

Don't forget to tune in to PBS tonite for the beginning of The Complete JANE AUSTEN

Tonite is the first of six Sunday nights showcasing Jane Austen novel adaptations. My DVR is ready to roll, is yours??

Church today was a little morsel of EXACTLY what I needed. A day outside Sunday School-- getting some spiritual food for myself (yay!). After church-having the hubster sweetly hand me a coffee in the courtyard (there's a coffee bistro in our church foyer/courtyard now) right before I had to walk into a Sunday School meeting. My parents being sweet-talked by my niece and my daughter to home with them for the afternoon..Discussing plans for VBS this Summer--I've been asked to take part in deciding on the theme/curriculum, which I'm completely PSYCHED about! So...yep. I left church feeling energized yet peaceful- something I *really* needed.

xoxo

~S

I can't believe I haven't posted since Thanksgiving!!

eep!

Just staying busy with life. Our holidays were pretty relaxed this year, a leisurely pace for the most part. Very nice.

The children really enjoyed Christmas this year- not just the special presents (a Nintendo DS and an American Girl Doll) but embracing the traditions, stories, food. The act of giving. Truly joyous.

As usual, the day after Christmas ALL decorations came down. I don't wait for New Years- my "fresh start" for the house is December 26th and has been for the last couple years. It just feels GOOD!

Things have been so busy in general. Lots to keep me occuppied but I've felt like I'm on Auto-Pilot all the while. Doing everything, but a tad "removed".

I'm not a New Years resolution maker. When I've done this I always disappoint myself. So now I just don't go there. But I'd like 2008 to be a year of renewal. Spiritual, mental, physical... and so many other aspects of my life.

everything just needs a good airing-out and gust of fresh air.

So...here's to RENEWAL.

xoxo

~S

Our Thanksgiving Day

On Thanksgiving Day we were homebodies. Our family celebrations were happening Saturday and Sunday- so Thursday we decided to keep it lowkey and just enjoy a pajama day! I got up and looked out the back windows to see the first heavy frost had arrived. So pretty and serene!


Then I opened the blind in the kitchen and was greeted with THIS! Gorgeous! The picture just doesn't do it justice- the trees GLOWED gold, red and orange from the backing of the morning sun. And smelling fresh brewed coffee while gazing on this, standing in my robe and jammies--just icing on the cake!

Made oatmeal with raisins for breakfast. And cocoa for the kidlets.

We let Daddy sleep in and we took our oatmeal downstairs to watch the MACY's parade! The photo looks like a shot from Poltergeist with that glowing white screen- but I assure you- it was all Broadway music, marching bands and giant floating characters! The kids loved it.

Here's a shot of the rolls I made for our Thanksgiving dinner with Robert's side of the family on Saturday. YUM!

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

"For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, for love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends. "
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Thanksgiving!
xoxo
~S

Slippin' outta the Slackin.

I've updated my "crafty" blog- BellaCarte Designs. I'm going to try and post a little more consistently. No more slackadasical...i hope!
Take a peek by clicking on the link on my sidebar!
xoxo
~S

Here's the 'do all curly-like.
Because all TWO of you living long-distance that read this just HAD to see it. ;)

You like??
I really, really do. A lovely change.
Here's what we had going on this week!

• Matthew gave himself a shiner at church somehow. Rough housing with his friends after AWANA's and he now has a very bruised, scraped area around his right eye and ear. And he doesn't recall exactly what he hit...hmmm. I think *I* would remember, don't you?



• Thursday we had our first Annual Homeschool Thanksgiving Feast. It was great fun to see the kids in their handcrafted Pilgrim and Indian garb. We had a very well balanced menu of corn, green beans, goldfish crackers, jello, apples, cookies, candy and apple juice! lol. Mac 'n cheese showed up a little later to round it out more but it was pretty funny. To the parents. The kids thought it "rocked". At least that's what we gathered in between war cries, gobbles and giggles. We followed the feast up with a viewing of Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving.

• Friday we had a field trip to go see a production of "The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe" at a local playhouse. It was wonderful to see my kidlets respond so positively to the experience. Matthew said it was better than the movie, which shocked me. I knew Josie would love it- she's our little performer. But I feared Matthew would be disinterested. Not the case AT ALL. I think I see MANY more trips to the theatre in our future.
  
  
  

That's all for now! Hope you're all having a great weekend!

xoxo

~S

Ahhhhh....

This is my idea of holiday prep! Nestled under a newfound vintage quilt, freshly laundered and smelling wonderful. But you only get a wiff of it now and then because the aroma of my Cinnamon Dolce Latte is wafting throughout the room! Top it off with a slice of gingerbread with cream cheese frosting, a few new holiday issue mags and one of these handy-dandy lapwarmers we picked up for a song...free!


Meet Max.
Josie and Matthew felt it was the PERFECT name for him, so there you go.
He's fluffy & LOVES to cuddle.. and is gradually warming to the exuberance of the pugster. They'll be curled up napping together before long, I'm sure!

And...no hair pics. Sorry.
I know! I know!
I'll post them soon! But today was just uh....NOT the day.
My kidlets put me through the wringer today and I *LOOKED* like it!
So be kind. Be forgiving. Be patient.
Tomorrow perhaps???

I'm home from my homeschool mom's meeting and had like..6 cups (small cups, but still..cups)of coffee. Not just regular coffee but Shari's ROBUST blend. oohlala! Considering that we met at 9pm and left there around 11...and I'm feeling wired...this isn't a good thing. So I thought I'd catch up on some blog reading, get things ready for tomorrow..etc.etc.

What I've done so far: Catch up on some blog reading. And it's officially "tomorrow", as of 9 minutes ago- and I'm not ready at all.

Moving on.(denial that it's officially "tomorrow" and nothing is prepped)
Have I told you how much I enjoy THIS BLOG???? Hilarious, gorgeous photography and apparently, a fabulous cook. Did I mention she's hilarious?? When I need a good, guilty, gut-busting-laugh, I know I can just scroll through her entries and do so. Love it. Go check her out- you'll want to bake from scratch tonite. AND go buy an insanely expensive camera and be JUST LIKE HER. It's wicked talent, I'm tellin' ya!


I'm already stewing over what the kids will wear for Christmas holiday stuff. I think the stewing began when I saw this! I just imagined Josie's head on this outfit and instantly knew it must be this or something very much like it. She'll think it divinely Eloise-ish and I'll be thrilled as well- it's adorable and classy.



Cute, yes??

And Matthew--just don't know yet. Still looking. Plus, he'll just throw it on and ask if he can "go get on the computer now" anyway...lol.

New subject: Our whole family is desperately craving a cat to cuddle with. An indoor/outdoor- cuddle in your lap- cat. And I want him/her to look just like THIS!



SOOOOO sweet! SOOOOO cute! It's quickly moving up from we WANT to we NEED...

One last random thing. That I want (apparently I have a case of the "gimmes" tonite!)

Fun, retro-vibe Paint by Number kit. This one has several scenes including the Eiffel tower. Would LOVE to do this!!

Alright- I'm off to bed. I'm SOOOOO going to be sorry in a few hours. When it's time to let the dog out. When it's time to get up with the hubster. When it's time to start school. oy.... I'm feeling it already.

Ooooh, SO busy!!
Hope you are all well and enjoying this gorgeous Fall season.
The crispness in the air, the vivid colors of turning leaves, cuddling under quilts with your kidlets, some coffee and a good book read aloud... I *do* love Fall!

I'm in the midst of a LOVELY weekend and decided to post something here to let you know I'm alive and kicking! When I say LOVELY I mean it- it's a weekend of "me" stuff that I sorely need right now. Good-for-the-soul type stuff. Thursday evening I went to the Holiday Soiree at POET'S GARDEN with my bestest-buddy Jocelyn. We had a great time--very nice to meander amongst beautiful holiday decor and glean ideas and absorb the "mood" to take home with you! I had a gift certificate I'd been saving for this special occasion and was able to buy a few fun little things~ a great little jumpstart to decorating for Christmas!

>

On Friday I dropped Matthew off at HIS bestest-buddy's house for a playdate and then surprised Josie with a Mommy&Me afternoon at the hair salon! She *LOVED* it and said we should be doing this everyDAY! lol. We both got our hair cut rather short and AHHHHH! How liberating! I should've done it LONG ago. Josie looks like a little French girl- with a classic little chin length bob. VERY Eloise/Madeline-esque, which thrills her beyond words! We were going to originally go for something more mod/angular with it cut/cropped shorter in back and angled to a longer length in front, but I thought that was a bit too mature for a little girl- and I'm glad we went with this more classic cut. It suits her beautifully.

These pics just show her cut in process- not finished and polished! I'll post that soon. But just look at that smile on her face in the second picture!

Mine is similar..but different. I'm terrible with describing these things so I'll just post a pic soon. Suffice it to say- I love it and have NO regrets!

ANYway- moving on- Friday evening I had my monthly scrapbook night at church. What a nice night of fellowship, encouragement and creativity! It was JUST what I needed. Here are a few pages I made...I love 'em!

The photos look pretty dark here but much better in person. There's a fourth page in progress- just needs some finishing touches. So I didn't do too shabby! Especially considering how much talking we did!

Today Robert made us all breakfast, and although my house smells like a giant smoked sausage factory- it was WORTH IT! YUM! Matthew and Robert are out getting M's hair cut and then we're meeting up with the Stroup family for lunch and to see the BEE MOVIE together. Tomorrow is church and then my nephew's birthday party in Portland. He's getting SO big- I can't believe it. It'll be great to hang out with them for a while- we don't get together as much as we used to.. our lives have become busy and just different, with children and day-to-day "stuff"!! Isn't it crazy how that happens?! Anywho- looking forward to being with my sis and her brood tomorrow!

Keep an eye out for another post with fun hair pics soon!

xoxo

~S