Mom jeans

Am I the last person to see this Saturday Night Live spoof on "mom jeans"? Unbelievable funny!

Dollar Store Decorating

I wanted a new wreath for my front door, but I couldn't afford to spend much money on one, nor did I want to spend much on a wreath that is really exposed to the elements.
So, Dollar Tree to the rescue!! Dollar Tree is my favorite dollar variety type store. Everything in the store is only a buck! I buy lots of things there on a regular basis - packages of tissue paper and plain white gift boxes, as well as diaper disposal bags (they are the best for double-wrapping the really bad diapers - the ones G calls "muddy stinkers").
On my most recent trip, I picked up a grapevine wreath, 2 bags of artificial leaves, and a fall floral decoration. Viola! A fall wreath for $4 plus tax. It only took about 20 minutes to make, start to finish (including hunting for supplies in my studio, and fixing myself a coke zero and turning on my iPod). All I added was a glue gun and a few glue sticks. As an afterthought, I dug around in my bin labeled, "More Craft Crap" and pulled out some floral ribbon and wire and whipped up this bow. But, really the wreath looked fine without the bow. I only added the bow to poke fun at Liz, who asked me, "Are you really ever going to use any of this crap again?" So, Liz, yes, look what I made! Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!
I also picked up a couple of hardback books - one by Martha Stewart and the other by Brooke Shields. Neither are best sellers, but looked interesting, and hey - they were only a dollar!

speaks for itself

Sophia Hunts for Food

How funny is this?! Sophia has been crawling for a few weeks now, but it seems that she gets more and more brave everyday and goes farther (further?)...
She crawled from our living room into the kitchen and over to the open shelves we have and pulled a bag of onions from the bottom shelf. So, instead of going over and re-directing her, I grabbed the camera instead. Bad Mommy!
But, it made for cute pictures!!

What kind of New Yorker...

I got this from Liz, who got it from Lelly...

You Belong in Soho

Although you may not be a professional artist, you do dabble in one form of art or another. And you indie culture of all kinds - from little botiques to art house films.

Where Should Your Inner New Yorker Live?

Book Report

A few weeks ago, I placed a feature on my sidebar to share with everyone what books are on my bedside table.
One of the books I have been reading is Mary Lou Retton's Gateways to Happiness



It is a book I have been wanting to read for years, and finally picked up at the library the other day. I am still reading, having just read the introduction and the section on Gateway #1, but so far, here are some of the things that have struck a chord with me...

* Remember, being happy isn't something that simply comes to us without effort. It's an ongoing challenge that we all face every day, especially in an unpredictable world where our stregnths and faith are constantly being tested.
* No matter what you've done for yourself or for humanity, if you can't look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished? (Lee Iacocca)
*The truth is that an ideal family is not something that we are simply born into - it's something that every single family member has to work at every day to create.
* Families can suffer tremendous stife and unhappiness if family members refuse to treat each other with respect and choose to act selfishly instead of generously.
* Talk to your family with an open heart and listen with an open mind.
* One way to maintain the balance between family and career is to give 110% in all you do. By "giving 110%", I don't mean working yourself to the bone until you collapse from exhaustion - I simply mean being fully present and involved with whatever you are doing, when you are doing it.

So, that is my book report from the first gateway. Stay tuned for the rest in future posts...

Have you discovered Etsy?

Etsy is the neatest place to shop from independent craftspersons! I love browsing there!

Check out these awesome sushi soaps!



Typewriter keys bracelet -



and this fun handbag -

Last Week

My sister was visiting last week, so that is why I haven't posted lately. We had a really busy week - we did some shopping and some sightseeing. We took the girls to the zoo and it was such a beautiful day. Naturally, I forgot my camera, so no pictures, sadly. The weather was gorgeous so the animals were all out and about. It was pretty funny, though, at least half of the animals that we stopped to look at chose that exact moment to do their "business". Georgia thought that was pretty funny. The day after the zoo, we went back into the city to visit the Museum of Natural History. We picked up Georgia from school and drove straight into the city. We needed lunch, and the Museum of the American Indian's restaurant had been recommended (thanks Kristi!), so we decided to try it. Holy Cow was it good!! We were hungry, but I was sad that I couldn't eat everything I saw!! Kim and I decided to share, and settled on an Indian Taco, made with frybread topped with buffalo chili and lettuce, tomato, onion and cheese. MMMMMMM Good! Georgia and Olivia split some frybread topped with honey and cinnamom. Kim and I also shared a lobster roll. Their restaurant is a cafe and it set up in regions according to what part of the country the Indians were from, hence a large variety of foods. I am not a huge coconut fan, but the macaroons were enormous and looked very tempting. I will definately be back to try some more of the yummys that I saw! We popped into the National Gallery of Art to use the potty, and Georgia was able to see a Jackson Pollack painting.

This meant something to Georgia because she is a big fan of the Olivia the Pig books, and in the original book, Olivia visits a museum, views a Jackson Pollack painting, and then goes home to attempt one of her own just like it on the wall!! I promised to bring Georgia back to see the ballerina (Degas) paintings another time.
Then we went over to the Museum of Natural History, viewed the Tiffany and Hope Diamonds, and other amazing jewelry. Georgia said that she would buy me some jewelry like it for my birthday! That's my girl!! The girls enjoyed the dinosaurs and the hall of mammals.
Over the weekend, we went to Mount Vernon for the 18th Century Fair. I will post pictures from that in another post.

Most of the evenings that Kim was visiting, we would give the babies a bath in the large double sink in the kitchen. It was pretty cute and they had a blast!!
Here are some of the pictures:

Fun One to Try!

Okay, saw this over at one of my favorite blogs, Allsorts. Thought it was pretty fun.

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car),
Lance Suburban

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie),
Mint Chip Kitchen Sink

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name),
M-Sev

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal),
Red Dog

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born),
Lynn Tallahassee

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first),
Sev-Me

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink),
The Blue Mocha

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers),


9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy),
Spring Rain Chocolate

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ),
Sandra Mansfield

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter),
Manning Manhattan

12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower).
Spring Hydrangea

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Banana Skirtie

14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree),
Granola Magnolia


15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”),
The Sewing Sunshine Tour

Have Fun with This one!

What's Cookin' - Literally!

I wanted to share some recipes that we have tried lately that were dy-no-mite!!

Zucchini Oven Chips (pictured above)

1/4 c dry breadcrumbs
1/4 c grated fresh Parmesan cheese (you could probably use the sprinkled from a can stuff, buy why would you??)
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp milk
2 1/2 c (1/4 inch thick) slices zucchini (about 2 small)
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place milk in a shallow bowl (I use a pie plate), and dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray, place rack on baking sheet. (I think you could use a broiler pan also. I happened to have a deep dish pizza pan with another pan that fits over for a thin crust pizza and the top pan has a bunch of holes in it - that is what I used) Bake at 425 for 30 minuts or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

Citrus and Rosemary Grilled Pork

1/4 c dark molasses
3 T balsamic vinegar
3 T olive oil
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped (2 T)
1 orange, zested
4 (1-inch thick) boneless, center cut pork chops
Montreal Steak Seasoning
Salt and Pepper

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl with a whisk or fork. Pat chops dry with paper towels and rub with seasoning. Turn chops in marinade and let stand 15 min. Season chops with steak seasoning. Grill chops for 6-7 minutes on each side.

Sausage and Egg Casserole

8 sourdough bread slices, cut into cubes)
Vegetable Cooking spray
1 (12oz) pkg cooked pork sausage, crumbled
2 1/2 C milk
4 large eggs
1 T dijon mustard
1/2 c buttermilk
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used cream of celery)
1 c shredded cheddar

Arrange bread in 2 lightly greased 3 inch square baking dishes, or 1 lightly greased 13x9 baking dish, or 10 ovenproof coffee mugs (greased) placed on a baking sheet. (for mugs only cook 25 to 30 minutes).
Top with sausage. Whisk together 2 1/2 c milk, eggs, and dijon mustard. Pour evenly over bread mixture. Whisk together buttermilk and soup. Spoon over bread mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake 1 hour or until casserold is set.

This is precious!

Touching...

I received this email from a friend (thanks Amy!) - it came just when I needed it!
"Invisible"
Author Unknown

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Pick me up right around 5:30, please." I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude -- but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going she's going . .. she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was feeling pretty pathetic with my unwashed hair that I felt sure smelled of peanut butter and slightly out of date dress (the only clean one in the closet), when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

No one can say who built the great cathedrals -- we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything. A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees." Closing the book, I realized that if we maintain the right perspective, we should not see ourselves as invisible, but as great builders -- builders of great cathedrals. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

First Day of School

Georgia started preschool today! She was pretty cute all dressed up with her brand new backpack. This is not her first time attending preschool, but it is a new school for her. And, this is the first time she has used an actual backpack for school. She is pretty excited about the backpack!

This is Olivia's first time modeling today. She is modeling for Liz and the outfit she modeled is to DIE for!!!

Think Pink!

Love this from Target - buy the exclusive pink Dyson vacuum and Target and Dyson will donate $40 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. First of all, if you haven't used a Dyson - you just will not believe the difference it makes. Sure, they are expensive, but they really are THAT much better!
I love my Dyson! I only wish it were pink!


And, even cooler - buy this week and Target gives you a $100 gift card!