But instead I will just say three.
My life changed 6 years ago today.
It would never be the same.
It could never be better.
We love you, Allison. Happy Birthday, my sweet girl.
Friday, September 30, 2011
She is 6.
I could say a million things sappy right now.
But instead I will just say three.
My life changed 6 years ago today.
It would never be the same.
It could never be better.
We love you, Allison. Happy Birthday, my sweet girl.
But instead I will just say three.
My life changed 6 years ago today.
It would never be the same.
It could never be better.
We love you, Allison. Happy Birthday, my sweet girl.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Pumpkin Muffins!
I did it, I finally tried Pumpkin! Yay!
Thanks to a comment on my last post left by Rose, of the Blog - The Beadings and Buttons of Randomcreative, I actually went to the store this morning, determined to have the ingredients I needed to make these delicious muffins she posted earlier this month. To get this recipe, click on THIS, it will take you to her blog post for this muffin recipe. I even did what she did, left out the nutmeg, I am not a nutmeg fan anyway.
Here is the photo of the batter. YUM. yum.
The easy bake oven was in use as the muffins were baking. The girls and I also made a peanut butter fudge. They turned out sort of edible. That is what the chocolate remnants on the small plate to the left of the bowl was. The girls seemed to enjoy it well enough. But back to the muffins - we loved them!
Allie loved it!
Emily loved it!
Thanks, Rose! You made our Saturday full of pumpkin-ey goodness!
Happy Saturday, everyone!
Thanks to a comment on my last post left by Rose, of the Blog - The Beadings and Buttons of Randomcreative, I actually went to the store this morning, determined to have the ingredients I needed to make these delicious muffins she posted earlier this month. To get this recipe, click on THIS, it will take you to her blog post for this muffin recipe. I even did what she did, left out the nutmeg, I am not a nutmeg fan anyway.
Here is the photo of the batter. YUM. yum.
The easy bake oven was in use as the muffins were baking. The girls and I also made a peanut butter fudge. They turned out sort of edible. That is what the chocolate remnants on the small plate to the left of the bowl was. The girls seemed to enjoy it well enough. But back to the muffins - we loved them!
Allie loved it!
Emily loved it!
Thanks, Rose! You made our Saturday full of pumpkin-ey goodness!
Happy Saturday, everyone!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
5 Fall Goals.
Alright, my dear sweet Abby friend.. Here goes..
You see, Abby tagged me. Good Old Fashioned Tag- You're It! bloggy style -
so, now, she made me turn inward and think about some fall goals that I need to be setting for myself. so.. what are they?
1.) Remember to set the coffee pot every night. This is a real treat for Bobby. You see, I am not a huge coffee drinker. But, he is. And he sure does love to wake up to a freshly brewed pot of coffee. I have one cup and I am done. I still like it. But, all I need is one. And he appreciates it more because he is always the first one up. So, I would like to do this for him.
2.) Try to look kinda pretty at least once a week. Usually I am in sweats with my hair pulled back and hardly a hint of make-up. I must look atrocious. I would like my kids to remember about their mother when they were growing up... just how beautiful and put together I was... ha ha ha.. ha ha ha... ha ... oh.. ok, that had me laughing.. ha ha.. ... ok.. well, realistically that will not happen. once a month. look kinda pretty once a month. :)
3.) Make something with pumpkin in it. Is that weird? that I have never made anything with pumpkin in it? Pumkin Pie.. pumpkin bars? is that something..pumpkin bars? Pumpkin muffins.. ? I don't think I like pumpkin. Yes, I said, "think"... how can I expect my kids to try something new.. when I don't. I was recently given a yummy sounding recipe - WITH pumpkin in it - and I really will try it!
4.) Get outside and walk more. When we do this, I think.. we need to do this more! And, we don't. We are outside a lot.. But I am talking about, walking in the neighborhood, exploring our surroundings.. we need to get out and walk more.
5.) Stick with my schedule! I love writing them - love the notebooks that I have for list keeping. And when I stick to them.. I feel accomplished at the end of the day. I love crossing out what has been done! It feels rewarding. SO, why don't I do it?
Well, I will. Starting this fall. (which officially starts TOMORROW!) yay!
You see, Abby tagged me. Good Old Fashioned Tag- You're It! bloggy style -
so, now, she made me turn inward and think about some fall goals that I need to be setting for myself. so.. what are they?
1.) Remember to set the coffee pot every night. This is a real treat for Bobby. You see, I am not a huge coffee drinker. But, he is. And he sure does love to wake up to a freshly brewed pot of coffee. I have one cup and I am done. I still like it. But, all I need is one. And he appreciates it more because he is always the first one up. So, I would like to do this for him.
2.) Try to look kinda pretty at least once a week. Usually I am in sweats with my hair pulled back and hardly a hint of make-up. I must look atrocious. I would like my kids to remember about their mother when they were growing up... just how beautiful and put together I was... ha ha ha.. ha ha ha... ha ... oh.. ok, that had me laughing.. ha ha.. ... ok.. well, realistically that will not happen. once a month. look kinda pretty once a month. :)
3.) Make something with pumpkin in it. Is that weird? that I have never made anything with pumpkin in it? Pumkin Pie.. pumpkin bars? is that something..pumpkin bars? Pumpkin muffins.. ? I don't think I like pumpkin. Yes, I said, "think"... how can I expect my kids to try something new.. when I don't. I was recently given a yummy sounding recipe - WITH pumpkin in it - and I really will try it!
4.) Get outside and walk more. When we do this, I think.. we need to do this more! And, we don't. We are outside a lot.. But I am talking about, walking in the neighborhood, exploring our surroundings.. we need to get out and walk more.
5.) Stick with my schedule! I love writing them - love the notebooks that I have for list keeping. And when I stick to them.. I feel accomplished at the end of the day. I love crossing out what has been done! It feels rewarding. SO, why don't I do it?
Well, I will. Starting this fall. (which officially starts TOMORROW!) yay!
Call in the Experts.
By Now, You probably heard about the devestateing wildfires in and around Austin over these past few months. In the recent Bastrop Fire, there were more than 1400 homes destroyed or damaged. If your home has ever suffered fire damage there are services available to restore your home to pre-fire conditions such as
http://www.thesteamteam.com/austin-restoration-services/smoke-fire.shtml. The smoke from even a small fire permeates surfaces in rooms that didn't even suffer from the flames directly. You really do need to bring in professionals to help with cleaning up the damage.
I also might be needing to schedule some home carpet cleaning service austin because our lease for our rental house ends in March. We will need to get the carpets professionally cleaned as per our lease agreement. I can't believe we potentially only have 6 more months to live in this beautiful house. We will have to assess our situation when the time nears. Is this still a good location to live? Will I want to live a little closer to the school? Oh, but we love this house. Jack loves this yard. I love the deer. I don't want to move again, so soon. A lot to think about.
http://www.thesteamteam.com/austin-restoration-services/smoke-fire.shtml. The smoke from even a small fire permeates surfaces in rooms that didn't even suffer from the flames directly. You really do need to bring in professionals to help with cleaning up the damage.
I also might be needing to schedule some home carpet cleaning service austin because our lease for our rental house ends in March. We will need to get the carpets professionally cleaned as per our lease agreement. I can't believe we potentially only have 6 more months to live in this beautiful house. We will have to assess our situation when the time nears. Is this still a good location to live? Will I want to live a little closer to the school? Oh, but we love this house. Jack loves this yard. I love the deer. I don't want to move again, so soon. A lot to think about.
Monday, September 19, 2011
What's been going on and a Happy Anniversary!
We visited Bobby's grandparents who live in Arkansas a couple of weekends ago. We love going to see them, we always have such a nice visit. They love the girls so much and the girls adore them. We took a special trip to the top of the mountain, near their home, which was neat because they used to take Bobby there, when Bobby was a little boy. There is a little train to ride and here is Bobby and Allison before the train took off.
And Emily, during the train ride.
And back home in Austin....
The owner of the house we are renting gave us permission to use the tractor that was left at the house. After some needed repairs, Bobby got it running. We bought a trailer and we have been enjoying tractor rides all around the property. I don't know who has the most fun - me or the girls - I think it might be me! ;)
Bobby and I celebrated 11 years married this past Friday. 11 years. Wow, does time fly. We went out for a nice anniversary dinner, on the lake in Austin. Then, we watched the bats. Austin is home of the largest urban bat population in America.
What a sight to see. If you ever make it here, it is a must-do.
The picture does not do it justice!
And Emily, during the train ride.
And back home in Austin....
The owner of the house we are renting gave us permission to use the tractor that was left at the house. After some needed repairs, Bobby got it running. We bought a trailer and we have been enjoying tractor rides all around the property. I don't know who has the most fun - me or the girls - I think it might be me! ;)
Bobby and I celebrated 11 years married this past Friday. 11 years. Wow, does time fly. We went out for a nice anniversary dinner, on the lake in Austin. Then, we watched the bats. Austin is home of the largest urban bat population in America.
What a sight to see. If you ever make it here, it is a must-do.
The picture does not do it justice!
Share your Zenni Story
Did you know that I wear glasses? My current pair looks most like these, which I found off of a website that has quite the fashionable and attractive glasses for your choosing.
I only wear my glasses for about 2-3 hours at night, after I take my contacts out. It is shameful that I do this. I know that my contacts are not ideal for my eyes and I do need to take them out more to let my eyes breathe. Well, this just so happens to be the time of year that I think about getting new glasses. My yearly eye exam happens around this time and every year, I vow to take better care of my eyes. First, I need to find an eye Doctor and make an appointment. Since moving here 6 months ago, I have yet to do that. Every year, I cringe that my eyes have worsened, but for the past couple of years, they seem to be holding steady.
Glasses can be very expensive and who knew that you can actually get $6.95 prescription eyeglasses. Sounds too good to be true. It is true and there are some cute glasses that you can find within this price range! This website even has a try-on feature, where you can choose a face from a box on the right hand side of the webpage, and click on the frames and voila - how neat! Choose a face with a similar shape to yours and you are good to go!
If you choose to go this route with your next purchase of eyeglasses, you can even Share your Zenni story on their blog.
I only wear my glasses for about 2-3 hours at night, after I take my contacts out. It is shameful that I do this. I know that my contacts are not ideal for my eyes and I do need to take them out more to let my eyes breathe. Well, this just so happens to be the time of year that I think about getting new glasses. My yearly eye exam happens around this time and every year, I vow to take better care of my eyes. First, I need to find an eye Doctor and make an appointment. Since moving here 6 months ago, I have yet to do that. Every year, I cringe that my eyes have worsened, but for the past couple of years, they seem to be holding steady.
Glasses can be very expensive and who knew that you can actually get $6.95 prescription eyeglasses. Sounds too good to be true. It is true and there are some cute glasses that you can find within this price range! This website even has a try-on feature, where you can choose a face from a box on the right hand side of the webpage, and click on the frames and voila - how neat! Choose a face with a similar shape to yours and you are good to go!
If you choose to go this route with your next purchase of eyeglasses, you can even Share your Zenni story on their blog.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
A New Car
We got a new car and she is my baby!
Okay..well.. new used.. It is a 2008 Honda CRV, all decked out with all the top options, sunroof (gasp - I LOVE the sunroof), and it is a beautiful blue, and the best thing of all? It only has 15,000 miles on it. A 2008, still has the "new car" smell, don't you just love the "new car" smelll?
Many factors went into deciding if we were going to get a new car. But, the trade-in price was right, and we just found this one, and in order not to bore you with the details, let me just say it was pure love at first sight.
Our last car was silver, and while, it was ok. But, for me.. I have always missed the beautiful blue color of my last most favorite car, which was a Honda Accord. This car is more like the family version of that car. I had toyed with the idea of getting some san francisco car painting but that option never made complete sense to me, because there was still some options I wished I had inside of the car.
I could have always gone to Spectrum Auto Body and figured out what added options would cost me. I googled a bit about this auto-body shop and from what I read, they have good reviews and are reliable. But, San Francisco is a bit of a drive for me. Although.. I do love California... daydreaming now...
Good night!
Okay..well.. new used.. It is a 2008 Honda CRV, all decked out with all the top options, sunroof (gasp - I LOVE the sunroof), and it is a beautiful blue, and the best thing of all? It only has 15,000 miles on it. A 2008, still has the "new car" smell, don't you just love the "new car" smelll?
Many factors went into deciding if we were going to get a new car. But, the trade-in price was right, and we just found this one, and in order not to bore you with the details, let me just say it was pure love at first sight.
Our last car was silver, and while, it was ok. But, for me.. I have always missed the beautiful blue color of my last most favorite car, which was a Honda Accord. This car is more like the family version of that car. I had toyed with the idea of getting some san francisco car painting but that option never made complete sense to me, because there was still some options I wished I had inside of the car.
I could have always gone to Spectrum Auto Body and figured out what added options would cost me. I googled a bit about this auto-body shop and from what I read, they have good reviews and are reliable. But, San Francisco is a bit of a drive for me. Although.. I do love California... daydreaming now...
Good night!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Dance and Gymnastics
Allison started Dance last week!
And Emily started gymnastics this morning!
And I just love watching them do their thing!
Love.
And Emily started gymnastics this morning!
And I just love watching them do their thing!
Love.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Tomato Battle
Have you heard about the Tomato Fight?
My Thoughts? The Mom in me is terrified. Do people get severely hurt? Because I am horribly uncoordinated when it comes to walking on wet ground. Do people throw the tomatos hard at you? Do they aim for your face, your chest, your stomach, your rear-end? I am a bit flabbergasted - not gonna lie.
The semi-cool person that I think I once was - maybe 10 years ago, or so - was possibly a bit more daring, more willing to take chances. My former self would, perhaps, even want to go. The person I am now, would literally run in the other direction - as long as the ground was not slippery. We have already established that I am uncoordinated.
Oh, and also, I am not a huge fan of tomatos. Sometimes the smell is even off-putting. So, I am probably not personally a good candidate to attend something like this. However, having said that, if you are more adventurous than me, then tomatobattle.com is something you will want to check out.
And if you go, wear goggles. You will need them.
My Thoughts? The Mom in me is terrified. Do people get severely hurt? Because I am horribly uncoordinated when it comes to walking on wet ground. Do people throw the tomatos hard at you? Do they aim for your face, your chest, your stomach, your rear-end? I am a bit flabbergasted - not gonna lie.
The semi-cool person that I think I once was - maybe 10 years ago, or so - was possibly a bit more daring, more willing to take chances. My former self would, perhaps, even want to go. The person I am now, would literally run in the other direction - as long as the ground was not slippery. We have already established that I am uncoordinated.
Oh, and also, I am not a huge fan of tomatos. Sometimes the smell is even off-putting. So, I am probably not personally a good candidate to attend something like this. However, having said that, if you are more adventurous than me, then tomatobattle.com is something you will want to check out.
And if you go, wear goggles. You will need them.
A Nurse Mom
My Mom's birthday is fast approaching. I have talked about this subject before, in case you are currently experiencing some deja vu. Every year I struggle with what to get her. I think this year I will go with something practical. So, I found this site:
http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/
And voila, problem solved.
I will also get her the requisite gift from the kids, a framed picture or a mold of their hands. Those are always the most favorite gifts of all.
I would think that if you have to wear a uniform for work anyway, that getting them as a gift is appreciated. You can save your money on them, since you have to buy them anyway. I always appreciate practical gifts myself, things that I can use. One less thing for me to buy, you know?
I will give it some more thought, I still have a couple of weeks to figure it all out. Oh - and Allie turns 6 just days after my Mom's birthday. She wants a new bike and her ears pierced! We shall see...
I hope you all are great!!
http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/
And voila, problem solved.
I will also get her the requisite gift from the kids, a framed picture or a mold of their hands. Those are always the most favorite gifts of all.
I would think that if you have to wear a uniform for work anyway, that getting them as a gift is appreciated. You can save your money on them, since you have to buy them anyway. I always appreciate practical gifts myself, things that I can use. One less thing for me to buy, you know?
I will give it some more thought, I still have a couple of weeks to figure it all out. Oh - and Allie turns 6 just days after my Mom's birthday. She wants a new bike and her ears pierced! We shall see...
I hope you all are great!!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Playing Catch up!
I feel as though I have been neglecting my Blog friends.. and my blog. I had hoped that things would have slowed down by now to a point where I can stick to a schedule..be able to visit you all more regularly.. and become comfortable with life again.. But things here are still so hectic. I think I need to get used to this pace.. I need to prioritize my commitments. Obviously, my girls and their schedules come first with school and extra-curricular activities... Not to mention taking time for myself. Between my own exercise classes.. and keeping up with the house.. and my Etsy Shop, and the teams I belong to.. and..well, geesh. It is a lot.
I had decided to put my twitter account to rest for the time being. I felt like it was taking time away from things I NEEDED to be doing.. Twitter works great for some people and their business.. but I was more using it to chit-chat.. and well.. I just don't have the time to do that right now.
In other news.. the girls are doing great in their schools. I could cry when I think about how worried I was and now, how relieved I feel. Daddy made a special surprise visit to Allison today, during lunch.. Parents can come eat lunch with their child, how cool is that? Anyway.. Daddy brought her McDonald's and let's just say.. she was thrilled.. It is not often that she eats McDonald's.. and having Daddy surprise her at lunch.. well.. It just does not get any better than that!
I will see you soon, folks! Do't give up on me! I am sure I will get a grip on my situation soon!
I had decided to put my twitter account to rest for the time being. I felt like it was taking time away from things I NEEDED to be doing.. Twitter works great for some people and their business.. but I was more using it to chit-chat.. and well.. I just don't have the time to do that right now.
In other news.. the girls are doing great in their schools. I could cry when I think about how worried I was and now, how relieved I feel. Daddy made a special surprise visit to Allison today, during lunch.. Parents can come eat lunch with their child, how cool is that? Anyway.. Daddy brought her McDonald's and let's just say.. she was thrilled.. It is not often that she eats McDonald's.. and having Daddy surprise her at lunch.. well.. It just does not get any better than that!
I will see you soon, folks! Do't give up on me! I am sure I will get a grip on my situation soon!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Meet my Logo!
My Logo was designed by Etsy Shop Color Fiesta Graphics and I am thrilled with the result. The watermark is not on the actual logo, of course, but here it is! I would love to know your thoughts!
Flowers for Your Vases.
I have been thinking a lot lately about marketing my vases. I don't really know how to do this at all. I don't know how to reach my target market. I don't know who my target market is. I realize I need to do a lot of research. I was reading a forum on Etsy last night and it was talking about how you should write your descriptions in your listings. It said to talk less about the features of the product and more about the benefits. For example, in regards to my vases, I should talk less about what makes them different and more about why the buyer would like them, as in they are useful and cute. My head was spinning from the information. I can only handle little bits at a time.
I would love to partner up with a flower shop or a gift shop. I know I shop online when I send flowers to somebody. If I knew a single thing about flowers, maybe I can one day offer this. A one-stop shop for flowers and a vase. I would not know a single thing about running a successful flower shop. Although, nor would I want to. These online flower shops are laid out so well that you can choose the occasion and you really don't need to know a thing about flowers to successfully choose a gift.
And, I just like making my vases anyway. That's it. To be a success in also selling flowers, you would have to know a thing or two about flowers. Obviously. My knowledge of flowers runs as far as I can tell the difference between a Rose and a Daffodil and I *might* even get the daffodil wrong. Seriously.
Sure, I can educate myself about flowers, but that would take a whole lot more time than I am willing to give. I just would like to think that any customer who would find me would think on their own that this vase would be perfect for giving a gift of flowers. Although, maybe they just would think that it would be easier to go to the store and pick up a ready made flower bunch, already in a vase. The difference with my vase lies in the fact that after the flowers have died, and they all will die, that the recipient is left with a piece of art and not just a non-nondescript glass vase. But, I also would not want to limit my marketing to a gift-giver. I would want to market them to somebody just looking to add some decor to their home. So, you can see why I am so confused about who my target market is.
This is the tough part about selling online.
I would love to partner up with a flower shop or a gift shop. I know I shop online when I send flowers to somebody. If I knew a single thing about flowers, maybe I can one day offer this. A one-stop shop for flowers and a vase. I would not know a single thing about running a successful flower shop. Although, nor would I want to. These online flower shops are laid out so well that you can choose the occasion and you really don't need to know a thing about flowers to successfully choose a gift.
And, I just like making my vases anyway. That's it. To be a success in also selling flowers, you would have to know a thing or two about flowers. Obviously. My knowledge of flowers runs as far as I can tell the difference between a Rose and a Daffodil and I *might* even get the daffodil wrong. Seriously.
Sure, I can educate myself about flowers, but that would take a whole lot more time than I am willing to give. I just would like to think that any customer who would find me would think on their own that this vase would be perfect for giving a gift of flowers. Although, maybe they just would think that it would be easier to go to the store and pick up a ready made flower bunch, already in a vase. The difference with my vase lies in the fact that after the flowers have died, and they all will die, that the recipient is left with a piece of art and not just a non-nondescript glass vase. But, I also would not want to limit my marketing to a gift-giver. I would want to market them to somebody just looking to add some decor to their home. So, you can see why I am so confused about who my target market is.
This is the tough part about selling online.
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