Snow Day!

Today was our first "real" snowfall of the year. They are saying it is "record snowfall"... it was only 2 inches!! We already had the day off of school for Teachers in service so it took some of the excitement out of the morning.

The bay and the sky were so gray it was hard to tell the difference between the two. These photos are taken by my 8 year old, he really loves to get his hands on the camera. Actually, all the photos taken today were taken by my kids, we love to have "Candid" camera days.

Those White Lumps in the water are Swans. He wanted to capture the two with black necks mixed in with all the plain white ones.

It was of course a day at the shop for the Kids and I, but they did find time to make the Littlest Snowman....It was really cute!

We stayed cozy with White Mocha's and some leftover Chocolate Cupcakes! YUMMY!!

And, I practice my knitting....as you can tell I was in deep - deep concentration!!

Some of my favorites moments today. My favorite chair, My favorite little people and one of my favorite little spots....our cozy little coffee shop!

Sweet Deal!

I love a bargain. I'd like to say I am a bargain hunter, but I am not good at rooting through racks and racks of things to find good deals at clothing stores. It just doesn't work for me. I have to be in the right mood, and I think it has something to do with the four little "deal breakers" that are usually in tow! And, I will never buy something just because it is a "good deal".

I really hate the word Frugal, but I think that I am sometimes...HOWEVER, I LOVE it when I find a super sweet deal on something that makes me Giddy!!! You know when you see it and you quickly glance around to see if you are in jeopardy of "sharing" your sweet deal?? THAT is exactly how I felt last week at Anthropology.

Of course I was in sensory overload the moment I walked into the door....and in love with SO MANY things I could barely contain myself!!

I came home with a few "pretties" but my biggest purchase was also one of my favorites! Look at this deal....

$328.00 Regular price.....Marked down to $79.95!!!! Hello!!! It was just what I was looking for, Classic enough to last more than one year but slightly vintage in style, car length, wool & totally lined! I am in love with it!!

I am a complete sucker for dishes/glassware/Cake plates/dish towels and most other kitchen related pretties so there was no way I would be able to resist a set of Latte bowls in adorable vintage colors. And my MOST favorite purchase of the day.....a footed coffee mug with my initial and two little sparrows sitting on the arm of the H. It has a delicate feel to it, and is so lady like!

LOVE IT!! I have used it EVERY DAY since I brought it home! Completely giddy over it ever time I pick it up!

In total, I came home with a FABULOUS winter coat, 3 lovely mugs, 5 latte bowls, a set of s/p shakers, pretty shell inlaid knob, candle and a decorative table flower for $130 +/-. That is what I call a sweet deal!

Plus, each one of those items makes me smile, that is even more sweet!

You got what for your birthday?!?!?!?

You know when your going in a dozen different directions and all the kids are talking to you at the same time...your half listening....and the common response is "uh huh....wow....., that's ________" Fill in the blank with either terrible, awful, cool, wonderful, etc. Most of the time we pick up on the important parts, right??

This was one of those moments....the conversation went something like this....

Part 1 (I think it was Monday....)

Jake: Mom blah blah blah from my class blah blah blah, chicken pox....

Me: Really, that's terrible

Part 2 (Wednesday, also being his birthday)

Jake: Mom, I have something itching me all over my back!

Mom: After spying red dots, slightly "bite" looking...Jake, when was the last time you changed your sheets???

Jake: I dunno??

Mom: Jacob, change the sheets today when you come home from school.

Part 3 (Thursday)

Jacob: Mom, these spots are REALLY itching me....I think I have more??

Mom: Come here, pull your shirt up. Holy Cow!!!

Right about now my memory card kicked in and I started recalling the first conversation!

Mom: Jacob, did you say somebody had the chicken pox in your class???

Jacob: Yes, I told you that on Monday!

Mom: I am calling the school?!?

Mom: Hi, this is Heather...I was wondering if you have had any reported cases of THE CHICKEN POX?!?!?

Health Room Asst: Yes, two cases in the fifth grade.

Mom: Can you briefly describe what they look like? Uh, huh......ok...well can you add ONE MORE TO YOUR LIST!!!

Jacob: What??? Am I going to be OK???? now in a total panic! He freaks a little bit....

Mom: Your going to be fine....just don't itch yourself!

Jacob: But they itch!!!!

That would be the worst birthday present I think this year! Almost as bad as when my mother in law brought Pink Eye to Lily's first birthday! That was great!!!

Look, you can even see one in this birthday picture!!

I would just like to add that I really do listen to my kids when they are talking to me...especially when we are spending time together one on one and when we talk at the end of the night.

Eleven years in the making

Eleven years ago last night, I was blessed with one of the most wonderful blessings I will ever be given. I gave birth to a little boy who came to me wrapped in the wings of an Angel. A little boy who's entrance into the world was very surreal and terrifying. A little boy who we were told might not make it through the night and if he did there was "no guarantee what his future would hold..."


What we have 11 years later is the smartest, sweetest, most genuine young man that I have ever known. More proof that Doctors are only human and not in control of Gods plan and another reminder for me that God does have a plan for us from day one. A beautiful boy who's blue eyes show a wise man destined for greatness inside of a sweet little boy.




So sweet and sincere, he will make a wonderful husband and will without a doubt put his wife on a thrown and LOVE her genuinely and sincerely.


I honestly could go on and on about this young man, I gush about him frequently. His genuine interest in learning, his love of reading and respect of nature are admirable. His compassion for people and desire to help those in need is breathtaking. His brain all filled with facts is mesmerizing! His dry sense of humor, hysterical!


Most days I can't believe that I helped to create and gave birth to this little man, but every day I am reminded how thankful I am to God for this little angel.


Happy Birthday Jacob, Your momma loves you!

My husband is a Superstar!

In the opinion of our children, their dad is a SUPERSTAR right now. They always knew he had a special job, but today they have decided that he is a superstar, and I have to agree. I allowed the kids to stay home from school to watch the full coverage of the day, this was after all a monumental day in history! Even though we could have stowed away in my husbands car and actually been at the Capital today, we opted to stay home and watch everything on TV. Much warmer and much safer. Their Daddy was right there in the thick of EVERYTHING!!

My husband not only spoke with 4 - yes 4 different Presidents today, but he was right up there with our new President, Mr. Obama!!!!! He was once again a part of history, just as he was for 9/11, President Ronald Regan, Rosa Parks, and President Ford.

He has had the opportunity to meet and talk with Leaders of the World, the Leaders of our Country, the Famous and all the while he is a humble man who is "just doing his job" like all the other men and women on Capital Hill. Most of the time he somehow slips baseball into the conversation...his real love! In fact he had a lengthy conversation today with President Bush about baseball and college life in Southern Texas. I love you babe, you never cease to surprise me!

He puts his life on the line ever day for the leaders of our country, both big and small. He is instrumental in the training of other officers and represents his department very handsomely in for their special occasions.....and I am very honored to be his wife and so happy that he comes home to me and our children every day.

This is an unbelievable day, I couldn't be more hopeful for our country and more blessed to live here.

I have been so blessed

It is after 9PM and my day has just begun. There is still laundry to be done, dishes to be washed and lunches to be packed. All left undone last night for the sake of a party, a family day and the celebration of a Princess.

Three years ago yesterday God blessed me with the final piece of my circle of love, a lovely little creature that would fill each and every day with adventure. Her destiny is sure to be GRAND! There is no question about it! Those big blue eyes filled with curiosity, that beautiful little smile that melts the hearts of all you meet. Thank you for the joy you bring to my life every day!!

When your a Princess your day begins around you while you sleep in the lap of luxury in your mommas bed....

When you wake you put on on your custom made Princess Crown...and love it!!!

You always have a spare....this one comes from a lovely french place...I believe the name is "Targ-et"???

Who can resist that beautiful smile! This is the smile and the crown you wear all day while you work at your Mommas shop.

When you come home there is a YUMMY Banana-Walnut Cake with Cream Cheese frosting! And, even a Princess loves to help bake.

At times, the Kingdom is not in full alignment, and you have to break out the Pout!

We all try NOT to laugh as you spout your demands from the cutest little pursed lips! We love you Princess....you are our one and only!

Love your Momma.....

My My Nie Nie...

This print is from this shop on Etsy!

I COULD NOT wait to get through my daily chores to get home and read THIS blog today! I was soooooo anxious to read the tidbit that would be waiting for me (us)! My expectations were reasonable, I was only expecting a blurb.....one word would have made me happy. A simple Hello would have done it for me, and she didn't disappoint.


I am in LOVE with this woman, her family and her children. She doesn't know me, doesn't even know I exist but, I love her.


I feel blessed to have found her story.

Up and Coming Indie Designer

You know the stage where our children decide that they are going to dress themselves???....I think we are there!!!

With my first born, a girl, I had "Perfectly" chosen outfits, all beautiful and girly.....I changed her frequently and always made sure that she was adorable, hair combed, clean face and most importantly....no residue on any clothing when we left the house. Not one piece of clothing was a "hand-me-down" or purchased at a consignment shop....boy how times have changed! I have to add that she has turned out to be the least fashion conscious 12 1/2 year old I have ever met!!!!!

Then there were the boys...one particularly anal, wore a tie to Kindergarten because he was "a professional now...", would not get in the car to go to my aunt's funeral because he shirt was not ironed, at the age of four!! Then one who is wild and all boy....could care less if anything matches...will wear anything if it "looks" clean...even if it is not his!

I think somewhere in the midst I caved under pressure....or grew up as a parent and decided that they are only clothes. I still get a little anxious about spills on clothes though...Every other parent in the world knows what "stage" you are in when your child chooses to leave the house like this.....

The pout came about when Breeanna (the oldest) put her foot down and said..."that is it, I draw the line at her wearing the life jacket!". I mentioned that miss Bree is not that fashion conscious, so for her to draw the line it must have been bad!

You should have seen the outfit put together for the next day....now, she is either just an adorably stubborn soon-to-be three year old or she is the next rising star in the Indie design world. I can't decide, but I can dream......

Shopping was Sew fun!

Yesterday I showed you the fabric I picked up, well today I stumbled on a super sweet sale on patterns at Joannes! I have wanted to make my own pattern for skirts, but decided things might get done faster if I start with an actual pattern.

I also picked up a very - very - sweet deal on apparel fabric that will work great for the dress I mentioned yesterday! If I start now I might be able to wear it for Christmas next year!

And...I promised myself to start my skirt project TOMORROW night! The kids and hubby are going to a very special basketball game, so The Princess and I are home alone!!

Do you ever have those shopping days when the kids are cooperative,you get great bargains, and you come home with stuffed bags and you haven't spent a ton of money? I LOVE that!! That is a great feeling!

Lookie...Lookie...

Today I went with a girlfriend - and The Princess - to a great little quilt shop in West Annapolis. It is such a small shop that it is literally JAM packed with fabric goodness!! They have this one little hallway that is filled with all different shades of pink...I love it in there. I am instantly "happy" when I walk in there.

I resisted most of my temptations but did come home with a few lovelies! I can't begin to tell you how many bolts of fabric I walked away from. I have made a serious vow to not buy anything that I am not going to use right away....or at least in the very near future this year! I struggle with this because I do love fabric....and scrapbook paper....and embellishments....and pretty much anything crafty! OK..sorry...focusing!

These few little select pieces HAD to come home with me! I have a plan for all of them. I am going to make a skirt(s) for myself out of the brown with large floral, and either a shirt/tunic or skirt out of the blue/green print. The small bird print which I love is going to be a shirt or dress for Lily. And it just so happens that the pink cupcake print I have a matching fabric for. I had bought it earlier in the year.

Hayden (The Brawn) feels that this looks like a tablecloth...but I love it!

I am truly thinking of trying the dress from Sew Hip's latest edition. It is really cute! I think that a cute shirting would be nice...too bad I can't find a darn picture!

Because I work better on a deadline...I have made myself a little "To Do" chart to get my "Want to do" projects done. I am hoping that it will work...I am posting it on the closet in my Craft Studio, however since I don't go in there every day I think I need to post it in several places! I will share with you tomorrow!

I would also accomplish much more if I would institute my "Self dicipline" for the New Year and go to bed earlier, get up earlier and only spend time on the computer in the morning......

So much work, so little time.....

It's Official...my childhood, whack...

Over the weekend we had an extension of the holiday when my uncle - my FAVORITE uncle, and his daughter, my cousin came to visit. Along with him, two of his oldest childhood friends and their wives...who were new to the grouping came for dinner. After their visit, and all the great stories from the past that left us in stitches....my sides hurt from laughing so hard! It made me realize a few things...besides the fact that my childhood was pretty great, it was totally whack and not normal!!! All the while though, I thought it was....

Between my mother being a single mom before it was "the norm", spending weekends with my two sets of grandparents (both VERY different...one would take me to the theater and one would fill my swimming pool with minnos and soft crabs...), and my uncle (who had a bright red Afro...I loved it) and his friends being ever present in my youth, I am surprised I made it out alive! My mother always says "you survived!!!....." I remind her that it is survival of the fittest out here!

I am not kidding you! The stories that I have under my belt are all true and all a little crazy!! We joke about this at the shop, when situations arise we always say "there is a story behind that...and there always is..." I was reminded of this tonight when I was reading this hysterical blog post....which reminded me of a story....a personal one...I am sure you will get a chuckle, so I will share....when I was younger we had horses, and we also had large boxwood bushes which sparrows apparently like to make a nest in....not a scientific statement just an observation! So, one night on the way back from the barn we were walking past one of the larger boxwood bushes when a small sparrow flew out and flew RIGHT INTO MY MOTHERS HAIR!!! I am not lying...right into her hair! My mother went ballistic...she was freaking out!! Between the screaming, laughing and all the in between I am pretty sure I peed my pants! I also am pretty sure that I was scarred for life, SCARRED!! I am NOT a fan of those fine feathered friends. I also like the bird decor...but not the real thing.

Here are just a few that top the list...I will expand on them some day.

1. Fell out of a moving car...mother kept driving. Swears she was in shock!
2. My mother tried to bring one of our horses INSIDE THE HOUSE because she felt it was too cold outside!
3. Had a Praying Mantis pod/nest hatch on the radiator in my room, woke up COVERED in them!
4. My childhood home kitchen being totally decorated with Crayon drawings by my mothers friends.
5. Read some previous post's on the Christmas tree experiences.
6. Of course the bird in the hair...
There are so many more....

Now, I don't know about you...but I notice that some of the funniest memories are the result of personal injury, trauma or drama (mental or physical). Either mine or somebody else's.... I am not sure that is normal???? I also feel that this has led to my slightly sarcastic sense of humor...

Reflection brings Knowledge

Yesterday and today were wonderful days of Nothing-ness and Family togetherness. I welcomed a New Year today and realized that this past year even with all of it's struggles and challenges was still one of the best years yet.

This past year I turned 35, and if I am lucky I have lived only half my life. My birthday celebration was the best of simplicity and I think the best that I can remember. I have four beautiful children and even with the bad days I am luckier than some. They all drive me crazy and make me laugh hysterically in the same day. I learned to redefine my meaning of friendship, and I learned that there are many different definitions of perfect. I also learned to be who I am, not who other people and life want me to be. That is sometimes a hard thing to remember when you live in a small town.

My last lesson in 2008....which is one that I forgot somewhere in my adult life. But Thank You to The Princess for reminding me....

It isn't a Party without a Party Hat!!!

We spent the day yesterday hanging out, making different little craft projects, and deciding on our resolutions! We worked on our journals, and we made party hats for our New Year's Celebration. As promised here are some pictures of the finished product.....

Our party hats were on clearance at Michael's for .50 and I think were meant to be Elf hats during Christmas, but they served us well as Party Hats! A little glue, glitter, ribbon and pom-poms...Party Hats all around! The Princess asked everyone who called both yesterday and today if they had a party hat, and encouraged them to come over and see ours!

I also set the table Nice and FANCY, dressed up in our finest....and ate a Silly Non-Fancy dinner. This years choice....take-out Chinese!

I set the table with some Blue and Silver decorations, for some reason in my minds eye Blue, Silver and Black are New Years colors. I used a pair of beautiful blue candlesticks that I bought at an antique store...I love them! A huge hurricane filled with ornaments, and transferred all foods into pretty glass dishes. Food always tastes better when it is served on a pretty table and on pretty dishes!

The kids had a great time dancing around the living room, the ball dropped and New Years kisses all around!!

My resolutions for this year are pretty simple. No major changes...

1. Be more disciplined...menu's, life choices, housework...

2. Create one project per week....relieves stress for me

3. Scrapbook at least one page per week

4. Remember what is important to me

Ohhhh...I also learned that I should never make this face again!! I was told that I looked like a "Crazy" Whoo!!