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Showing posts from 2015

2015 Most Popular Posts

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It's always fun for me to look back at the posts that got the most views of the year. Here's the 2015 list: 1 -  Throwback Thursday - Paris  (Oct. 15): That fantastic black and white picture Dave took of the three of the lovely ladies in Paris wearing scarves. Oh man, that was a great trip! 2 -  4th Annual NCY Weekend (April 29 ): Chronicled our annual weekend in New York. 3 -  Master Bath Gets Rugs (June 30): I invested in more FLOR carpet tiles and the results are amazing. To this day I still look at the floor in my bathroom and not hate it like I do the rest of the room. Little victories. 4-  My Favorite Mornings (Feb. 28): This was a picture of the coffee table in the living room spread out with all my favorite things and enjoying my Sunday morning of ME time. 5 -  New Kitchen Chairs - Perfecto (Oct. 19): We got new chairs in the kitchen that push in. This doesn't sound like a big deal but I love my kitchen a little more without having chairs that I trip o

Outstanding Books from 2015

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Looking back on 2015, I read A LOT! Probably more than the year before. So, here's a roundup of my favorite reads: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo -- This was my FAVORITE read of the year. I didn't put this book down. It's a heist book that was so well drawn, the world-building so well done, I didn't stop swooning. This is the book I recommend when anyone asks "Have you read anything good lately?" Warning: There's a horrible cliffhanger ending. Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (audiobook) -- What a crazy story this was! Gruesome and bold and fantastically exciting. Good world-building and amazingly deep main characters. The narrators (there are two) were fantastic. I can't wait for the sequel. The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard -- I really liked this book. Not complete love, but really liked. I'm still not convinced about the "lightening" power, but once I skipped forward I really liked what it turned into. The toppling an evil le

Blown Away by Star Wars

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Here's the thing ... I'm by no means a Star Wars nerd. I generally find hardcore sci-fi stories a little remote and I always thought the plot of the Star Wars movies hard to follow, with too many holes/questions. But I really do like the characters a lot -- you can't go wrong with an orphaned hero (Luke), a sarcastic rogue (Han) and a superstar princess (Leia) all banding together to fight evil.  I just always wished they were all in a better story. But I live with a nerd and we did talk about what the new Star Wars movies were going to be about, especially with the genius storytelling of JJ Abrams and Joss Whedon (Alias and Buffy: How could this go wrong?). And he did buy tickets months in advanced, so I did book a babysitter and we met up with friends to see it who are equally enthusiastic. And the amazing thing about living where we do is the movie theater wasn't annoyingly crowded and we got our favorite seats. And ate peanut M&Ms that I snuck in and ... wer

'Heist Society' Audiobook Review

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Audiobook: 'Heist Society' by Ally Carter Ready by: Angela Dawe Genre: YA Lit, Awesome! I've been thinking about Ally Carter a lot lately because a) her new book comes out on the 22nd and b) I was talking to a 9-year-old friend who was looking for a new series to read. I directed her to Carter's  Gallagher Girls series , but this is a good one, too. So I guess I was a little predisposed to pick up an Ally Carter book when I was at the library last week. And while I read this book about 10 years ago (my first Ally Carter), my memory was fuzzy on the details of the story. In a nutshell, Kat Bishop comes from a family of thieves. She makes an attempt to get out (as a sophomore in high school), but she's pulled back in to the family business when her dad is framed for stealing some priceless paintings from a very bad guy. AND there's a boy. A fantastic, perfect boy named WW Hale the fifth. It's always more fun to have a narrator read the crazy ac

Alexa, You Are Awesome

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My Echo in its New Home, My Island Don't you just love new tech? For Hanukkah, on the fifth night, I asked for, and received, the Amazon Echo from my hubby. What is it? In a nutshell, you can give voice commands to the Echo from anywhere in the room and it listens and obeys. It can add items to a shopping list and to do list. It can add things to your Amazon cart. It can report the weather, or what's on your Google calendar. It can answer questions about common facts and math equations. It doesn't wash your dishes or put your kids to bed. But I have a hunch there's someone at Amazon headquarters working on it. Here's an example of why this thing is so cool: While I was washing dishes last night, everyone left for frozen yogurt. So, while hands still soapy, I asked Echo to turn on my favorite playlist. ( "Alexa, play my Pandora playlist." ) She did. I asked her to turn up the volume. And then I had her skip a song. All while doing the dishes.

Introducing the Girls to Harry Potter

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Last night I started Chapter 1 of Harry Potter . I'm reading it to the girls before bed. Of course I read it years ago when it first came out. And all the books in the series. But it's been a while since I cracked open the first book. On Sunday, for the last night of Hanukkah, the girls opened this new illustrated edition of Harry Potter (and it's absolutely beautiful!). And we told them about our vacation to Universal Studios in Orlando in February. YAY! And that we'd read the book to prepare for our visit to Harry Potter world. They were way more excited about the trip than the book. Leah knows a bit about Harry Potter, a lot of her pals have read it. She told me yesterday there's even a Harry Potter book club at her school. But she's just got no idea what it's about. Anyway, I had to stop reading twice to control the tears that began to well up when they introduced Lily and James. And then when Albus arrived on Privet Lane. Tonight, the lette

The Last Night

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It's been a fantastic eight crazy nights of Hanukkah. Lots of gifts, smiles and laughter exchanged. And I just love the glow of the menorah with all of the candles lit.

The Guest Room Goes Neutral

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My sisters are coming for Christmas, so I've been spending a lot of time getting the house ready for the onslaught of family -- adult and toddler. One of my tasks is to freshen up the paint color in the guest room. It's the LAST room in the house that is the horrible beige color. I struggled with the paint color for weeks! There's hand-me-down furniture in here. And red curtains I bought quickly when a baby needed to use this room for day-time naps a few years ago. I just wasn't ready to commit to any color scheme or design plan. With my timeline counting down, I had to make my decision and paint this weekend. I pulled color samples, including putting up color swatches on the wall. Blue? Coral? Teal? Peacock blue? Green? Then, on Saturday morning, I had a revelation! My living room in the New Jersey house was a Benjamin Moore color called " shenandoah taupe ," and it was my favorite color in all the house. And guests would compliment the shade, too. It h

The Braces Are On

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Leah has had an expander on the roof of her mouth for a past few months, making room for all the big teeth coming in (my genetics there, sorry). Today, she got four braces put on the top adult teeth, to straight them out. See how off-center they are?! So cute! Before and After - Braces

Happy Hanukkah 2015

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The family room mantel is all done up for the season. We've got all of our Hanukkah laid out and ready for the next week of celebration. The girls continue to shake and sort their gifts; they can't keep their hands off of them. Family Room Mantel  The greenery above is sage and eucalyptus. I love the smell but it's drying out much faster than I thought it would. Memo to myself: Go with an evergreen next year. 

Songs That Make Me Cry

It doesn't take much to make me cry. In fact, I'd make a great soap opera actress because I can produce tears on command. So, of course I cried when I saw the new Adele "Hello" video. She digs so deep into that well of longing and regret that I can't help being swept up in the emotion. Which got me to thinking about all the other songs that will abruptly come up on my Pandora station at work or in the car and I'm reduced to tears. I Hope You Dance -- I don't often listen to country stations so Lee Ann Womack doesn't blindside me too often but you'd have to be dead inside not to get weepy at this tune.  Make You Feel My Love  -- This is originally Bob Dylan but Adele does a fantastic version, though I'm partial to the way Tim McGraw sings it. My City of Ruin -- This takes me back to Bruce's 9/11 TV performance which I sobbed through. Like any good Bruce song, it's timeless and universal and sad and hopeful all wrapped up together.

'Natural Born Charmer' Audiobook Review

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Audiobook: 'Natural Born Charmer' by Susan Elizabeth Phillips Read by: Anna Fields Genre: Romance, Romantic Comedy Phillips is the gateway drug of romance novelists. Her dialogue is hilarious and her characters are flawed and sweet. They were my first contemporary romance novels (or chick-lit) and after reading them I started digging around for more from this genre. Sweet, light, romantic comedies. So, yup, I've read this book a few times since getting it from a used book store almost a decade ago, and it's my favorite SEP romances. Sure, her books are a little dated (flip phones) now. And I can point you to a bunch of newer books that are a tad steamier. But this book is holding up. And the audiobook does it justice. Blue Bailey is a wanderer who survived an itinerate childhood by not getting too attached to people and places. Dean Robillard is a professional football player (this book is part of the Chicago Stars series) and has buried his childhood disa

Going to Philly For a Cookie

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This year we flew into Philadelphia and drove to my in-law's house in New Jersey for Thanksgiving because we got a great deal on the airfare. Also an added plus: we spent a night in a hotel in downtown Philly the night before we flew out. Did we see some of the amazing historic sights there? Not really, though we DID see the Liberty Bell on the way to the airport. (It's really small!) No, the main event for us was a visit to the Reading Terminal Market for the BEST COOKIE EVER. Dave talks about these cookies all year and when we get a chance to be in Philly, this is the first place we go. The stall is all the way in the back corner. It's called Hope's Cookies at the Pennsylvania General Store. At the end of the day each cookie is $1. We bought more than enough and not a crumb went uneaten. (Go there, you will not be sorry.) In addition, there's a bunch of other seriously delicious food stuffs here. So we split a grilled cheese sandwich -- amazing. At Re

Thanksgiving at the Shore

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This year we were at a cousin's house in Bradley Beach, NJ for Thanksgiving. They lived just a quick walk from the ocean so, of course, I said hello to the extended family (my husband's) and hit the sidewalk as soon as I could to check on the ocean. Yup it's still there! And still amazing. Sunset on Thanksgiving Someday I will live near an ocean again. 

Holiday Card Outtakes

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I take nothing away from the folks who have professional in-studio pictures taken of their families. Growing up that's exactly what my mother made us do. Every year. But I have a quality camera and a good sense of lightening, so I'd rather save the cash and do it myself. Am I the best? Oh no. Not even close. But I usually get what I'm looking for and the kids think it's hilarious to be silly in front of the camera for the 10 minutes shoot.  This year, we used the snow in the front yard as the background. I didn't even bother brushing their hair. Folks, this is what they look like ... crooked teeth and all.  Sisters! I just love these gals. Here are photo tips I put together during last year's photo shoot .

First Snow!

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Our first snowy weekend of the season and, lucky us, it fell on a Saturday when we had very few plans. So while the girls met up with the neighbor and headed to the small sledding hill across the street ...  while I got out my sewing projects and made great progress.  Pile of Sewing While listening to the new Adele album and taking breaks to stare at the white winter land that was once my green backyard. Related posts: More winter stories Want to see more sewing projects?

'Cruel Beauty' Audiobook Review

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As a commuter, I go through lots of audiobook (rented from the library) each month. And for awhile, I wrote up quick audiobook reviews. I'm going to revive those reviews and place them all under this label , starting with ... Audiobook: 'Cruel Beauty' by Rosamund Hodge Read by: Elizabeth Knowledon Genre: YA Lit, Fairy Tell Retelling Did I really need to read another fairy tale retelling? Maybe not. But this sure sounded good and the cover is beautiful. Plus, I'm a sucker for a Beauty and the Beast story. Nyx is born to avenge her mother's death and father's foolish bargain by marrying the Gentle Lord, the demon at fault for shutting off their country from the rest of the world, and the underworld demons that live in the shadow and drive humans into madness. While her sister is raised to be all light and beauty, Nyx is taught to be hateful and cruel. And she's pretty wrecked by the whole thing, as she has tapped down every cruel emotion and evil t

Stars in the Dining Room

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I detest the chandelier -- if you can even call it that -- in my dining room. It's dinky, underwhelming and sometimes it just refuses to turn on. It was the previous owner's attempt at modern, maybe? Someday I vow to replace it. But for now ... the only good thing about this chandelier is I can hang stuff from it. Which I do. A lot. I found these glorious silver stars at Target last weekend and they look amazing dangling from the hideous light fixture. Stars for the Holidays Related posts: You'll love my dining room stories

The Pirate Quilt is Underway

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I just love these little pirates on this fabric. And my Thanksgiving deadline is fast approaching. But it looks like I will make it. Pirate Quilt for Mike's Baby

The Grown-Up Party in Chicago

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This Saturday we went to a party in downtown Chicago with work colleagues ... and no kids!! Sure, there was a fair amount of office gossip discussed, but it wasn't too bad. And there were a few spouses to chat with. And adult beverages. And no juice boxes. And lots of adult language. It had been awhile since I've been to a party and didn't see small kids running around. A nice change. And the view from his windows were pretty cool ... View of Chicago From the Condo Sometimes, being an adult is kinda nice! 

Coats at the Bus Stop

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It's coming. The wind made the bus stop extra frigid this morning. Even Benny had his coat on.

Parenting Goals - Aspirations for a Friday Morning

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In the Stacks I read once that parenting was all about preparing your kids to leave you. Which is a depressing thought. But true, I guess. We want our daughters to be functioning adults contributing to society, when all is said and done. So, if I get across these concepts (in no particular order) by the time they are teenagers (and no longer listening to me), I'll feel like I (mostly) did my job as a parent: The Library is a Cool Place -- because they are. There's magic in books. It's Cool Just to Be Who You Are -- I should just wish for a family unicorns to move into my basement because girls are a mess with this stuff, but a mom can dream. Include being independent in this one, too. Food comes from farms, not factories.  Duh, right? But you'd be surprised how disconnected a french fry is from the potato in my pantry. Also include good food choice. They don't always need to pick the right ones, but at least they're aware. Soda and gum are gross

My Winter Goals

Alert! Alert! We're entering a transition month. Soccer and fall activities are ending. The days are shorter and colder. Winter coats are out, along with winter boots and all the hats/mittens/scarves I can find. And with all this change come a chance for me to gather goals for the winter months. - Wake up earlier. Leah is currently pulling me out of bed in the morning, being dressed and starving. It would help her out if I was actually getting out of bed myself. - Evening working outs. I did this once and now I'm not on the soccer field (being semi-active) three times a week, I need to find a weekly class or something to increase activity levels ... at a time of the year when I really just want to start hibernating. - Train the girls to do more stuff for themselves. Like picking up their after-school-snack wrappers. This should be subtitled, "I continue to nag my children" as that's what it feels like. - Back to weekly menu planning. Only one night a

What I'm Diggin' in November 2015

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Thanksgiving is just around the corner and the holidays are not too far behind. So what's on my mind this month? Here's the list ... Boots for Leah - She needs something to keep her feet warm as the temps dip. Do I spring for the $100 Uggs? She's not old enough to feel the pressure of buying the "cool" label (right?!), so can I just get the cheaper off-brand? Is there a more water-proof option? These are my current thoughts around this not-as-significant-as-I'm-making-it purchase. The Dress From The Loft I'm LOVING Clothes from the Loft - These woman's apparel mall stores (Loft, Limited, Express, etc.) have a 10-year cycle for me. Most of the time I'll walk in and immediately walk out -- nothing in their collections says My Style. Then, once every 10 years, they create a line that is just for Me -- and that's what is going on at the Loft this month. I bought a bunch of outfits, got good deals on the sales, and now I probably won't

Frost Soccer

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There as frost on the ground on Sunday morning, temps at a crisp 34 degrees, but that didn't stop my team from playing their second-to-last game of the season. A parent took this picture from the game. That's Leah looking all intense, ready to receive the ball. And I'm hanging on the player's bench looking all nonchalant. "What? Me worry?" But you know I was yelling something at her. Soccer Stance! We won by a lot ... though, I couldn't tell you the final score. Even as a player I didn't keep track of goal counts. I'm usually pretty clear on if we're winning, losing or close. But final score? I leave that up to the parents to keep track.

List Lovers Unite!

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My List App Profile Page I have always love lists. Why? Here are four reasons: 1. Because they organize my thoughts. 2. I can check or cross things off as I get them done. 3. Crossing things off is a motivator. 4. They're generally pretty fun. So, I'm pretty excited to find this new app called The List App. There's a bunch of funny people contributing lists on everything from hard news to stuff their mom says. It's all pretty creative. And geez, I needed YET another thing on my phone to distract me from my real life. For example, here are the last few lists I favorited recently: "Everyday things that are great in Paris" by Ina Gartner "Facts that sound too good to be true." by Mental Floss (that magazine with crazy facts in it) "Long-haul flight must-haves, must-wear, must-dos, AKA: Travel hacks" by a pilot's daughter who travels all the time. "TV & Movies with Perd Hapley as a newscaster" "

3rd Annual Halloween Party

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Every Halloween, we throw a party. It's really just an excuse for me to create centerpieces and eat M&Ms. But conversing with out adults around my island is a huge bonus. And the girls get added time to celebrate this holiday and run off their sugar highs with friends. Here are some pictures: Creepy! The Graveyard Outside My Door Everyone's Doing It! The Vomiting Pumpkin! Centerpiece We Had a Fancy Witch and a Disco Union Jack Bast from the past: 1st Annual Halloween Party , and 2nd Annual (2014) Halloween .  

A Halloween From the Past

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I was a princess AND a ballerina. And I'm pretty sure my Mom made this costume, even though my baby sister would have been 1 month old. (How Did She Do It All?!) And I hope I didn't give her too much of a hard time about the white turtleneck. Halloween 1979 Also, that's my Great-Grandpa Jack looking very impressed by my costume in the background. He lived up the street and seemed to enjoy the chaos of my little family. I believe my older sister was a clown. Also a handmade costume. Related links: More History posts 

Pretty Outfits for Thanksgiving

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Usually I buy a cute outfit for each of my girls to wear to Grandma's house for Thanksgiving. In year's past, they've been semi-coordinated (the only time of year I do this, I promise) but often I just strive for something matching and void of stains. This year, I allowed them to online shop with me. This made me nervous because they often point to clothes I think are ugly or ridiculous looking. Am I going to buy them a sweatshirt with a over-glittered "Selfie" written across the front, no! No, I will not. I've been burned on the Disney-character t-shirt they beg for and never wear again, too. Yes, shopping for them is usually a solo effort by me. But sometimes I like to take the "temperature" of what kind of clothes they're "into" this year. I don't want to be accused of not allowing them self-expression, right? And I should be "guiding" their styles just a bit so they don't turn into fashion disasters. (That'

Blinded at My Workplace

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So, the powers that be at my workplace have decided to no longer allow us worker to open/close the blinds in our office. I came in this morning and found the strings to adjust the blinds hidden away. And the blinds completely down. Sure, I can turn them open/closed but there will forever be lines obstructing my views. My Obstructed View I heard it's to help manage temperatures in the building, but really, doesn't this seem a little petty? How will I spy on my squirrel neighbor? The Squirrel's Next out My Window

Totally Cool on Twitter

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Not freaking out at all that a favorite author and I are bonding over our favorite historical romance writer. Nope, not at all. Totally cool. Side note: I'm pretty excited about a new Kleypas historical romance. I've read a bunch in this genre and no one writes them better, in case you're in the market for a good romance. The new book is called "Cold-Hearted Rake" and I'll be up late tonight reading it.

Foods I Wished I Liked...

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Not sure what got me thinking about this, but there's a bunch of food I have always wished I liked. And isn't it weird to think you WANT to like these things but YET you don't? Why do tastebuds have such power over my life?! Here's my list, in no particular order: Honey -- I love the idea of becoming a novice beekeeper to help bee populations, "as the bees go, so goes the earth" and all that. Plus, it's a natural sweetener you can get locally.  But, yuck. Too bitter.  Granola -- healthy, nutritious and cheap. My hubby loves it. But me? No thanks.   Jam and Pickles - because I took a jamming seminar and thought it was the coolest thing, but why go through all that just to make something I don't like to eat?   Applesauce -- my Mom used to hide penicillin in applesauce, thus all applesauce has that awful chalky taste to me. Done.  Oatmeal -- seriously, why don't I like oatmeal? Much the same reason as granola, I guess. I discovered steal-

Menu Planning Lessons Learned

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With soccer season finally over (I have mixed feelings about this), I'll now have some extra time to get back to real menu planning. During soccer season, my weekly dinner menus heavily rely on frozen nuggets and veggies heated in the microwave -- what more can a working mom who gets home from soccer practice at 7pm do? Do you create weekly dinner menus? It's a life-changer. No joke. You'll spend less at the grocery store, throw out less food and help maintain a healthy diet. Plus, silence that nagging "what am I going to make for dinner tonight" question that runs on repeat on your drive home. It's all planned, sister! But it requires dedication. You can't plan a taco night and decide that evening you're in the mood for pizza. No sir! It's on the menu so YOU GET yourself in the mood to eat that taco. (!!) I sit down to plan meals on Saturday or Sunday morning -- depending on when I'm grocery shopping. First, I take a look at the week ahe

Halloween Mantel Coming Together

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I get a little too excited about decorating the mantel for Halloween. All I'm missing is some spooky candles. That Black Owl, Named Midnight, Keep Getting Shuffled Around Related posts: Halloween is no joke around here, see all my spooky stories Everything about my fireplace

Things Got a Little Crazy on Etsy ...

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Last week I started my holiday shopping list ... I know, I know, I'm one of THOSE people. One of the reasons I make this list so early is to consider what I'm going to hand-make for my fortunate friends and family members. This year I'm planning on crafting a few pendents, a baby quilt, and some kitchen napkins. I made an attempt to hit my favorite quilting store, but they were closed on Saturday afternoon when I was out that way ... so, that evening after dinner with a cold bottle of Magner's hard cider (yummy!) I pulled out the laptop and did some fabric shopping at Etsy. A hard cider buzz and Etsy. This is a bad combination. Let's just say, more than enough fabric was purchased for holiday crafting. WAY more than enough. There should be a warning label on the side of my Magner's bottle that says "do not drink and shop on Etsy." The upshot is: a few days later I got two boxes in the mail of the most beautiful fabric and I'm completely i

Bring on the Spooky

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It's beginning to get a little spooky around here ... Frank, Drac and a Little Devil Related posts: Read more of my Decorating stories

New Kitchen Chairs Are Perfecto!

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The Old Chairs I have a Kitchen Chair update! I was talking about replacing my kitchen chairs a few weeks ago when a new friend mentioned how much she liked my current ones. (She might be by to pick them up in a few weeks.) While I like them. (I do!) It was starting to get on my nerves that they don't push in under the table -- taking up way too large a foot print in my kitchen table space. After some time on a variety of online shops, I decided on a set of white chairs, lower backs and a simple, almost-modern, designs. The price was good from OneKingsLane.com, so I quickly ordered four new chairs. They took a few weeks to be delivered but when they finally arrives I was really pleased. You just never know with online chair shopping. But these were comfortable and matched my old white table almost perfectly. They took only a few minutes to assemble and I had to run out to get felt pads for the feet, but they just look fabulous.  And I know you think I'm being nit

Throwback Thursday - Paris!!

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I was flipping through my pictures and found this GEM snapped by Dave. We were walking out to dinner in Paris and we were all wearing snazzy scarves. When in Paris, wear scarves. Smiles in Paris - September

Check-Up Time

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We used the day off on Monday to visit our new pediatrician (we broke up with our last doctor's office -- as awkward as that is) for Alice's 7-year check-up. She was extremely nervous about the shots. Sitting on the table with her paper dress on, I was struck by how long those legs are! And her feet are huge. Is it possible she'll actual defy her genetics and be tall?! Alice Checking Out Her Fashion-Forward Dress

Alice's Hair Brushing Class

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Here's one for the scrapbook. It's Sunday afternoon and Leah's at a sleepover and all is quiet in Alice's room. I'm puttering around the house and Dave is watching football. I love quiet afternoons like this. Alice has been down a few times for supplies, including a coach pillow she needed to have in her room "forever." Later, I'm getting her ready for bed and finally enter her room. Here's what I find: Three pillows set-up with blanket "chairs" and a swatch of doll hair taped to each pillow. There are hair brushes on each pillow. The Barbie is set up on a "desk" ready for the demonstration of how to correctly brush hair. Nearby, three dolls now have much shorter hair. Is it wrong that I just laughed and laughed? Anyway, she quickly enrolls me in her hair brushing class, which I pass with flying colors -- I'm happy to add. Alice is an excellent instructor and shows me a few times the right technique.