come sit awhile

as fred sanford would say...

i'm coming to you elizabeth!

that told a bit too much about my childhood, maybe...

this, my friends is pure goodness! 

i've had it yesterday for lunch and today for dinner, even jeff like it!

need i say more?

found it at www.thepioneerwoman.com just a couple of days ago, made a list and off to the grocery store i went...which had nothing to do with the fact that our fridge was completely bare!

everything bagels, cream cheese, cucumber, tomato, green onion, red onion, muenster cheese, cheddar cheese, AVACADO oh my gosh...salt and pepper, sprouts and...i think that's it.

she (PW) has a serious method to her's but how ever you pile it on OPEN WIDE!  it's a doozie...

and just so you know muenster cheese or monster cheese as jackson called it...is so very very good and you can find it with the regular cheese, no problem!

i want to try adding roasted garlic to the cream cheese, what do you think?

thursday things...

got up this morning and go busy!  i was once a morning person...not so much these days!  i've totally fell of the exercise wagon which i feel really bad about...but with that said, it's a big reason why i sleep in. 

not that there's anything wrong with that because there is not...i just feel like it's a waste of time. 

so.  from here on out (??) i'm going to set that alarm and get my butt up and do something.  or else it will be really awful when school starts...which is just over a week away!   did you hear me?   just over a week away.....aaaccckkkk!

makes me shiver.

as you probably already know i'm having a HUGE....BIG....GIVEAWAY (see previous post) and my stat counter has gone through the roof!  so be sure to leave a comment over there, you won't be disappointed.  unless you don't win, but that's up to you because you could always buy something, even if it's for yourself! 

ahem.

we did this, this morning.  and i swear (yes, swear) that LEGO's will certainly be the death of me!   if you have a boy...you know what i'm talking about.  it doesn't help that i'm a little ocd about this stuff...like in a perfect world i would have each color divided out and in ziplock bags so that it would be easy to locate these oh so small pieces and follow the directions accordingly...that was a horrible run on sentence, just so you know i know.   but then there's jackson who doesn't really care what color the piece is just as long as the outcome is the same....

and then the mess.   ugh.

all that for this...

and the jet plane...

i am here to please...

swimming lessons actually ended today BUT mrs. d asked if we wanted to come another two weeks and i said OF COURSE!   jackson has officially moved to level 2 after Lord knows how long...he is now SWIMMING and doing it like perfection!  i'm so proud of this little guy and i think he's pretty proud of himself too!  

it's thursday...what are you up to?  

this is the random post...

funny how i don't post for days and then you get a couple of posts all in one day!   but don't let that spoil ya...

i found this really cool recipe for "play doh" cookies over at www.littlemommaandcompany.blogspot.com via meg's blog   (i hope those links work...you know i've had trouble)   they are both the crafty type and have some really awesome ideas over there...of course, i added little momma to my ever growing list of "favorites" (sorry heather, no google reader...i don't like change) because i'm sure to borrow and idea or two again

so yesterday we made the "doh" and it looked so pretty!

and today we "played"

i have to admit...it was fun!  jackson had a blast and it took forever to run out of dough, which was a good thing! 

strike a pose. 

goodness, where does he get this from?

we were particularly proud of our "bugs"

and they have already been eaten...

now on to UNO!

jackson is TOTALLY OBSESSED with this game! 

we play like 20 to 742 times in a row.  

it's crazy! 

he YELLS "UNO" when you are about to lay that next-to-the-last-card down, get's you everytime!  but yesterday...i got him, twice.  so, of course he almost cried...until i threaten him that i won't play anymore...then we carry on!

we saw this guy in our backyard again today...

he was actually down in the "creek" looking for dinner...and i was on the deck trying to get him to fly away, and he paid no attention.

and last but not least...

something sweet! 

see the two little pearls?   thought that would be a nice touch for this piece...AND i received an order of chocolate brown pearls in the mail today and they are somethin'!

see ya!

girly

it's not that often i get to do something with pink (unless i force jackson to wear his pink polo...) so i wanted to share this Layered Circle Necklace with you

i thought is was so sweet!

it was from a show i had several weeks ago...thanks jill!

this one too!  i love that little key...

and this one...it is the Large Circle Necklace with a toggle clasp in the front.  simple and classy, and another favorite of mine!

which one do you like best?

i'm not telling why.  not yet. 

so just work with me...

MOTHER  holds a tiny hand for a moment but a heart forever

SISTER   someone to share your secrets with

TEACHER   inspiring the future one person at a time

CREATIVITY  originality and expression just waiting to happen

FAMILY  having someone to love from here to eternity

just leave a comment and let me know which is YOUR favorite!

and if you have something to contribute, please do so!

more rings...

and these are tiny!  each ring measures 1/8" wide and are the cutest when stacked together!

available in sizes 5-12

$24

now what are you waiting for?

celebrations!

we celebrated my dad's 62nd birthday on saturday!   we had take out...lame but easy!  he had requested ribs and that's what he got! 

my mom made her famous pound cake with a partially eaten crust on top because "to me" that is the best part!  and we had sparklers instead of candles...

why not?

it looked really neat even if we couldn't get them all lit at the same time!

it's his favorite...to have pound cake topped with strawberries and whip cream! 

jackson...thinking we are trying to burn him,

intentionally.

jackson...when he sees the camera.

usual.

is it me or does he really look older here?

then we waited until "dark" and had more sparkler fun, threw "pop its" and caught lightening bugs! 

we did let the lightening bugs go...

and per my mom's request i made this...

and i couldn't leave it out of this post!

"that thing on my wall..."

last week when i posted about "keepin it real", several of you asked about "that thing on my wall"...

well here you go

it is a favorite of mine! 

made out of an iron "thing" and filled with moss and a mix of dried "flowers" (not really flowers, but you know what i mean) ok, maybe leaves and sticks and berries...and those things that hang down are full of little balls that jackson has picked off in more areas than in others.  

and my walls are Laura Ashley Taupe 4

thanks for noticing and looking past the clutter.

everything is spotless now...except for some dust on this thing , anyone know how to clean dried flowers?

it's late...

but i made a promise!

lot's of this going on this week

and my tan is coming along nicely!

busy with jewelry, setting up shop at Etsy...more to come on that later and life in general!

went to visit my friend julie (who is in town...and moving here,  yeah!!!) and her new sweet baby carson.

not one picture.

it was a little hectic for a photo op...5 kiddos running around, grown ups preparing dinner and some catching up...

it went by too fast.  good thing they will be here for awhile.

today is my dad's birthday!   we are celebrating tomorrow! 

keepin it real...

this is how we do it.

over at "the nesting place blog" (click on it ------>over there) the nester is having a "come as you are" party, atleast that's what i'm calling it!   she showed hers now i'm showing mine! 

here motto...

"it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful"

good thing, huh?

above is our living room with the usual stack of clothes to be folded and put away, the lego "village" that daddy put together and if you put it away jackson will flip out and a scatter of mail on the ottoman.  the armoire's door wide open...because that's how we get to watch the tv!

here's jackson's room...one of my favorites in the house no matter how incomplete it is!  his bed is so difficult to make...i try, i really do and right now it's just early to have all of that done!   oh, and there are bags of clothes over behind the bed to be put...somewhere?  

did i mention our house was pretty tiny...and with practically no storage?

here is jackson's "once changing table that has turned into a catch all" piece of furniture.   we have had so many intentions of getting a nice chest of drawers...paint it black, rub it down a little and have the top stained and some big ol' round knobs on the front....can't you see it?

priorities.

and the playroom.  

i made the window treatments which i love!   they came from part of his bedding that i tore apart and made to be more wonderful...(but that's another story) 

so there you have it! 

and if you've never visited her blog, please go now...it's quite enjoyable!

i'm outta here...i've got work to do!