Challenge #10 - A photo of what's in my makeup bag

Okay, this is going to be kind of silly.


I'm not big on makeup. In the last few months I've started branching out and being more adventurous in what I put on my face, but for the most part, I'm pretty moderate. And luckily I did just clean out my bag or you'd see way old stuff that I haven't even used in months!

Still around, but still sick

So on Friday I spent 3 hours at the doctor's office. With about 4 minutes of actual time spent with the doctor. Now, normally I wouldn't even bother complaining about that, except that for this visit, I couldn't get a babysitter* so I had both boys with me. At the doctor's office -- first in the waiting room for 2 hours and then stuck in a little tiny exam room for another one. From 11:30am to 2:30pm, right through lunch. So they were sick, tired, hungry and cranky all around. And I felt so drained already from being sick myself! Let me just tell you, that was one of the worst days in a long time.

I was diagnosed with bronchitis and tonsillitis, given two shots of antibiotics before we left the office (E said, "Mom, you were so brave when you got the shots!") and then two prescriptions that we had to turn in and wait for after that.

I'm still in pretty bad shape. I'm just hoping that I start feeling better soon. I can't take much more of this horrible chesty, gunky cough and bad sore throat. It's the pits!

And if anyone is so inclined, we don't really need anything, but I will take prayers that the hubby does not come down with this. Which would actually be miraculous because he catches everything! But he really doesn't need to be sick, especially with all he's got going on at work and taking care of us. :) So any good thoughts or prayers in that vein would be greatly appreciated.

*Not that I looked for one and couldn't find one, but I didn't want to leave my kids with someone and share all their germs with the poor babysitter. Wouldn't be fair. So don't be worried that I didn't call you or anything. :)

Happy Birthday Angela!

This little gal just found out that she's headed for the Y! I'm so excited for her and I can't wait for her to start this new journey in her life. I remember those days well and I can't believe I'm old enough for my little sister to be there already! I swear, when I was her age and younger, the time just seemed to crawl by because I was waiting for so much to happen "when I was older". Now that I'm married and have kids of my own, the years literally feel like they're flying! I mean, I just went off to college myself with everything I owned in the back of my dad's Avalon feeling scared and excited and did I mention terrified of being on my own.

But I know she'll do wonderfully. My college years were the best of my life and I'm sure she will feel the same way.

Anyways, Happy Birthday leetle seester! You're the most genuine, caring person and I just love you to pieces! You'd better take some long weekends off to come and visit us in California -- it's only 10 hours! (Or 9 if you don't have kids, drive really fast, and don't stop for anything but gas.)

Love you Beanie! Hope your day is fun and extra-special!

Challenge #9 - A photo of the item I last purchased

I haven't been out of the house much recently.

The boys and I have been pretty sick so unfortunately, the last item I purchased was this:

Challenge #8 - A Recipe

I like to cook. I wish I were better at it. I really like to bake. I'm pretty decent at that.


Here's a super easy recipe that makes the best cookies ever! They stay moist for a long time and the recipe makes a ton so you have lots to share with family and friends. (Or to eat yourself, your secret's safe with me!)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 package yellow cake mix
1 package spice cake mix
1 large can of pumpkin
1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Okay, this is where it get tough: Mix all ingredients together, scoop into 2-inch balls, place on a cookie sheet and bake 20-25 minutes at 350.

Seriously, they're so good! I wish I had a picture to share. Maybe I'll have to whip some up just so that I can photograph them for ya... :)

So it goes when you're a mom

I'm sick. Ugh. Of course, I caught it from my little hooligans.

So while I lay in bed and watch a good movie, please excuse my blogging absence.

I've actually got lots of good stuff to share. So....

I'll be back.
(In my best Arnold impersonation.)

Challenge #7 - A song to match my mood, and why

I just really like this song. I don't really have a "why" to explain.



I really miss Nickel Creek. I wish they'd get back together and make more amazing music!

Happy President's Day

Today's a holiday -- for most. Mr. Hubby is not allowed to participate in the day-off festivities. :( But it's probably a good thing because he's got lots of work to do! 

This weekend was super fun! On Friday night, the hubby and I went out to dinner with some co-workers of his, and get this -- it was sans kids! So I actually got to sit and listen to some adult conversation, uninterrupted! It was great. My dinner was just okay, but the chocolate lava cake made up for it. :)

Then Saturday the hubs went to pick up the boys from his parents' house, which left me to get my hair cut in peace and quiet! I felt bad because the girl was trying to talk to me the whole time, but I just wanted to sit still and have someone work on me and not ask me for anything for a while. So I kind of made the one-word answers to her questions and eventually she stopped asking, lol. 

Once my hair was done (and cut too short, but whatev, it will grow back) I got to have lunch on my own. And I actually ate it while it was hot because I didn't have to be getting everyone else's lunch and forks and napkins and drinks and second helpings before I sat down to eat mine. It was nice. :)

That night we hung out at home because I suspect E had (has) an ear infection. Boo. He tends to get them a lot, so we know how to handle them, I just am sad when he is sick and sad. But that did equal lots of snuggle and movie time, which I love.

Sunday was just a laid-back, lazy kind of day. With said child still sick, he and I stayed home from church while the hubby took little W with him. For dinner we made some yummy Italian chicken tenders with spaghetti that I'll share the recipe for soon. Yum-o!

So that was my weekend. What did yours look like?

Challenge #6 - A photo of an animal I'd like to have as a pet

Yeah, I'm not much of a pet person.

Challenge #5 - A photo of me 2 years ago

 

This is the closest I could find to exactly 2 years ago. It was on 2/15 and we went to Newport Beach with Renee, Julee and Aubree. Little W. was in the stroller, not pictured. 

Fun times!

Questions?

I'm a Mormon. There can sometimes be a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to Mormons, with lots of rumors and myths being passed along, sometimes accidentally and sometimes with more harmful intentions. It happens.

Have you ever heard any Mormon myths? Maybe you're not sure what is true and what isn't? Well, I stumbled across this great little video that helps to shed some light on some rumors about us Mormons. Check it out.



Oh, and if you have any further questions, you can ask me! Or visit Mormon.org as well. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone -- it will be our secret. ;)

Challenge #4 - 20 of my favorite things

1. Handmade stuff from Etsy
2. Scrap Girls digital scrapbooking supplies
3. Conan O'Brien (although since we don't have TV anymore, I don't get to watch him. :( But I do catch his opening monologues sometimes when I find them!)
4. Pride & Prejudice (both version 1 with my crush and version 2)

5. Dana's blog MADE. I love using her tutorials and seeing her photography inspiration. She's great!
6. Moleskine notebooks
7. Australia
8. This amazing piece of advertising


9.

 

10. The Twilight series  (I know, I know)

11. Getting all dolled up for no reason except to just look good

12. When my Droid phone automatically corrects my spelling and it's just WAY off

13. Sitting in Barnes & Noble, sans kids, and looking through photography books

14. Taking a good, hot bubble bath

15. Blogging

16. Reading other peoples' blogs

17. Antique books with illustrations

18. Horseback riding

19. Simple, silver jewelry

20. The smell of Pineapple Orchid

Challenge #3 - My favorite photo of my best friends

Okay, so this post is going to be a little split because I have TWO best friends and I didn't want to leave out either one. 

This is my oldest best friend, Summer. I have had the privilege of taking some smokin' pictures of her, and this is my favorite one.

She's got the most beautiful hair! I used to be jealous of it when we were growing up, but then if I just hung out while she actually had to do everything to it to get it to look amazing, then the jealousy factor went down a little. :) But seriously, I'm still a little jealous.

Summer and I have known each other since right before freshman year. So we've been through lots of stuff -- good stuff, bad stuff, life-changing stuff, hard stuff, and really really amazing stuff. Like, she just had the CUTEST little baby in the world kind of amazing stuff.

We used to dream that we'd marry brothers and live next door to each other and raise our kids together. And while we didn't do quite that, I'd say living an hour and a half away from each other is reason to celebrate! We get together as much as we can (which isn't nearly enough!) and I'm so grateful that we're friends.

And that brings me to my newest best friend, Tracy.

Tracy and I met a few years ago now, and it was just one of those things where we instantly and effortlessly meshed. It was like we had been best friends for years but just hadn't met yet. I can't describe it any better than that.

I know that when we get together, we can talk about anything and we understand each other really well. And even though we live far away now, whenever we get together we can just pick up right where we left off as if no time has passed. I miss her a lot. 

Tracy is one of the sweetest people I've ever met. There are so many ways in which I look up to her and want to be more like her. She's an amazing mom, she is so doemstic, which I love, and she is firmly rooted in the Gospel. All things that I'd like to be some day. :)

I just love Tracy. 

Where's Gepetto when I need him?

Okay, I have to admit, I am not a very good puppet maker.

Nevertheless, the kids wanted to make some. So I indulged. And was not surprised to find out that E's little puppet totally blew mine away. :)

See what I mean?

 

(His puppet)

 

 (My puppet)

We sure had a fun evening putting them together! E was adamant that his have a shirt, pants, shoes, socks, hair and hands. W's one (that you'd think he made, but it was actually me) has his hands traced and cut out for the puppet hands. I love that. :)

 

E was really excited about the finished product. 

 

And subsequently started making the puppet do all sorts of naughty things like kicking and spitting and such, and then say, "But it was him, not me, mom!"

 

And of course, he needed a good spot to sit that was just his size. So we brought in the kids' folding chair from outside. Fit just right. 

Definitely a fun day!

Challenge #2 - A photo of myself and a description of my day

That's me. Sad, but I couldn't find much in the way of me in front of the camera, I'm usually behind it...

A typical day for me includes getting woken up by some overzealous children around 6:30 or 7am, then on MWF, getting housework, Scrap Girls work, and photography work done, and on T/TH, taking Eli to preschool. I'm such a homebody that we spend a lot of our time here at home, either trying to make something pretty like chair covers, pillows, or fun projects, playing hide-and-seek with the kids, watching stuff on our Wii via Netflix, making crafts and the like. If we're adventurous, we'll go to the library or the park, or sometimes even to the fabric store! :)

Then if I'm really lucky and it's a day when Nathan is coming home, we get ready for him to get here and then eat dinner, hang out a little more, then go to bed. If I'm unlucky, and it's a day when Nathan's out of town or working late, then we'll just all hang out in my room watching a movie and having fun.

Then I do it all again the next day.

Pretty exciting stuff, I know!

Challenge #1 - 15 things about me

1. I like to listen to the Stuff You Should Know podcasts with my hubby while driving together. They're funny guys and I enjoy learning about stuff. I can't retain the information for my life, but I do like to learn about it.


2. I love Legos more than I can say. Specifically Harry Potter ones. I used to play with them when I was younger. My mom and dad bought me the "girly" set with the pink and yellow box that had flowers and such in the set. I didn't care, I just loved building with them. Luckily for me, I married a man who loves them just as much as I do.

Don't believe me?

On our second day of marriage, we hung out in our hotel room building the Harry Potter Lego Hogwarts castle (and doing other things...) and we had the best time! We still have all of our Harry Potter sets and now our kids love putting them together too.

3. I use smiley face emoticons waaaaaay too much when I type. I just feel like regular words can't describe my feelings the way a smiley face can. Am I right? :)

4. I also like to listen to Dr. Laura and have even called her on the air before. She gives great advice and although I don't think she's right 100% of the time, I like to listen to how she responds to people. (And to protect the innocent, I will not reveal my issue, or her advice for me, sorry!) I'm sad that she's on Sirius now which means I can't listen anymore, but I still have some downloaded past episodes, just in case.

5. I can play Bejeweled Blitz better than anyone I know. Now, granted, that's a small circle of people, but I like to think I'm the best at ONE thing. With that, I'm happy.

6. I used to have a huge crush on Lance Bass from 'NSync. Then I found out he was gay. :( There goes my shot.

7. I love to create art in the form of digital scrapbooking pages. There's nothing more fun than creating beautiful pages that also tell our life stories in them. And I love feeling like I'm an artist because I always wanted to be one, but I can't really draw or paint or sculpt. So this is my art and this is what makes me an artist.

8. I secretly love watching Hoarders because it makes me feel better about myself.

9. I am legally blind in my right eye due to a freak accident with an exploding glass soda bottle when I was 11.

10. I still cry when I watch Dumbo and he visits his mom in the jail car. Still. Tearing up right now thinking about it.

11. I have read or listened to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows about 9 times now, and I could still pick up a book or listen to Jim Dale on audiobook over and over and over again. LOVE.

12. My calling (RS 2nd counselor) in church (or, my volunteer position, for those of you who don't speak Mormon) is really kicking my butt lately. I'm not very good at delegating and I have more workload than I ever anticipated and it's making me stressed out and tired. But I'm working on it.

13. Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year. Seriously, if it lasted 6 months, I'd be perfectly fine with that. It's not that we give and receive presents or that I get to decorate with lots of fun stuff, it's just the feeling of the season that comes with the holiday. It's how all the commercials are about snowy wonderlands and family togetherness and magic. It's how my kids are SO excited that Santa's coming with his reindeer and "Will they really come on our ROOF, mom?" comes from my little kiddo. I just love the idea of magic and Christmas brings that to the forefront.

14. I love taking photos of lots of different things. I love the connections you can sometimes see in a picture. I have a lot to still learn, but I'm happy with where I am in regards to my photography and I love learning new things about it every time I do it.

15. I'm in love with the How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack. So much so, that I've given it to multiple family members now just because they had to listen to it! And love it as much as I do! Not really, but I'd be shocked if you can listen to Romantic Flight and not just feel uplifted. I'm a sucker for a good instrumental arrangement. It's got just the right mix of Celtic influences with great brass and beautiful strings. And if you've seen the movie, then you'll love it even more.

That's it for this challenge. See you tomorrow! :)

Blog Challenge!

Since I'm basically a big copycat, I decided to do this fun 30-day blog post challenge that my friend Shayne has started doing on her blog. I thought it would be fun to do, and also maybe a little motivation to post more? Who knows if it will work, but I'm game!

Here are the challenges:

1. 15 Facts about me
2. A photo of myself and a description of how my day was
3. My favorite photograph of my best friend
4. 20 of my favorite things
5. A photo of myself two years ago
6. A photo of an animal I'd love to keep as a pet
7. A song to match my mood, and why
8. A recipe
9. A photo of the item I last purchased
10. A photo and description of what's in my makeup bag
11. A photograph of the town I live in
12. A TV show I'm currently addicted to
13. Something I don't leave the house without
14. A photo of something that makes me happy
15. Something I crave a lot
16. What's in my purse
17. A photo of something that means a lot to me
18. A photo of somewhere I've visited
19. A picture of me last year and now and how have I changed since then
20. My worst habit
21. 5 of my biggest pet peeves
22. My celebrity crush
23. Something I could never get tired of doing
24. My favorite book
25. A photo that makes me happy
26. A photo that makes me angry/sad
27. My dream house
28. An art piece (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc.) that means something to me
29. A song that makes me cry (or nearly)
30. A photograph of myself today + three good things that have happened in the past 30 days

So hang tight, it's going to be a fun run!

Smashed Potatoes!

Sometimes I just love our lazy days. On one of the more fun recent ones, we pulled out this great game that the hubby's parents gave our boys. It's called Smashed Potatoes and it involves two of my boys' favorite things:

(1. Playdough)

(2. Smashing things like Playdough)

The boys both love the game!

 

Especially W. He could have played all day long if we didn't have other things going on. 

The object of the game is to make your own little dudes, then get them through this obstacle course of death without getting smashed, chopped, deep fried or snipped in half. Trust me, it was a harrowing experience for those little Playdough guys! 

And they had reason to be scared. It was a lot of fun, mangling a few along the way and then making new ones. 

Overall, a great game and a fun afternoon with the boys!

You'll want to pay attention if your name is

Shalae

Becky

Shayne

Renee

or

Susie!

You are the lucky five gals for whom I am making a handmade item! Please do me a favor and email me your address so that I can package up and send out your pretties when I'm finished.

Don't start holding your collective breath just yet, they're nowhere near done, but I'm working on them! I just want to make sure I know where to send them all.

And sorry, no sneak-peek photo or anything. Just use your imagination....

Lemme tell you a secret...

...and it will probably come as a big surprise.

I love Texas.

I know, it's a shocker. Try to focus. :)

My little family went to visit my big family in Ohio this past Christmas, and while we were there, we put together our keepsake "Texas" puzzle with Aunt Ali, me and the hubby. It was a lot of fun and brought back memories from when we bought it in Fredricksburg on our last visit home before my parents moved a couple of years ago.

Sad, sad memories.

Anyways, when we got home after the holidays, I went looking for my own puzzle to put together. I decided I wanted to hang it up somewhere to stare at when I'm sad and lonely, ha. So I went to town while Nathan was out of ours, and put it together with help from the boys.

Okay, not that much help from them, but they were very excited about it getting finished and glued together!

Now I just need to figure out where I want to hang it and find a suitable frame. Or maybe make one. Perhaps a trip to Home Depot is in order...

Lamp Remix

I have a love for all things crafty. For about two years now, I've been following some great DIY/Craft blogs that have been so inspiring! I've even tried my hand at some of the projects and have really loved the way they turned out.

On a recent trip to Goodwill, I snagged this beauty.

It was a pretty good deal at $10, lampshade and all. And I know, it's pretty fugly. While you can't really see them in the picture, there are scratches all over the base and that shade is spray painted hunter green. Yeah, classy.

My plan is to rehab it into something I won't mind people seeing when they come to my house. I think it's doable, but we'll just have to see.

The "after" photo will be coming soon...

And in the meantime, I thought I'd share some of the newer blogs that I follow:

MADE (my best friend Summer lived in this gal's ward -- she even moved into her house when they moved)

Cluck. Cluck. Sew.

Make It and Love It

Diary of a Quilter

Those are some great links for inspiration, tutorials, and just all-around crafty goodness.