Moon Dreams & Day Beams

These colorful centerpieces are so cheerful, and warm.  Love them!

Learn how to make them, here.

What a great idea! Ohdeedoh posted about Kathy who took photos of her baby from one month old to 12 months old, lying on a Stendig calendar. It’s a visual growth chart.  And, it looks so cool!  I wish I would have done something like this with Beatrice. 

(FYI: the Stendig calendar is oversize and classic and famous. Apparently, every other month alternates from black background to white background. It is sold annually.)

I saw this on Design Mom.

Other blogs about this:  Ohdeedah.

Thanks to Oh Happy Day, I remembered that April Fools Day is tomorrow! Ideas: here

MOMs Night Out was at Meinhardt Vinyards this month. It was great. I loved it.  Strangely, I was pulled over on the way home by a police man FOR MY HEADLIGHTS BEING TOO BRIGHT.  It’s a good thing I kept my tasting to a minimum.  Luckily, the officer conceded there is nothing I can do about bright beams.

*I am not in the photo – I am the photographer : )

Talk about commercials that make you smile.  Beatrice starts to dance each and every time the Macbook Air commercial comes on. I love the song, too, as I would love to have the super thin laptop.  Wow, wouldn’t it would be so nice to blog from the 3lb anorexic wonder?

The song is “New Soul” by Yael Naim, a folksy French-Israeli singer and songwriter. Steve Jobs  picked the song  for the launch of the MacBook Air. 

Lyrics to “New Soul”:

I’m a new soul I came to this strange world hoping I could learn a bit about how to give and take.
But since I came here
felt the joy and the fear
finding myself making every possible mistakela-la-la-la-la-la-la-la…I’m a young soul in this very strange world hoping I could learn a bit about what is true and fake.
But why all this hate?
Try to communicate.
Finding trust and love is not always easy to make.la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la…This is a happy end cause’ you don’t understand everything you have done why’s everything so wrongthis is a happy end come and give me your hand I’ll take your far away.

[Refrain]:
I’m a new soul I came to this strange world hoping I could learn a bit about how to give and take but since I came here felt the joy and the fear finding myself making every possible mistake

la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la…

la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la….

Other blogs about New Soul:

Studio Grafiko, Sweet Rhapsody, Locker Gnome, Macbook Freak,

Beatrice LOVES strawberries.  So, we decided to pick strawberries last Friday afternoon at Jacob’ Produce in Rocky Ford.  It was my first time going to the strawberry patch as we picked a whole bucket!  It was worth the 15 mile drive to the farm.

Here is a link to the photos:

 Happy Monday.  Here’s hoping your week gets off to a good start!

Southern Mamas poses the question: should kids under 2 watch television?  I, too, wonder about this.  Call me horrid, but I confess.  I try desperately to interest Busy-Body-Beatrice in television. She watches it less than an minute and then goes to other things. I would love to have an hour to myself while she learns the alphabet or sign language.  How about you?

Her Post: 

It’s so tempting to plop a child down in front of Sesame Street while you scramble to get a few things done.But the American Academy of Pediatrics says children younger than 2 should watch no TV. Yet, many of us ignore such advice, do it anyway and, as a result, feel guilty every time we hear Elmo’s squeaky voice.

I write about the “TV or No TV?” struggle in my confessional, or rather, my column in Sunday’s Savannah Morning News Accent section: “Bad Mommy: My toddler watches the boob tube.” You can read the column by clicking here.

Feel free to let me know what you think of the “TV for toddlers” question and whether you think “edutainment” is really good for children younger than 2. Or if the term educational TV is just a euphemism to make us feel less guilty.

Just a quick reminder that tonight is Earth Hour at 8 pm local time. Don’t
forget to turn off all things electrical for an hour.

Save money and save the earth!

I bought a basket of fresh, local strawberries from L&D Produce today.  And, I made HOMEMADE whipped cream for the hubster. It was dEE.licious.

Photo compliments of by alizinha/CrossFitNYC

We made it to one Easter Egg Hunt (before I got sick) last week: the MOMs Club Hunt. 

Way to train ‘em!

As the chores mound up around our house I managed to escape into a cloud of blissful ignorance.  Pushing past the mountain of clothes that beg to jump in the washing machine, I made my way to the dining room for a bit of “me” time, good ol’ craft time. 

With the paint for the clothespin doll’s hair dry from last nights artistic moment, I decided the dolls need their clothes.  Upon cutting the patterns from the fabric I dressed them as much as possible without glue.  My craft box is in the attic as I have no idea where any glue is.  Admittedly the dolls are a bit naked and crying for cover, yet they are one step closer to a complete wardrobe. 

By the way, did I tell you how cute the packaging for the project is? Tied with a mini-card and little red & white polka dot mushroom,  it is adorable.  I wish I had a copy of the verbage from the tag.  It is SO cute.  I went to The Small Object’s website tonight as I found out that she is located in SAVANNAH. It is a small world afterall.

Anna Lee made her blog debut. 

Congratulations Christy & Elliott. She’s precious!

Remember the Clothespin Doll Kits   that I found?  Sure you do. It was on this post.  Well…

I ordered them. And, they arrived today! 

They are my first Etsy purchase.  Whew, hew. I am a real blogger, and no longer an Etsy Virgin. 

I am doin’ it.

  This is what the kit looks like.

What is that smell?  It’s a smencil!   smencils are gourmet scented pencils made entirely of recycled newspapers. cool, huh.

I saw this in the Land of Nod Catalog. It is so cute.  If Beatrice had one of these she would be just like Dad!

Hmm…what shall I toot about?  Without any loud accomplishments or something outlandishly witty to say, I rely on shear honesty for today’s toot.

Drum roll please. 

My accomplishment is:  I survived. 

Now recovering from strep throat, I can reflect.  I remain. Yes, I am still here.  It was nightmare-ish.  Thanks to my mother and mother-in-law I had a few hours to rest on Friday and a few on Saturday.  Otherwise, I barely made it through. 

If the sickness isn’t harsh enough, a one-year-old who has no definition for sickness is brutal. 

The good news is that I AM here.  Hence, my toot.  I survived.

Easter Potraits 2008

I included all of the proofs in the slide show because there of a few funny pictures.  The session was a hoot.  

I have to be honest, it is difficult for me to make a decision. How in the world does an indecisive person choose pictures. 

We know that we would like one really large one — a close crop of her face, or one that includes the rabbits?  A sweet looking picture, or one where she is laughing? 

What is a mother to do?  I am so indecisive!

Oh good, my apples are always getting cold.

via Oh Happy Day

I got this from my friend Kathryn, who posted it on a local Humane Society board.  With such a good cause, I thought I would repost it here for you. I plan to hop over there and sign up as soon as I okay-it with Brian.  If we plan to not use any electricity for an hour, he will definitely have to be up-for-it to insure success.

Hey, I just signed up to  the new Earth Hour website for 2008 and I thought you might like to take a look and possibly sign up too. Earth Hour is on 29 March 2008 at 8pm, and it looks like it’s going to be really big. So far, as well as Sydney, there’ll also be Chicago, Tel Aviv, Manila, Copenhagen, Melbourne, Brisbane and Toronto all turning off their lights for an hour in the name of fighting global warming. And I’m sure there’ll be more cities by March. Sign up for Earth Hour with me by visiting http://www.earthhour.org/sign-up and join the movement. -Kathryn

Brian loves homemade mashed potatoes, which is great because they are easy to make. If I can make them you can.  I use Paula Deens Garlic Mashed Potatoe Recipe. 

He is right. This dish is super yummy!

I am sharing this post from Southern Mamas because I know several of my bloggy visitors that are effected by autism. Plus, Beatrice just had her one year shots so this is of interest to me.

We all know this scary statistic: that at least one in 150 children are affected by autism in the United States. But what we don’t know is how to differentiate the myths of autism from the facts.CNN is planning a comprehensive day of autism coverage in recognition of World Autism Awareness Day on April 2. In a report called, the “Myths of Autism” CNN Medical News hopes to dispel any misconceptions about the disorder and the people who live with it.

This topic will be particularly interesting in the wake of the Georgia case of 9-year-old Hannah Poling. A panel of medical evaluators at the Department of Health and Human Services concluded that Hannah had been injured by vaccines — and recommended that her family be compensated for the injuries. The panel said that Hannah had an underlying cellular disorder that was aggravated by the vaccines, causing brain damage with features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

If autism touches your life, CNN wants to know your story. Including what you think the prevailing myths related to autism are and what questions you need answered.

Click here to see the various topics the coverage aims to address and how to share your story with CNN.

Posted by Southern Mamas

If you have been to my house or talked with me on the phone (lately) then you know that Barry’s back right leg has troubled him for a long time.  The pain apparently increased over the last three weeks as I took him to the vet yesterday. I couldn’t bear to see him balance on three legs any longer.  $252.66 later, we have now confirmed via x-ray what we already knew. It is arthritis. 

I love, love, love my dog but darn-it if I don’t think that Veterinary bills are overpriced.  Don’t get me wrong, I ADORE Metter Veterinary Clinic.  However, when veterinary bills exceed pediatric bills don’t you think prices should be questioned?  Including Barry’s nostril bump, regular visits, ear allergy, and arthritis we have spent more at his doctor than at Beatrice’s!

Seriously now, back to the post: we already knew that it was arthritis but the vet wanted us to bring him in “to be sure.”  Strangely, I thought we were “sure” the last time we did 1/2K xrays.  Our savings account 300 dollars lighter, are we are now sure? more sure than we were yesterday????

Barry’s retirement isn’t paying well. He needs another job.

Anyone hiring?

I just had to pop back on here for one more minute to spread the word about an exciting new design show that aired this Sunday.
 

Myles of Style… an interior design show hosted by Kim Myles (winner of Design Star 2) came on yesterday. 

I missed it, darn it.  I can only watch so much television!

No reason to fret because Kim will be back each week to share inspirational tips on affordable design solutions.  Her emphasis will be small chic spaces on a budget… sounds good to me.  I like it already!  

Did you get to see it?

I back dated the photos from the weekend to fall on the date of the party.  There are a few cute ones! See: Weekend Birthday Party Photos here.

Hats off to you, Beatrice! I snapped this photo before we went to our mid-day walk at Mill Creek today. It is the first time she has kept a hat on!

We met the Live Lightly Tour last Friday night at Laurel’s.  It was so great. 

I mean, really heavy, really positive. 

We learned about sustained living, raw food, vegan-ism, and alternative fuel sources while we met an amazing family.  Did I say amazing?  I mean, J.J. DYN-O-mite kind of amazing. 

We came home with a renewed interest in our environment. 

I am so proud of Brian he has been researching veggie oil  car conversion kits  since we returned. 

The next time you catch a ride with me and you smell frenchie-fries, it’s not McDonald’s.  It’s fuel for our car! 

How funny is that?  And, it’s not just funny to you.   Mother Earth and my pocket book  find i blithely capricious, too.   

We spent an hour or so with Matt, Sara, and Bella.   Their experience reminds me of Brian and I’s adventure around the country.  They are all that we wanted to be, and more. 

As we left we gave them the most heart felt wishes of best-o-luck and happy-travels. Beatrice even gave Bella her green bow.  We came home with two brown t-shirts and a rekindled interest in green living. 
 

To see Sara’s awesome photography

To see Sara’s blog: Walk Slowly, Live Wildly.

To see the places Sara has called home: adorable places she has called home!

Splash in the Boro will host an Egg Dive in the heated pools under the
dome on March 22 beginning at Noon.

Kids will be divided by age groups from 6 months to 12 years. (6 months-2 years, parents must be in pool with child)

Lots of fun and prizes.  Don’t forget your goggles.

Proper Swimsuits are required. Call 489-3000 for more info.

$3 per swimmer (ages 2 and under are free)

After the egg dive, there will be games and traditional swimming.

Photo by huberific

It doesn’t look like we will be moving to the Keys because hosts Clive Pearse and Monica Pedersen announced the winner of this year’s HGTV Dream Home.  It was not Brian, Beatrice and I. Rats!  It was Stephanie Dee from Iowa.

We went to a birthday party today. And, Beatrice had so much fun! She played. And, played. And, played. And, played.

She ate hamburgers, hot dogs, and a strawberry shortcake cupcake.

Having missed her afternoon slumber, she fell asleep before we got to the end of the driveway. 

While trying to find directions for a wheat grass center piece, I stumbled upon this photo that makes me smile.

I love green-green wheat grass, cakes, and Gerber daisies.

So here.

I am giving it to you for the weekend.

Save a piece for me!

Enjoy.

If you want to see my easy to make Wheat Grass Center Piece Vase click here.

With confidence I can tell you that Miss Bea is going to have a shoe fancy.  This is not my first post revolving around she and shoes.  Remember my other post and my other post?  This big win from Bugaboo Shoes confirms it (you can read my post here or see it at Southern Mamas, here). She is destined to be a shoe hound with baskets full of sole treats, lace rewards, and heel goodies. 

It must be in her stars. She is a Pisces after all — ruler of the feet.  Look out boots, cleats, clogs, flops, heels, high-tops, loafers, moccasins, platforms, sandals, slippers, sneakers, and wing-tips, the shoe bow-wow has arrived.  You have found your biggest little fan!  

Now that I have recognized this recurring theme in her short little life,  girls we have got decisions.  We commission you to help us select our prize.  

Which shoe would you choose?  What is your favorite?  The vast selection at the bottom of this post. The verbage is long for a blog – but the pics can be browsed quickly.

Upon browsing Bugaboo’s Website, I found this company is beautiful, soulful or should I say soleful.  Born from tiresome shoe shopping for their adopted daughter, the company arose. 

You can read about it, here.    

Now, back to business.  The assortment follows.  Which one is your favorite?

Did you see they even have a shoe called Beatrice!  Really, shoes are calling her name!

Josie  Our classic design; these cheerful shoes can put a smile on anyone’s face.  Wear these with a dress and tights or without socks and shorts; these are the ultimate functional shoe. We love them and so will you!	Abigail  Girlie, but not too girlie; You will want a pair of these for yourself.
Zoe  These great little sandals wear more like a shoe with coverage and protection of those precious toes. With glitter and bright hues these are sure to please any princess.  Flowers can always brighten a day.	Samantha  This shoe has amazing style and fit alike. The flower applique is cut out by hand and then carefully sewn in the perfect position to give this preppie shoe pizzazz. Highly durable, this shoe can be worn with almost any kind of outfit. Wouldn’t these look perfect walking through a flower patch?
Sherry  What girl doesn’t enjoy a little sparkle in her life? The ultimate sassy shoe and every little girl’s dream. Every girl will love these.	Paulie Ann this shoe is for the girl, that wants to be girl and make a statement. Sweet and tender or trendy and flashy, these shoes can set any tone with the right outfit. What girl doesn’t love flowers?
Beatrice  Too cute to pass up!	Willow  These are about the most adorable and funky shoes we have ever seen!
Savy  Wow! will be the response you will hear when your little one has these dazzlers on their feet. For short walks to the beach or with that perfect sassy dress, these shoes are all for show.	Molly  Who said protective sandals can’t be adorable? That is why we love these shoes.  Gotta love them!
Tiffany  Oh, how we love these shoes! Sweet and adorable with alittle bling to boot, our Tiffany shoes will win your heart.	Lola Lu  We have to say it! These shows are a perfect fit to any closet. A solid color shoe with stylish stitching and a splash of color, these shoes have the ulimate matchability. Every girl needs a pair!

And, remember how I told you that I never win anything.  Well, I was so very wrong.  Today is my luckiest day.  The Karma wheel is spinning madly in my direction.  Here it comes. I did do something right after-all!

And, it is Beatrice’s lucky day, too.  The stars must be in our court because we won something.  Did you hear?  Did you hear?  Best of all, we won something super-cali-fragilistic-awesome.  You have got to see this to believe it. Come on, scurry over there to take a look-see. My name is right on the post. Did you see it?

I could barely believe my eyes when I saw MY NAME. I mean, I rarely win any thing, much less something that I adore. 

Oh, oh, oh. I can not wait to score the prize.  Seriously, they are so cute, so prim, so precious, so rich and lively.  I love them. Today IS my lucky day! 

After Beatrice’s one year exam, we played in the garden. Oh, what fun.  It is our favorite!  In the case you are wondering, the exam went super.  Standing 30 inches tall and weighing 19lbs, Dr. Perkins said she is “long and lean.” As the pediatrician commented I thought to myself, she MUST have her Daddy’s genes.

We planted Candy Tuft then wrapped it in a little blanket of pine straw.  The other pot is yellow pansies.  I am holding on to them in hopes of one more bright bloom.
 

This is the first time I have bought sewn Zinnias as they are so easy to seed in the garden. But, we used them in planters for Beatrice’s Party last week.  They appear to be Thumbalina’s, or minis, however the card did not indicate a special variety.

They are so tiny. Aren’t they cute?

After adding bright pink to our window boxes, the day was done.

Whew. We are tired! 

Does anyone know anything about the HGTV Dream Home Give Away?  Have they drawn the winner yet? 

I can think of seven other girls I would love to have around that table with me! 

Photo by withflourish

The weekend was a whirlwind of fun, frolic, and chaos. Admitting that it was merry-go-good and that I loved it, I am honestly thankful that it has passed.  Whew. The perspiration has just been wiped from my brow.  The circumvolution began Thursday morning as my 82 year old Grandmother arrived.  From there it was flurry that included a trip to the dairy in tornado-like weather (seriously. and did I mention the dairy was almost in Millen), a home builders meeting, an Oklahoma show, a midnight run with hubby to Walmart for party supplies, a midnight cleaning of the house, a 9 am trip to Lowe’s, B’s birthday party, my birthday, my brother-in-laws birthday, a time change, and much, much more. 

The point is: it appears I have lots to blog about.  And, in fact, I do. However, I am still spun-out from the whir as I dream of calm, slumber and a good nap. I promise to get back soon with pictures and such. 

Until then I am recovering and getting back to life as usual. 

While you are waiting on me stoll over to Daisy’s. Daisy Cottage was on tour this weekend. And, it looks so good. You will get lost in the pictures and forget I ever left you!

www.FamilyWatchDog.us

When you visit this site you can enter your address and a map will pop up with your house as a small icon of a house with dots. When you click on these dots a picture of a criminal will appear with his or her home address and the description of the crime he or she has committed.

The best thing is that you can show your children/grandchildren these pictures and see how close these people live to your/their home or school.

This site was developed by John Walsh from Americas Most Wanted.  This is another tool we can use to help us keep our kids safe. 

I am shocked as there were several criminals living with a few miles of our house including a convicted Peeping Tom.  Crazy!

crazy daisies

Originally uploaded by sunshine’s creations

B’s Birthday Party is tomorrow as I am taking a blogging break until Monday. Plus, my birthday is on Sunday. We have a playgroup at the Dairy this morning, a lunch date with Dad, design time with Lauren, cake decorating with Allison and tickets to see Oklahoma. We have company in town as I speak then my sister and her family will arrive tomorrow…anyway, it is super busy “in these parts” so I will see you all Monday.

I give you these crazy daisies!

Happy Weekend.

And, the winner is:  Christian.

I knew it. I knew it. I knew it!

I should have called in on my post.  I didn’t get to watch the show, however I was able to see the last five minutes.  He is talented, personable, and popular. He so deserved to win.

Congrats Christian Siriano.  You won!

• Here’s what Christian has to say.
• Check out photos of his collection and backstage snapshots on his site right here.  (link courtesy decor8 via Creature Comforts )

LIVE LIGHTLY. SPREAD THE LOVE.  

Guess what? The Live Lightly Tour is coming to Statesboro. No way. I can hardly believe it.  And yes, all the thanks goes to Happy at Home. Nice work Laurel. Way to go. Way to work it Mama!  For your convenience, I have included her announcement in this post. You can also skip over to her blog for a first hand read.

LIVE LIGHTLY IS COMING TO TOWN!!

Many of you have been keeping up with Sara, Matt, and Bella from the Live Lightly Tour. Or maybe you know Sara from her fabulous blog, Walk Slowly, Live Wildly.
For those of you who live nearby, I am excited to tell you that they are coming here in just a few weeks!! Sara is still trying to iron out the details and settle on the date, but it will be somewhere around the 10-17. There will be a lot of things going on while they are here. I am trying to pull some things together, but I could use some help.

First, Sara and Matt would like to do a demonstration at the University. I am not sure who to contact. I have talked to a few friends that are professors, but they aren’t sure either. If you have any ideas of a contact, please let me know ASAP.

Secondly, we will be having a pot luck or something at our house one night so everyone can come and tour the RV, meet Sara and Matt, and talk sustainability. If you are interested in coming to this, and/or know someone else who would like to come, please let me know so I can start planning that.

Third, if you would like to use their services while they are here, let me know! Sara does awesome photography, as well as interior design consultations (just check out the adorable places she has called home!). Matt does carpentry work. If you have anything that needs some repair around your home, now is the time!

I am so excited to meet the Janssens and to have them here with us for a few days! I want to make their time here both a wonderful learning experience for the community, and a great time of fellowship. Please let me know asap if you are interested in being a part of their visit!

I’m SEW watching this!

Tonight is the BIG night!  The season finale of Bravo’s Project Runway. Yeah, baby. 

Will you be watching?  Who are you rooting for? 

Enjoy the show!

Thanks Creature Comforts for the friendly reminder.

Hey Ya’ll:   

Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune? 

Just wondering.

Joy & Endurance has some news! Hurry, hurry, run go see.

I agree with Absolutely Beautiful Things, this IS a simply lovely garden.  It may be too much for you but I love the bumbling, almost elephantine, wild, overgrown patch.  Honestly, I like the weedy sprigs of grass inching over the stones, too.

I haven’t done much gardening in our yard as we moved in while I was pregnant. Then last spring, I had a new born. I hope this year will allow me to get back to one of my favorite hobbies.  Currently our yard is, frankly, an embarrassment – especially the back yard. Awaiting the last frost, I am ready to get down an dirty to get my yard in shape. 

Anyway, sorry to ramble…I love this picture.

Take me there!

Top Image – Fernlund + Logan

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Over 10 years experience in residential and light commercial electrical contracting, installation, service and design.  As well as low voltage contracting including audio, video, voice, data, and security system sales, service, installation and design.

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Happy Birthday Beatrice!

Brian stayed home from work today to spend the day with the girls.  We had him all to ourselves for B’s Birthday.  He even went to Kindermusik with us!

We went to Blue Moon Cafe for a special Happiest-Birthday Lunch that was finished with candle-topped Creme Brulee.  Beatrice munched on kalomata olives, tomatoes, hummus, and bread until we began to sing Happy Birthday when the dessert danced to our table.  It was delicious!

Seven month old Cousin Abby came to visit. Let’s hear it for the girls!   The girls played and played.  A funny thing happened.  B leaned in to kiss Abby, which made her cry. I admit, B’s agility and grace is a little scary.  B sat still as she listened and stared at Abby. Then, Beatrice’s mouth slowly opened while she looked from Brian to me, and me to Brian. All of the sudden a shrill to match Abby’s bolted from her mouth. She was copying Abby. It was so funny! “This is no contest girls,” Brian laughed. 

 We took them on a walk downtown that ended at Lullaby Baby where Abby gave Beatrice a party hat! Ms. Carolyn gave B a balloon and a bunny from the Colonial House, which really brought our baby a smile.  The bunny was clinched to her chest for the remainder of the stroll.

Tana and Granddaddy stopped by to share her special day, too!

We finished the day by getting dirty outside.  B’s favorite!  Brian and I put down fresh pine straw in our flower beds while Beatrice fed leaves to the statues and Barry.  

Granny Hulsey, Aunt Amanda, Cousin Lilly, Daphne, Miss Lea, Mama Lauren, and Aunt Alli all called to share their Birthday wishes with you, Bea.  Aunt Stephanie sent you a love-loaded text from she, Uncle Brent and Jackson. And, Aunt Megan sent you bloggy love.

Beatrice had the best birthday ever. And, so did we!