fresh picked whimsy

I'm talking about you...

www.urbandictionary.com defines kajillion as 1,000 bajillion.  Yup, that's about right.  New print in the shop! xo

bliss in a big yellow bag...

a fun time was had by all on...

 

even though the shopping gremlins tried to trip us up first thing in the morning!  We departed the neighborhood at 6:30 a.m. and stopped for coffee about a half hour later.  When we pulled into the parking lot at Starbucks, Stacey's Suburban went kaput on us.  It was just too early and there were no service stations available.  So, we called S's hubby and my hubby to rescue us and then popped into the cozy Starbucks to wait for them.  We weren't going to let this little "bump in the road" rain on our IKEA parade!  Then, we spotted him...

do you see him?

He was just sitting there....going over...his list {and checking it twice}!  Fo' rizzle!!!!  Surely, if our men couldn't get us out of our transporation jam, Santa could hook us up with some reindeer, right?!  Yeah, we had some good chuckles about our brush with greatness....ho ho ho!  Our fellas transferred the roof top carrier and the hillbilly hitch {we were anticipating some large purchases} to another vehicle and we were on the road again!  Thanks, guys!

You know, half the fun is the chit chatting that goes on in the car!  We had home baked goodies, Martha was knitting up a storm,

 
and we solved the world's problems, too.  And then the clouds parted, trumpets sounded, angels sang in chorus and we saw it...

We spied this dandy van in the parking lot and decided maybe we should look into taking one of these next year...

I told you all about our IKEA shopping process last year.  This year was no different.  You gotta love it when your day starts out with a warm welcome like this...{oops, my apologies to the stranger coming out of the stall}

Martha was still trying out the merchandise...

Monica was shopping from our discard pile...

We still salivate over the homey rooms they have set up...seriously, i love this and this and this and that...

Parade of carts lined up while we lunch in the IKEA cafeteria...good deals to be had there, too...99 cent Sweedish meatballs for lunch!

Lovely IKEA sentiments...so true:

Although we had to forfeit our planned trip to Jungle Jim's in the morning due to our technical difficulties, we did make it to the outlet mall after IKEA.  By then it's been a long day, and we're all a little goofy as illustrated by Stacey in the discounted textiles bin at the Pottery Barn Outlet store...

All in all, the day was quite productive with lots of lovelies purchased, a leg up on Christmas, and quality girlfriend time.  Same time next year, ladies! xo

Positivity is contagious...pass it on

♥ Just listed in my etsy shop ♥

Happiness in a shoebox

Do you remember making dioramas for school?  G had to make two for a project last week and it was a lot of fun.  He is studying the history of our hometown.  He had to make one showing what it was like in Pioneer times and one showing what it is like today.  He drew every single thing...i promise.  Everyone always assumes that i will do that for my kids, but i don't...ever.  G is actually a really great artist.  He reminds me a lot of me at his age.  He loves to draw.  I did help him glue it all in there, but he did everything else.  He was so proud of them and i am so proud of him.  He asked me if i would put them on my blog...so here they are!

I also want to share with you a fantastic cause that my family is contributing to this Christmas season, and it also starts with a simple shoebox.  It's called Operation Christmas Child.  It's an organization that collects and delivers shoeboxes filled with small toys, toiletries, books, school supplies and treats to millions of underpriveledged children all over the world. 

It's amazing how such a small and simple gift can impact the life of a child, especially one who may have nothing.  Each of my kids is putting together one of these shoeboxes for a child their own age.  It's a great opportunity to teach compassion and discipleship. 

National Collection Week is Nov. 16-23rd.  You can follow this link to find a shoebox donation site near you, make a monetary donation, or learn how your family can pack a shoebox for a needy child.  You can even track your shoebox to see where it ends up! Cool! A friend of mine is going to be traveling with Franklin Graham (son of Rev. Billy Graham) to deliver some of these shoeboxes.  That's how i found out about it and wanted to pass along the information to you. 

Good-bye to an old friend...

Our next door neighbors had a huge old oak tree removed from their front yard yesterday.  It was a sight to see.  We don't know how old it was, but it towered over their house. 

Our neighbor Jim, was particularly torn up about it.  In it's glory, it was a beautiful tree.  Sadly, it died and for safety reasons, it had to come down.  Jim really loved that tree.  There has been lots of neighborly teasing...like offers to bring them meals, and liquor (to soften the pain).  But, truthfully, we're all sad to see it go.  So, his wife Stacey adorned it with the black ribbon for the last week of it's life. 

We all toasted to the tree around our Halloween night bonfire and gave Jim our condolences.  The kids loved watching the removal...cranes and cherry pickers and chainsaws and shredders...it was quite a show. 

Good bye, old friend...looks like you'll be hanging around for a while, after all.

She is one busy gal...

...and I think I've got a crazy schedule?!  The Tooth Fairy has been to our house 3 times in the last week collecting baby teeth from G.  He is cashing in!  She was a no-show on the night of the 2nd lost tooth, but we think she must have just had a problem with the weather or an extra heavy pick up schedule.  She came the next night and boy, were we relieved!

G still has some wiggly teeth to go, so we hear the forecast is calling for some major fairy dust accumulation on the windowsill and under the pillow over the next few weeks! ♥ 

*the silver hippo tooth holder was a gift from our friends when K was a baby and it has been lovingly greeting the Tooth Fairy for many years now. 

Ghosts of McDonough Halloweens past...

Thought it would be fun to revisit some of our past Halloweens!  I think it really stinks that the kids aren't allowed to dress up in school anymore.  I have such great memories of dressing up and parading through school when I was a kid.  I think it's unfortunate that a few spoilers were able to take away that fun tradition for all of the kids (not just their own).  I hope you all have a wonderful, candy coated Halloween!

Me as the bunny, my sister Kim as the clown and my mom rockin' the bee hive(which was not a costume, but her hairstyle at the time) circa 1970...

Mark and his brother Ed dressed up to emulate their idols...KISS...this was not actually a Halloween picture, but adorable anyway.  How much do you love the Fonz poster in the background?!

K's first time out trick or treating as Little Red Riding Hood...

R's first Halloween.  My mom made that Pocahontas costume for K.  ♥

My mom made the cowboy outfit for R and we made K's butterfly wings...

K's princess dress was actually my bridesmaid dress from my sister, Kim's wedding. 

Again...Mom made Dorothy's outfit and the pirate costume, too...

I painted a plain black sweatsuit for R using glow in the dark paint.  K's bloody doctor costume was her idea and ironically she gets queasy at the sight of blood.  Go figure. 

I made G's Elmo with styrofoam balls, paint and glue.  It was so easy and comfy.  He was so freakin' cute!

Mom made Dracula's cape.  K was a rock star.  G wouldn't tolerate a real costume this year, so we got creative with what we had.

Elvis was all Goodwill and a little glue and beading...

Goodwill and make up

Mark and R made Purdue Pete's hammer from cardboard and tinker toys.

K and her BFFs...the black eyed peas...

That was R's real hair...we just teased it and put baby powder in it.  Nobody believed us.

My treat to all of you....I'm having a Buy one print, get one free sale in my etsy shop through Monday.  A great time to get a jump on your holiday shopping.  Simply purchase one print and when you check out, leave me a message and tell me which one you want for you freebie.  (Free print must be of equal or lesser value as the one you purchase).  Happy Halloween!

Happiness is...

As soon as everyone left for school and work this morning, I was picking up the "stuff" that's scattered around the house so that I could do a whole-house vacuum.  I got to the family room and found this...

Instead of picking it up...i left it.  I vacuumed around it.  There will come a day in my not too far off future, when i will miss seeing the Legos and monster trucks scattered on the family room floor.  A few years ago we packed away all of K's American Girl dolls and dress up clothes.  Broke...my...heart. 

So, today...the cars stay. 

Loving life at the lake

 

I made this for my cousin Jeannine to celebrate all things that we love about visiting their lake house in Angola, Indiana.  She suggested I make prints of it and sell them. So, I will be listing them in my etsy shop.  Each one will be personalized with the lake name and optional family name.  I can change the color of the house, as well.  This particular one has a treehouse in the tree, but the one in my etsy shop will not.  I am currently working on a beach house version of this print, too.  On a chilly, drizzly, fall day like this, it's fun to daydream about our warm summer days playing on the water! Good times!

Flu-ville revisited

Piggy doodles by G and Mom

Phew!  We have survived Swine '09!  (i know that flu season is just getting started, but that's my story and i'm sticking to it!) We began last week in the ER at the Peyton Manning Children's Hospital  with G on suspicions that the flu had turned into pneumonia. 

Good news:  no pneumonia.  Bad news:  strep throat and H1N1. 

We did manage to build a fort...

play with clay (everyone got in on the fun)...

and take a short walk to breathe in the fresh air and see the pretty leaves...

Hope you and your family are staying well, too!