fresh picked whimsy

Is this March or July?

We are enjoying record breaking warmth here in Indy.  The continuation of the strangest winter weather ever.

And, since tomorrow is the first day of spring...i'm certain a snow storm is in our near future.  {kidding...i hope}  Although, i am dreading the day that is inevitably coming {as it always does in Indiana} when the temps drop back down and i have to tell griffin that he can't wear shorts.  Heaven, help me...that will be an ugly morning!

Honestly, it feels like summer here.  We skipped right over spring {and winter, for that matter} and everything is in full bloom here!

We are probably a month ahead of schedule for trees budding and grass that needs mowing!

We {the neighbors} had an impromptu Margarita Friday in our hood because it was so gorgeous out!

Joy's hubby Casey came home from work and celebrated the sunshine in the driveway as we raised our glasses (and cameras). 

The boys and I ran to the grocery for dinner on the grill Saturday night. 

Griff was so disappointed when he learned that it's too early to find corn on the cob in the store yet!

We are completely caught up in March Madness...NCAA tourney time.  We each filled out our brackets.  I have no clue what i'm doing, of course.  Shocker...i'm in last place in the family.  Oh well.  We were so sad when our Boilermakers got knocked out by Kansas last night.  :(  Riley is the bracket keeper.  TV, smart phone, laptop...he runs the family NCAA control center...

That boy right there is having a birthday tomorrow.  He's requested Bagel Fair bagels for dinner and Triple Decker Brownies for dessert.  I better wrap this up and get baking!

Hope you're enjoying some sunshine today!

p.s.  Happy to report that thanks to my super hubs, the plumbing and vacuum have been fixed!!!  Onward and upward!

front row seats

a little breathing room after the massive rush of the holidays meant it was time for the annual...

i LOVE going to the movies, watching movies, watching the award shows, etc.  Going to the theater these days costs a small fortune...especially when you're taking the whole fam.  So, we really enjoy Netflix and the On Demand movie channels.  It's so much cozier watching movies on your own couch, snuggled up to your family and four legged furry friends. 

We're not so much a popcorn family, as we are an ice cream family. 

Which leads to the stacks of yummy blankets and pillows. 

These are some of the movies that we've watched over the past month and my review of them {if you're interested}...

Super 8 - loved the 1970's setting of this flick.  Brought me back.  It was scary and entertaining, but the ending was just a little hokey.  big kids loved it.  Didn't let Griff watch it...too scary for him yet.

Dolphin Tale - good family friendly movie.  Not as awesome as Soul Surfer, but a feel good movie nonetheless.  A little over-acting.

I Don't Know How She Does it - eh. 

Adjustment Bureau - crazy premise.  good movie. 

Crazy Stupid Love - i love just about anything Steve Carrell does.  Totally didn't see the curveball they threw at me towards the end of the movie.  katie and i liked it.  Mark did not. 

Arthur - I LOVED the original and was afraid they would ruin it.  they didn't.  i thought it was cute.  Not a huge Russell Brand fan, but i thought he did a good job and had me cheering for him.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Katie and Riley picked this one.  again, crazy premise.  we all know how it ends going into this one. 

We Bought a Zoo - Mark took the kids to see this one, while i went to visit a friend in the hospital.  They all loved it.  I will catch it on Netflix when it comes out for sure.

Next on my list are some movies that are getting Oscar buzz...because its so much more fun to cheer them on when you've seen them!!! {Tree of Life, Moneyball, The Descendents, The Ides of March, WarHorse and The Help} Yes, i'm the only woman on the planet that hasn't see The Help, which is crazy because i read it so long ago and freaked out when i heard they were making the movie.  I'm DYING to see it.  Maybe this weekend...

any other movie recommendations????

 

Decembering...

I'm soaking up all the happiness of this season.  My kiddos last day of school before break is tomorrow!  Oh, how will i get it all done?  Somehow...i will.  I always do.  I wish i was one of those people who have their Christmas cards mailed and shopping done by Dec. 1st.  Never gonna happen.  I just don't have it in me.  I'm a hustle and bustle kinda girl.  I think i work best under pressure, actually.  That's my story and i'm stickin' to it!  December in our house...

thank goodness for online shopping!  So excited about all of my etsy purchases this year!

that pile of laundry doesn't care that it's messing with the zen of our beautiful tree.  It just keeps on comin'...

my favorite ornaments on the tree...

thank you, Pandora...

Jingle, our family elf has been quite naughty!  First he doodled on our family portrait...

then he got into my jewelry box!...

we printed out the schedule for the 25 days of Christmas on ABC Family.  we love all those Christmas specials.  We always save It's a Wonderful Life for Christmas Eve.  I hope to have a family night this weekend to watch White Christmas, too. 

we enjoyed our very last elementary school holiday choir concert last night. I still can't believe griffin is almost done there.  We got the middle school orientation information in his folder last week.  listening to kids singing christmas carols is always so sweet...

LOVE this holiday flash mob that is making the rounds on pinterest and facebook.  I want to be in a flash mob.  someday.  it's on my bucket list for sure.  even though i can't really sing.  or dance.  it still looks like so much fun.  enjoy!

 

Where were you?

 

I was at home, folding laundry on the couch, watching the Today Show.  Griffin was 14 months old and down for his morning nap.  Riley was in kindergarten and Katie was in 2nd grade; both were at school.  Mark called me from his cell phone on his way to work and asked if i had heard anything about a small commuter plane hitting the world trade center.  I hadn't.  But, a mere minute later, Matt Lauer & Katie Couric interrupted their broadcast with the breaking news.  I watched in horror, first believing it was a freak accident.  Then, minutes later, watched in complete disbelief as the second plane hit during the live broadcast.  I had called my mom to make sure she was watching and then quickly called Mark and pleaded for him to come home.  I feared for him, for my father who was working in a tall building downtown Indy, and for my children, who were at school.  I remember calling up to school and asking if i should come get them.  The receptionist told me that the schools were in lock down.  She said i was welcome to come get them but that they were safe, and unaware of all that was going on.  Later that afternoon, the children would be told by their teachers, a very brief explanation of the day's events, before they left for home.  They sent home a memo to parents letting us know how and what the children were told.  I kept that memo and have it tucked in their baby books...a small piece of American history.  The remainder of that day was a blur of emotions, prayer and deep sadness. 

I will never forget the horrific images, the feeling of helplessness, anger, fear and the 24/7 news coverage.  I will also never forget the feeling of fierce patriotism, of unity and of love for our country.  We lit candles, we prayed at candlelight vigils and gave blood.  We displayed flags on our home, our car, and our clothing. My heart aches for all that we lost on that terrible, fateful day.  I pray for peace for all those who lost loved ones on 9/11 and since then, fighting for our freedom.  As difficult as it has been to re-watch the videos and re-live the events of that day leading up to this 10th anniversary, it's imperative that we never forget the worth of our freedom and those who have died, or are willing to die protecting it.  I am forever grateful.

God bless the United States of America

♥

 

Our day to remember

On Wednesday, the big kids went to King's Island for the day and Griffin and I had a day all to ourselves.  Griffin got to pick where we went. 

 
No, he didn't pick the Lego store.  He picked his other true love...trains. 

 
We went to Forest Park in Noblesville and visited the Indiana Transportation Museum.  He was my little tour guide...telling me what kind of trains we were seeing, what they were used for, how they worked. 

 
 

 
 

Sadly, most of the trains there were just sitting there rusting.  There were so many of them!

 
We took a picture of this schedule sign and are going to try to reproduce it for his bedroom.  so many projects...so little time!

 
We also packed a picnic lunch and stopped at Holy Cow Cupcakes on the way to the park for our dessert.  Griffin got the chocolate cookies and cream stuffed cuppie and i got the old school vanilla with sprinkles.  mmmmmm

 
 
they have putt putt there at the park and we had the whole course to ourselves the whole time!  {evidently we were the only crazy people who were interested in putt putting in 96 degrees...huh, go figure}.  I kept trying to get a picture of the ball rolling by on the turf, but the sweat kept dripping into my eyes and this was the shot i got every time. 

 
Because we are not golf pros, we agreed we wouldn't keep score and would look the other way if one of us needed to have a "do-over".  We got lollies from the concession stand...

 
Then we decided we had enough of the heat and went home to our air conditioner and to snuggle up on the couch and watch reruns of Drake and Josh {we love them!}.  But before we left the park, we picked a rock off the ground at the 18th hole and decided it would be our souvenir from our day.  I used a paint pen to commemorate our adventure and i will keep it on my dresser.  It was one of those days that i think we will both remember forever.  ♥

 

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UPDATE!

My super sweet friend Jennifer McGuire, who asked me to illustrate that Erma Bombeck quote that i blogged about this week is giving one of the prints away on her blog!  Simply head over there and leave a comment and you'll be entered to win!  I'm blown away by the kind things her readers are saying about my work in those comments (over 200 last time i checked!).  wow!

High on L♥ve!

 
that kiss!

those hats!

that dress!

those lovely whispers between the Prince and his Princess!

that second kiss!

ahhhhhh....let's all just soak it in and have a collective sigh of love. 

Like so many of you, i was up at 4 am.  I turned the tv on and lit candles all over the family room.  Then, i put the spread out that i had baked the night before. 

 
Muffins, coffee cake and of course....scones!

 
oh, and princess gummies, too!

 
Then i woke my royal subjects and we feasted on the good china in our jammies. 

 

I found the gold crown at a garage sale YESTERDAY!  Seriously, who gets rid of a crown the day before the big wedding?  Score!  Everyone wore it for some time this morning.  Like my prince charming with pinky raised...

 
I totally loved every single second of it...all of the pageantry and ceremony.  I love that they are really, truly, in love.  I loved that the whole world was watching and that for an hour or so, the world had a lovely, happy occasion to share together.

 
Long live the future King and Queen of England. 

{and their future royal babies, who are bound to be gorgeous!}

♥

open up your heart and let the sunshine in...

we're enjoying our "staycation" Spring Break.  We may not be in Florida with the rest of the midwest, but we have enjoyed some sunshine. 

 
{open sunroof = spring!}

Today, however, it's a dark, grey day...with lots of raindrops.  Sometimes, these kind of days are peaceful, snuggly and you just find ways to make your own sunshine.  Like baking homemade chocolate chip cookies...

 
or driving to Daddy's office to meet him for lunch...

 

daydreaming via the atlas about a romantic, 20th wedding anniversary, tropical getaway in our near future... {pinch me!}

 

or revisiting a gem from your childhood.  Wow...listen carefully to the words...powerful stuff...  Love me some Flintstones.  Fellow children of the 70's, enjoy!

 

yabba dabba do!

GO BUTLER BULLDOGS!!!

I still haven't received my invitation...

...and even though i believe there must have been a mix up, i'm not going to get in a royal tizzy about it.  I know that Wills and Kate have very busy schedules (pronounce it: "shed-yules").  So, i will just celebrate it over here on this side of the pond, just like i did when Chuck & Di were married. 

 
I was 11 years old when William's parents married.  We were on a family vacation in Cape Cod and my mom woke my sisters and i up so we could watch it on television with the rest of the world.  I will never forget it.  I remember the excitement of seeing her dress and their first kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. 

 
I suppose that's when my love affair of all things royal began.  If Diana was on the cover of People magazine, i wouldn't miss reading it...pouring over the pictures.  Tiaras, gowns, jewels and castles.  What little girl doesn't daydream about that?  Of course we all know how that fairytale ended, and i was once again glued to my television with the rest of the world as we watched with great sadness learning of Diana's demise.  We all so hoped that her boys would be able to find happiness in the wake of their unimaginable heartache. 

and, so...i will be setting my alarm and waking in the wee hours of the morning of 29 April, 2011 to celebrate a happy, happy day.  I plan to wake my children, serve scones for breakfast and drink my coffee (sorry, I'm not a tea fan) from my china teacups. 

and as their future unfolds before our very eyes...i will be rooting for their

happily

ever

after

♥

 

Magical autumn

I'm loving this time of year!!!!  I do love summer, but i really do love the changing of the seasons.  I'm sure i would miss it if i lived in a region of the country where they don't see the leaves change or snowflakes fall.  There's just something about the first pot of chili...

 

and going to football games wearing sweatshirts and jeans under the lights because it gets dark so early now!

 
that's my sweet boy R, with the ball...go, R, GO!!!!!

 
We are loving apple cider, apple crisp and everything pumpkin.

 

The house has been decorated for Halloween.  Our favorite wicked witch has taken her place in the studio window...

 

the old vintage Horror movie posters are up (scored them for $1 each at the Dollar Store about 5 years ago!)

 

 

my Nana's autumn painting adorns our mantel.  It may be my favorite piece she ever did...LOVE it.

 

and the spooky silhouettes are, once again, decking our halls... 

 

speaking of spooky, G and I spied these turkey vultures that were perched all over a neighborhood clubhouse nearby...

 
They were so U.G.L.Y! 

 
Then, we looked over at this tree and they were everywhere!

 
We were a little creeped out because it was a gray, blustery day and they were all staring at us.  I was beginning to think they were eyeing G for a snack, so we quickly got back in the van and were on our way...

 
We have these enormous black walnut trees on our property. 

 

They drop these walnuts all over our yard and driveway. 

 
They're huge!  Last week i was pulling the van out and had my sunroof open and you guessed it...BAM!  right on my noggin!  I was seeing stars and little birdies circling my head for a few minutes.  I think the squirrels were aiming for me!

 
I can't wait for my very favorite Halloween movie, Hocus Pocus to air on TV...here's my favorite scene:

 

 Still looking forward to a trip to the pumpkin patch, cocoa and marshmallows, more Starbuck's pumpkin spice lattes, trick or treating and of course...my annual "girlfriend's trip to IKEA"!!!!   Hope you're enjoying fall, too, friends!  xo 

 

who lives in a pineapple under the sea...

you know who...

This is a one of a kind Bikini Bottom edition of the little houses that i make. 

   

They were sweetly requested by my nephew Sam, who adores all things Spongebob.  This was our conversation a few weeks ago...

Me (my nephews & niece call me Owie {pronounced Oh-eeee}):  "Sam, what do you think you might want for your birthday this year?"

Sam:  "you know your little houses that you make?"

Owie:  "yup"

Sam:  "i think they are soooooooooo cool.  and it would be soooooooooo cool if you could make Spongebob's house and Sandy's house and Squidward's house and the Krusty Krab and Patrick's house, too."

Owie:  "Gosh, Sam, i don't think i would know how to do that."

Sam:  {kind of sadly} "oh, ok."

When I arrived at his house on his birthday with a big gift bag, i told him that i hoped i got the right size underwear and socks.  He wasn't buying it for one second.

Happy Birthday, Sam! I love you. ♥